Canine sunbathe on the snow on the Wet Move checkpoint on Monday. With temperatures round 40 levels, some mushers didn’t put down the standard bedding for the canines in order that they might settle down. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)
RAINY PASS LODGE — A snow-covered frozen lake close to the distant lodge right here became a sled canine car parking zone Monday afternoon as Iditarod groups stopped to relaxation in temperatures that hovered round 40 levels.
Mushers shed layers. Canine sunbathed. Vacationers flown in on constitution planes snapped photographs underneath a scorching solar.
The Wet Move checkpoint is about 150 miles into the race and, tucked into the Alaska Vary, it’s a scenic place to attend out the warmth.
“Stunning right here,” stated rookie Hunter Keefe. “This is part of the path I used to be excited to see.”
By the point groups arrived in Wet Move, they’d already navigated some early challenges, together with the Comfortable River Steps, however confronted the trickier path forward via Dalzell Gorge.
Right here’s what the checkpoint seemed like Monday. (And for extra from the mushers, learn our story on how they coped with the warm-for-winter temperatures.)
Eddie Burke Jr. snacks on Kuskokwim River dried salmon. Jessie Holmes obtained the salmon from the Alexie household in Bethel and handed some on to Burke. Burke stated he additionally enjoys sweets. “I simply ate a pair packages of Oreos and a few Reese’s,” he stated. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Christian Turner approaches the Wet Move checkpoint. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Jennifer LaBar injured her left ring finger on the Comfortable River Steps coming into Wet Move, and it was nonetheless bent on the checkpoint. “It didn’t damage initially and I didn’t wish to take off my glove ’trigger I didn’t wish to see what it seemed like, however I may really feel in my glove that it was not regular,” she stated. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Jennifer Labar lays out straw for her canines to sleep on. Labar dislocated her ring finger on a pointy flip coming into Wet Move and needed to do canine chores with only one hand. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)TV crews movie Wade Marrs’ group arriving in Wet Move. “It feels prefer it’s 100 levels,” stated Marrs. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Riley Dyche’s canines’ Secretariat, named after the Triple Crown-winning thoroughbred, and Kesugi take a relaxation on the Wet Move checkpoint. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media. Matt Corridor’s group departs Wet Move. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Hunter Keefe lies with certainly one of his canines after arriving on the Wet Move checkpoint. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Canine roll within the snow in temperatures round 40 levels. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Ryan Redington tosses a Gatorade to Hunter Keefe. The 2 have been the primary to reach in Wet Move. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Ryan Redington brings a canine that escaped its harness again to his group. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media) Ryan Redington’s group veers off beam as he leaves Wet Move checkpoint. Like final yr, Redington was the primary musher into Wet Move, arriving inside about 5 minutes of his time final yr. He stated his early arrival was as a consequence of his run-rest schedule. “I don’t assume by any means I’m profitable the race in any respect, however it feels good to be right here,” he stated. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Brent Sass excessive fives followers as he leaves the Wet Move. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)Brent Sass approaches the Wet Move checkpoint. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media) Dan Kaduce attracts water from a gap lower into Puntilla Lake for mushers to make use of. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media) Followers of Dan Kaduce cheer him on at Wet Move Lodge. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)A veterinarian checks canines at Wet Move. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media) Mille Porsild leaves Wet Move. She stated she needed to watch her canines carefully as they ran via the checkpoint to verify they didn’t attempt to cease. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)
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Lex Treinen is overlaying the 2023 Iditarod Path Sled Canine Race for Alaska Public Media. Attain him at ltreinen@gmail.com.
