Mushers Ready For Iditarod

Former Iditarod champion Jeff King and 59 other mushers left downtown Anchorage on a clear, 6-degree morning and headed north 20 miles to the suburb of Eagle River, the first leg of the 1,150-mile race.

Their sled baskets usually carry survival gear and dog food. But for the downtown start, the mushers instead had paying customers - adventurous souls from across the nation who paid at least $500 for the 2-hour ride.

For the mushers, the real race begins today with a restart in Wasilla, 45 miles north. They’ll start out with a maximum of 16 dogs each.