The 54th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off with a snowy ceremonial start in Anchorage the morning of Saturday, March 7. The temperature hovered around 20°F and the six inches of snow that started falling the night before made for a wintery atmosphere. Despite the snow, the thousands of spectators lining the streets and trails were not deterred from cheering on the mushers and dogs.
Mushers and their dog trucks began showing up at 4th Avenue before 7 a.m. Saturday morning, driving carefully in downtown streets thick with fresh-fallen snow. Some showed up earlier and caught a few more hours of sleep in their vehicles.
In the hours before the 10 a.m. start, spectators began to trickle into the side streets surrounding 4th Avenue, seeking out their favorite mushers to take selfies and watching as handlers fed dogs and put on booties on the dogs. Some dogs were excited, barking and straining at their lines, ready to run. Some dogs were mellow, curling up and resting before the coming excitement…