The Can-Am Crown is on. Dogs and their mushers are braving the elements in Maine for this prestigious, 250-mile precursor to the Iditarod.

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Two dozen teams are vying for the $29,000 purse – enough to cover some expenses, but nobody’s getting rich. So why do it?

“To be in the company of these dogs – they’re my best friends,” said Matt Carstens, a New Hampshire musher. “I love them. We live for it.”