Me at the beginning of the race with the lead dogs before all hell breaks loose. The start of any race is hard because the dogs need to be lead to the starting line, and they are rarin' to go at this point so it's not easy to control them. You get as many people as possible to help lead them, preferably one person for every dog. (This is how I met Susane at Dawson during the Quest...begging her and her daughter to grab a dog!) This race was easier because they attach a snowmachine behind the sled so the dogs are much more under control, as opposed to it just being the musher stomping on his brake as hard as he can, with little effect. Also the distance between the parking lot and the start was literally across the street..sometimes it's several blocks away and you have to literally sprint the whole time with your arm being yanked out (as Susane can attest to)! Plus there's only 12 dogs as opposed to 16. Still there's pressure to get to the start on time or your musher loses precious minutes. They leave in 2 minute intervals. The second pic shows how many people were involved in this process. Everyone is so happy to help and in the spirit. Some of these people are other musher's handlers--they help until everyone is off and then take off for the next checkpoint. And these people are not just holding the dogs, they kiss them, talk to them and calm them. I've really never met a group of people more willing and happy to help out than volunteers at a race! It's such an exciting and upbeat environment which continues throughout the race, even with the lack of sleep! On a side note, regarding my fashion choices, I misplaced one of my gloves before the race and found these orange striped ones at Fred Meyers for 59 cents! Perfect. And I am happy to have black Bunny Boots. Bunny Boots are heavily insulated on the bottom and look huge and ridiculous, but they're slightly less silly in black than in the usual white. I was given these as "payment" from a musher I helped on a long run two winters ago and they're priceless! I'm also wearing my ever-present cap with sheepskin flaps--again, a ridiculous look that I couldn't live without!