After a bruising 2016, Martin Buser upbeat for 2017

Martin Buser is chasing his fifth Iditarod title in 2017. (Photo by Ben Matheson/KNOM)
Last year, Martin Buser had a tough Iditarod.
He finished in 37th place, his lowest position on the leader-board in a decades-long career.
But this year, as the four-time champion charges through the race’s early checkpoints, a lot of things are going better.
In 2016, Buser had a bad fall on the stretch of trail heading from Kaltag toward Unalakleet.
With more than 200 miles to go, he was barely abl