Linwood Fiedler of Willow checked into Skwentna at 8:28 p.m. with all 16 of his dogs in harness.

Paul Gebhardt of Kasilof followed 16 minutes later, with Cim Smyth of Big Lake another 16 minutes behind Gebhardt.

Skwentna, at the junction of the Yentna and Skwentna rivers, is 86 miles from the restart in Willow, where teams departed every two minutes Sunday afternoon.

The National Weather Service forecast temperatures of minus-10 overnight in Skwentna, turning even colder after mushers make it over the Alaska Range.

Fiedler, second to Montana's four-time champion Doug Swingley in 2001, was the first musher to leave Willow, and he had no interest in lollygagging. Fiedler averaged nearly 13 mph on the run to Yentna Station, the first checkpoint, faster than any other musher. Gebhardt, second in 2000 and 2007, clocked 12.8 mph on his way to Yentna.

The first musher to Skwentna seldom arrives first in Nome, since the last team to leave the Willow start line is already hours behind. Last year, for instance, Kotzebue musher Ed Iten was the first to Skwentna, just ahead of five-time champion Rick Swenson. Iten eventually scratched; Swenson wound up 25th.

But two years ago, Lance Mackey was second into Skwentna on his way to a second championship.

Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt made a strong early move. As he approached Skwentna, Gatt, who started 20th, had already passed 14 mushers -- including former champions Jeff King and Mitch Seavey, to move into sixth place.