Some four hours before sunrise at 03:43, the first Junior Musher, Noah Pereira pulled his snow hook and followed the narrow snowy trail out to the Yentna River. Two minutes later, Conway Seavey followed then Jenny Greger. By 06:52, all the mushers were running toward the finish line at Willow Lake. The dogs were jazzed!

Each musher got a two-minute call before their turn to take the trail.  Sled holders helped the musher hold the team until the countdown reached zero.  The dogs were leaping, lunging and barking – their enthusiasm and energy for running were very evident. One dog seemed to be speaking or signing a different language when expressing his excitement. He wasn’t barking but was making plenty of noise. He sounded much like a yodeler in the Swiss Alps.

The sun rose at 08:19. The temperature was a balmy 19 degrees; the winds were calm and light snow drifted to the ground. Could it be more perfect?