“It’s really surprising” that most dogs handled the daytime temperatures well, he said.
Altemus, 46, said that despite a few hiccups, she had a “really good race” and her dogs had few problems. She and a few others crashed their sleds along an ice-covered curve earlier in the marathon, but she was able to recover. Mushers were allowed to start the race with fewer dogs because of the lack of snow, but when Altemus went to 12 dogs, she had to do a lot of braking, she said, because of the fast conditions.
“I’ve been using the word terrifying,” she said. “It’s a lot of power.”
The Beargrease was canceled last year because of a lack of snow, and this year the start date was pushed back more than a month for the same reason.
Aili, 42, finished with nine dogs, Juliet and Duker as the leads. She said her dogs are “incredible athletes” that adapt easily.
“As long as you are managing them right, keeping them hydrated, you’re feeding them and you’re giving them the rest they need, they power through it all because they just want to be out there on the trails, seeing something new and finding out what’s around the next corner,” she said.
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