Backstage Iditarod: February 2013

Vet check day is something of a day of being faceless for the mushers as, unless you know them or their wearing something that ID's them, they tend to blend into the crowd. Probably just as well as vet check day is a busy day for mushers and vets alike, with much of the info shared today being extremely important to decisions of which dogs to take to Nome. As such, I largely just wandered, only talking to a few mushers, tho' who are friends outside of race days, and shot some pix when the wind wasn't trying to knock me down.

Ah, I know this sled.... where, oh, where are you Jodi?

I found Lance's truck but no Lance, so took some pix of the real stars of the show, his dogs.

This is what is on the hood of Lance's big ol' dog truck.

This was on the back of one of the cars parked in the parking area. Thought maybe it was Jessie Royer's but tho' I heard she was around, never saw her.

Tara-Van Dyke and family made their first jaunt to Alaska for the race/

Here's a doggie happy to be getting back into its box.

Here's a doggie wishing it were back in its box and done with the vet stuff.

Braxton in the red coat.

As I told Jodi, hey, I was focusing on Whiskey and at least his eyes are open.

Karin arrives

The wind was giving Karin's hair an "in your face" kinda style.

Bye, Lance.

I had a brain hiccup or would have gotten a pix of Russian musher Mikhail Telpin but here are a few of his boxed dogs.This link will tell you a bit about his country and culture as well as where dogs fit into it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chukchis