Iditarod 2008

Mark went for a ride toward Vance's cabin on Sunday. This is Jeff King on the Iditarod Trail. He was the first musher to come into Unalakleet.

Here are Jeff King's dogs being checked by the vet at the Unalakleet checkpoint. Jeff and one other musher out of a field of 96 are the only mushers still running all 16 dogs.

Here is Jeff King holding Carter Woodhead. Carter is the son of our AD.

Jeff checking his dogs.

Mel and Summer watching the action from the pits. The mushers use HEET to start their fires on the trail.

Here is Lance Mackey coming into the Unalakleet checkpoint. He came in about an hour after Jeff King.

Lance arriving at Unalakleet.

The vet is checking Lance's dogs. Lance had to drop one dog here in Unalakleet. He left with 11 dogs.

All kinds of media broadcasting the Iditarod.

Lance is putting booties on his dogs before he takes off.

Lance Mackey leaving Unalakleet. Sunday, 6:17 pm, 2/9/08.

Lance stops for a quick inspection.

Shortly after Lance left Jeff appeared and began readying his dogs for departure. Mark is standing to the left of Jeff's sled.

Jeff departs Unalakleet at 7:09pm, Sunday, February 9, 2008. This was day 9 of the Iditarod.

On the trail, one of Jeff's dogs needs to relieve itself.

Jeff applies the break and stops right next to me.

He does a quick inspection of the line.

He talks to his lead dog and others on his way back to his sled.

Bye to Unalakleet and onto Shaktoolik.