Photos: 2012 Iditarod -- Leaders in to (and out of) McGrath

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Lance Mackey's lead dog Maple rests with her team in McGrath on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Mackey chose to take his 24 hour stop in McGrath this year.

All that was missing here Tuesday night were pit crews as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race sped into this village on the banks of the Kuskokwim River and then out again almost as fast. And, of course, the Iditarod doesn't allow pit crews. On the 1,000 miles of trail from Willow to Nome, mushers are by rule on their own; no outside assistance allowed.

Not that there would have been time for much here. As a bonfire raged outside the local community center and ice lanterns glowed to guide teams into town, a string of race leaders arrived one-by-one to basically sign in and sigh out at the check point. Former Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race champ Aliy Zirkle from Two Rivers was the first to arrived at 8:32 p.m. The race leader for more than 100 miles now, she seemed in good spirits.

She took but minutes to satisfy checkers she had her mandatory gear in the sled, check in and then leave into the snowy night on the trail toward Takotna with the 16 dogs with which she started the race in Willow on Sunday still pulling strongly. She gave no hint as to whether she planned to take the one, 24-hour rest required of all mushers at the next checkpoint -- an old mining town and a popular place for the big break in recent years -- or push on to the Iditarod's halfway point or beyond before putting on the brakes.