The leaders were expected to arrive in Circle this morning. Twenty-six of the 31 mushers who began the race Feb. 11 remain on the trail. The latest to drop out was Sig Stormo, a rookie from Soldotna. Stormo had to be airlifted to Whitehorse from the Dawson checkpoint Sunday after he accidentally slugged down several gulps of stove fuel. The fuel, methyl hydrate, had been stored in a used juice bottle.
Mushers use the fuel to fire up the stoves used to boil water and heat dog food.
If not treated promptly, methyl hydrate poisoning can damage the optic nerve and cause blindness. It also burns the lining of the esophagus and stomach. Please tell us your thoughts about this topic. It is not a private communication, and your e-mail address will be included with your post. Postings are limited 720 characters.