Ryan Redington, 2nd into Nikolai, heading over to feed and bed down his dogs. Photo Credit: J. Westrich

Sitting here in Nikolai I can’t imagine a more beautiful spot on Earth. The musher GPS provided a good estimate of their impending arrival at the checkpoint in the early morning hours so we committed to a solid night sleep before the action started. Up before the sunrise, we headed down to the river.  With the snow crunching underfoot it felt like a mystical fairyland, a surreal landscape out of a movie scene.  

Nic Petit settles in and feed his dogs at the Nikolai checkpoint. Photo Credit: J. Westrich

Dog Team! rang out across the checkpoint and people scurried into position. Nic Petit was the first musher into Nikolai just as the sun rose over Denali and Mount Foraker. His team looked great and it was remarkable to watch his precision and focus as he gave water, fed, and bedded the dogs down for a rest. 

Brent Sass into Nikolai. Photo Credit: J. Westrich

Soon after, teams came in one after another: Redington, Maixner, Diehl, Sass, and Holmes. Each with a team that looked ready to keep running. Sass had a dog in his bag, Marty, a two year-old youngster who was just a little tired and overheated from the warm temperatures yesterday. He was ready for a rest, and some snuggles before heading home via Anchorage.  

A Redington dog enjoying a salmon snack. Photo Credit: J. Westrich

Marty, a Brent Sass dog, gets some snuggles from the Teacher on the Trail after being returned at Nikolai. Photo Credit: J. Westrich

I thought I had seen the Iditarod, with the Ceremonial Start and Restart. Now I feel like I have seen the Iditarod in all its layers; the mushers covered in icy beards, the dog’s breath in the morning air, the enthusiasm of the volunteers, the excitement of the local school kids holding autograph books, the buzz of the Insider cameras, and the remarkable beauty of a remote landscape that leaves you speechless. 

Denali and Mount Foraker frame the sunrise from the Nikolai Checkpoint. Photo Credit: J. Westrich