JACKSON, Wyo. — On Friday, Jan. 31, Jackson hosted the start of the 30th annual Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race amid a flurry of fresh snow.
The Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race is a world-renowned event where elite mushers and their teams of sled dogs embark on a multi-day journey through the Western Wyoming wilderness.
Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer was at the start line at Town Square with crowds of spectators to send off the sled teams in the winter weather. Mushers and their dogs will now travel until Feb. 7, when the final stage and closing celebrations will be held in Dubois, Wyoming.
As of Feb. 3, the current top 5 are listed on the Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race as:
- Anny Malo (five-time Stage Stop champion)
- Stephane Roy
- Alix Crittenden (Bondurant local)
- Cathy Rivest
- Bruce Magnusson
Race Director Dan Carter has also addressed the weather system that’s been moving through the stage stop areas over the past couple of days and “wrecked havoc” on competitors Feb. 2 and Feb. 3.
“We sent out a crew at sunrise to break open the trail,” Carter says in a video posted to the official website. “What they busted open is now filled with three feet of snow.”
Carter notes that despite the snow and wind, there is currently no concern over participant safety.
