Dropped Dogs

As of the last time I checked, Lance Mackey was leading.  He was the first musher in at the Rainy Pass checkpoint.  Several of the mushers have dropped dogs due to illness and injury.  We went over to the Millenium Hotel to watch the planes bring in dropped dogs.  The ski planes land on a frozen lake behind the hotel.  Once there, the dogs are checked out by a vet, given any necessary medical attention, given straw bedding, fed and are returned to the race teams after being medically cleared.  If the race team is unable to pick up a dog right away, it is sent to the prison where the prisoners care for the dogs until they are picked up.  For the most part, the dogs look tired but are in good shape.  There were a couple who had minor injuries.

We head home in the wee hours of the morning...  See you all soon.

  Dogs being unloaded from the airplane

Getting some TLC from the vet

Waiting to go home