Idaho musher, Kirk Barnum, returns to the dog yard at sunset

As the sun sets this evening, there are two days left before the start of the Junior Iditarod and only 10 days until the restart of Iditarod on Willow Lake. Right now it seems to be snowing all around us except for this break in the clouds to the west. Musher Kirk Barnum from Idaho is housing his dogs at Bacon’s Acres near Big Lake where this sunset was captured. He’d just returned from a training run as the color crept above the horizon. Also expected up from the lower 48 – Lachlan Clark from Colorado, Pat Moon from Illinois, Ed Stielstra from Michigan and Tom Thursten from Colorado. As of last count 12 Juniors will take the Yentna Station round trip and 66 mushers will take off from Willow for the run to Nome. They’re bound to see many splendid sunsets.