Iditapod: Injuries, wildlife and Zirkle first to halfway. Plus: naming dogs

Richie Diehl in the Takotna community hall, his injury treated with butterfly stitches back at the clinic in Nikolai. (Zachariah Hughes/Alaska Public Media photo)

Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle and all 14 of her SP Kennel dogs made it to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race’s halfway point, the Iditarod checkpoint, for her 24-hour layover. Other mushers coming off their 24s are expected through there Thursday. Earlier on their breaks, mushers shared stories of injuries, sled mishaps and wildlife encounters, as well as sled dog litter-naming conventions.

a portrait of a man outside

Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him atcgrove@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Caseyhere

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