Lacking snow, a short ceremonial start to Iditarod 44

Jason Campeau’s team getting ready to head to the starting line of 4th Avenue in Anchorage. Photo: Zachariah Hughes, APM
The 44th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off with the ceremonial start to the race in downtown Anchorage Saturday.
At 85 mushers, it’s one of the largest fields the race has ever seen.
This year, race officials had to shorten the traditional 11 mile course to just three miles out of safety concerns stemming from a lack of snow within town. The Alaska Railr