Dear Friends,

The mushers are on their way!  Many teams will reach the checkpoint of Finger Lake Monday evening and Tuesday.  Finger Lake can have up to 10 feet of snow!  Do you know what that means for us dogs?  If another musher wants to pass, or if the team wants to rest, it is required to get off the trail.  The trail snow is packed down because of snow machines going through or other dog teams; when you step OFF the trail, however, a musher can sink to his chest, according to musher Al Eischens who recently commented on all the snow they’ve had.  

Snowshoes are within easy reach for this year’s race.

The musher will use his/her snowshoes to pack down a spot so we dogs don’t sink to our bellies!  By our musher walking and tamping down the snow, it will be easier for us to rest.  Mushers are keeping their snowshoes handy this year.  They won’t want to be digging into the bottom of their sleds for these helpful tools with deep snow!

The next obstacle will be heading into the Alaska Range after the Rainy Pass checkpoint. Teams have to climb up steep mountain trails and then come back down the other side.  Imagine 14 dogs running downhill, around corners,  with you trying to stay on the sled!  It’s a wild ride!

That is what’s ahead for our musher friends and my fellow sled dogs.  Keep cheering them on!!

Until next time, this is your canine reporter,

Gypsy

Rainy Pass Checkpoint