Sweepstakes competition

Musher passes through the Bendeleben mountains, Northbound to Candle, Alaska during the 2008 All Alaska Sweepstakes.

Lance Mackey leaves the halfway checkpoint of Candle on the afternoon of day two of the 2008 All Alaska Sweepstakes.

Musher Cari Miller passes through Death Valley on day two of the 2008 All Alaska Sweepstakes.

I spent some time Thursday in a plane along the race course, which traverses tremendous country between Nome, Alaska on the coast of the Norton Sound, up to the Ghost town of Candle. The race is developing into a battle for first between three mushers; King, Mackey and Seavey. It is estimated that the winning musher will be in Nome either late Friday night, or early Saturday morning to collect the $100,000 purse.