John Stetson likes the Mineral Center checkpoint.
The quiet turn-off in the woods, at the end of an 11 mile road and watched over by an old log cabin just feels good to him.
With over 30 years of mushing and training sled dogs and 13 John Beargrease marathon races with a couple of mid-distance wins thrown in, John Stetson knows where the musher's heads are by the time they reach this last checkpoint before the Beargrease race finish.
They're relaxed. They've done everything they can. They know when they're leaving, they know where they are in the race, they know what they have to do.
Volunteers have brought in food and good cheer, handlers are- as usual - taking care of dogs and mushers alike ... yes, John Stetson likes the Mineral Center checkpoint.
He just doesn't always like what he thinks about when he's there.
