Dogs enjoying the view of the valley below.

After sending off Ralph Johannessen at the re-start of Iditarod 2014, I jumped back in the truck and headed for the Talkeetna Mountains.

The clock showed 5.30 pm before I was ready to leave the truck. With the sled packed with reindeer skins, sleeping bag, straw, RedPaw, fish and cooker, we took off up into the mountains as the sun was starting to set.

Running dogs in the mountains isn't a daily thing here in Alaska, as we usually run on swamps and rivers. As we got out of the trees, the most amazing 360 degree panoramic view appeared and I had to let out a big cheer, what an amazing view!

We ended up camping on the other side of this lake. Setting the snow hook in one of the small trees for better grip.

The snow was pretty crusty after some warm weather and rain (!) in the area, so we didn't go too far. With June and Felon in lead we left the trails and went exploring around on different mountain tops before we settled for a beautiful camping spot near a lake. Dogs got fish and kibble for supper before we all settled down to enjoy a pipe and a wonderful show of northern lights and millions upon millions of bright stars. Truly magical!

Hope you can enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the view!