The checker sends the musher to the right area to part the team. There other volunteers send the musher to the place to park their teams. The volunteers here had bales of hay all organized and the food dogs were in alphabetical order down the center of the area. The musher also declares if he or she is staying in the checkpoint or traveling on through. The musher must park the team by setting the snowhook and straightening the team out in front of the sled.
Many mushers unhook the tug lines but leave the necklines on.
Some mushers might take a dog's harness off. The reason I heard for this is if the dog is known to chew on his harness, the musher I will take the harness off. Next, many of the mushers broke open the bales of straw and distributed some to each dog or team of dogs. Feeding the dogs came next. I watched one musher give the team some dry food mixed with something else.