GRAND MARAIS -- Emotions were high and cheers were loud as, one by one, mushers crossed the midway mark in Grand Marais on Saturday.
"The first six teams were all one after the other, after the other," explained musher, Ryan Anderson. "It was fun...we were all working together."
But teams know completing 120 miles is only half the battle.
The excitement quickly died down as teams focused on eating and resting and for some of the mushers' best friends, rehabilitation.
Anderson has won the UP 200 the past three years and knows the tough toll it can take on the dogs.
"I got one that’s injured right now," said Anderson. "A sore tricep we're going to be working on for the next few hours, see if we can get him back on the trail."
Musher Amanda Vogel may have not spotted any injuries yet but took the time to double check all of her dogs for anything she "can’t see while on the trail."
Eventually all, including Vogel, got their teammates ready for some much needed sleep.
"They didn’t get much rest up in Wetmore; they just weren't tired enough after 67 miles," explained Vogel. "Hopefully they'll rest right now."
Once teams are rested, they'll head back out on the trails. The race is expected to finish up Sunday afternoon.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC