Photos: Kaltag, last stop on the Yukon

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race made its last stop on the Yukon River, at the village of Kaltag, mid-day Saturday with Martin Buser hanging on for dear life to a lead that had shrunk from five hours to maybe half an hour in the last half-day of racing.

Reports from the trail signaled it had been a tough row to hoe for Buser, essentially in the position as trailbreaker for the front-of-pack contenders behind him.

Iditarod Trail staff were overheard calling the route between Eagle Island and Kaltag "abysmal." A whole lot of "snow soup" for dogs to wade through.

Even snowmachiners were having a hard time grooming the gnarly trail ahead of Buser.

Several mushers were in contention to pass Buser out of Kaltag.

COMPLETE IDITAROD COVERAGE | IDITAROD IN PHOTOS & VIDEO

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