Defending Champ Leads Iditarod's Toughest Leg

0:00This is Anchorage News today, every story, every city, every day. The I did a rod trail sled dog race kicked off its first full day with teens climbing the Alaska Range. Defending champion Jesse Holmes led the pack, reaching the rainy pass checkpoint on Pantilla Lake shortly after noon. By 4 p.m. Monday, he held a lead of just over 40 miles ahead of a group of younger muskers and rookies at Finger Lake. Stars and several top teams made quick stops at rainy pass to grab supplies before pushing on. The weather there featured single-digit temperatures, clear skies, and a 14-mile-an-hour north wind. No one lingered long as they eyed the next leg. That upcoming stretch ranks among the race's toughest, featuring ice bridges over creeks, a steed 200-foot drop into Dowell Gorge, and A, twisting, narrow path down to the Totina River and Ron Checkpoint. As of Monday afternoon, every team remained in the race with no scratches reported. Mushers in the new Expedition class, like Thomas Weirner and KJL Ingroke, stayed competitive

1:02near the front alongside the fastest squads. Steve Curtis, the third Expedition class intern, trailed at the back, the only one not yet at Finger Lake by late afternoon. The pack presses on through this demanding terrain. DNA is sponsored by our partner. Check out the episode description. Press play. Get your head down. The sound is already there, S-O-L-I-SoliPillo.com.