Hello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. After a 45 minute drive from Pinedale to the Kendall River Valley, Teams were greeted by cooler temperatures, about 10F above. Perfect dog running temperature. At 8 a.m. sharp was the mushers meeting, where teams were given a quick overview over todays stage. 34 miles total. Out and back trail rolling hills, gradually climbing. Some of the more exposed sections can be windblown and a little scant of snow. The Wind Gods were calm today. A light south breeze. Matter of fact that was perfect for the dogs, as on the return leg, with rising daytime temperatures, they had a bit of a headwind cooling the dogs down. The sun also never came out in full force and stayed behind a high cloud cover. That did not make for the best picture taking conditions, but heck, better than not getting out on the trail at all.
Reverse starting order means, yesterdays slowest team was going out first today. That way teams finish nice and close together. Allan Berge led the field of 18 followed by Linda Pierce from Washington State. The last team to start was yellow big wearer Anny Malo from Quebec. I did not quite make it to the turnaround and snow machined about 12 miles in. It is a fine line of getting some shots, yet staying out of the way. The later part of the trail would have made passing dog teams and filming difficult.
Being on the trail gives me a nice glimpse of how the teams are traveling. Surprisingly some teams ended up loading dogs, even some of the top teams. Internet is a challenge. As I write this I am sitting infront of the locked Pinedale Library. Luckily their wifi router is not turned off. I will upload some videos later.
Here are some shots from todays Start Enjoy:
