After running on well-groomed trails in absolutely perfect weather conditions, it was no surprise that the Junior Iditarod canine athletes wanted to keep going once they reached the Yentna Station halfway checkpoint. Teams made the turn off the river and climbed the bank to pause briefly for signing in and the mandatory bag check. The dogs had so much energy it was hard to hold them in place for the 5 minutes or so it took to get the paper work done. The dogs were lunging into their harnesses and barking as if to ask, “Why are we stopping here?” Before parking on trails in the woods for the required ten-hour layover, the mushers gathered up their food bag, a bale of straw and a few bottles of Heet. After setting snow hooks to anchor the sled and the front end of the dog team, the teen mushers set to pampering their canine athletes with foot care, massage and a gourmet multi-course meal.  Then it was time to curl up on a bed of  fresh straw for some rest and relaxation.

Born to Run,

Sanka