  For two measured laminations $\nu^+$ and $\nu^-$ that fill up a
hyperbolizable surface $S$ and for $t \in (-\infty, \infty)$, let $L_t$ be the
unique hyperbolic surface that minimizes the length function $e^t l(\nu^+) +
e^{-t} l(\nu^-)$ on Teichmuller space. We characterize the curves that are
short in $L_t$ and estimate their lengths. We find that the short curves
coincide with the curves that are short in the surface $G_t$ on the Teichmuller
geodesic whose horizontal and vertical foliations are respectively, $e^t \nu^+$
and $e^{-t} \nu^-$. By deriving additional information about the twists of
$\nu^+$ and $\nu^-$ around the short curves, we estimate the Teichmuller
distance between $L_t$ and $G_t$. We deduce that this distance can be
arbitrarily large, but that if $S$ is a once-punctured torus or
four-times-punctured sphere, the distance is bounded independently of $t$.
