Once again the dogs, mushers head to Nome

The annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race begins Saturday with its ceremonial start in Anchorage.

The race has its obvious challenges every year, but this year’s version appears to have another hurdle to jump — a lack of snow in some areas.

That problem has been faced before, but the snow depth was closer to home. Hence, the race has been moved to Willow from Wasilla to ensure a better start. This year, however, the lack of snow is farther down the trail where there is reported to be bare ground. That’s not great for dogs, mushers or their sleds.

Running over dirt could make mushers alter their strategies. Does the barren stretch favor veterans or rookies? Only time will tell.

This year race officials made it harder for rookies to enter the race. This is because of the number of dogs that died in last year’s race. That move is a good one. Driving a team of dogs 1,000 miles across the wilderness shouldn’t be done on a lark. And some mushers were turned away for lack of experience.

The first responsibility to all concerned — race officials through mushers — should be the safety of the dogs. With so many animals on the trail, it’s conceivable that one or two might die for one reason or another even after they’ve been screened by race veterinarians. Last year, one died apparently because of turbulence on an airplane.

One dog died during the Junior Iditarod this past weekend even though it was also checked by veterinarians. It had internal problems nobody could have seen. That’s the problem with dogs, they can’t tell you where they hurt.

That’s why mushers spend so much time with their animals long before they hit the trail. A close relationship with a dog can help a musher or handlers detect a difference in a dog’s personality.

That’s precisely why race officials wisely make rookies go through their paces in middle-distance races before they tackle the 1,149-mile Iditarod or the Quest.

The Iditarod has lost some of its mystique over the years because we civilians can watch from start to finish in our warm homes. But there’s still a lot that can go wrong in a hurry out there. It is Alaska untamed, after all.

Here’s to safe travels to Nome and back for all: dogs, mushers, pilots and checkpoint volunteers.