The information is very valuable in the initial assessment of the team. If a dog is having a problem, we can determine previous treatments and ask the musher if that therapy is helping. During the first hour the team is examined and new information about each dog is recorded in the vet handbook. It is not just about team members having problems, but it is common for a vet to comment on how well a team is traveling down the trail. The musher cannot leave the checkpoint until a vet examines the team and signs the veterinary handbook.
Teams come into and leave the checkpoint continually until the last team departs.
Most of the musher s time is spent feeding and caring for the team. If the musher is lucky there may be time to sleep for an hour or two. The vets are also getting very little sleep while teams are in the checkpoint. If you are lucky there is time to sleep after the last team leaves the checkpoint and before a plane arrives to take you to the next checkpoint. However, there is usually very little time to rest until the end of the race.