Dear Friends,

You may have noticed that sometimes mushers and teams blow through checkpoints with a very short stop.  The volunteer checkers need to check sled gear, number of dogs, and get a signature from the mushers.  Veterinarians check the teams quickly.  Why don’t the teams stay longer in each checkpoint?

Some mushers feel that they stopped not too long before; the dogs are excited and full of energy.  They don’t want to rest yet.  

Another possibility is that there are LOTS of teams resting in a checkpoint.  Some mushers prefer to let their dogs rest out beyond the checkpoint so it quiet and less distracting.  The musher may just climb into the sled to take a nap as well, rather than have to be around lots of people.  Rule 27 states that no camping may be done within one mile of the checkpoint.  You must also get your team off the trail so they don’t block any teams who need to travel on the trail.  This can be tricky if the snow is really deep.  Brent Sass camped on a frozen river today!

If you look over the race standings under Race Center, you will see how long teams stay in a checkpoint.  

Until next time,

Gypsy