53 Iditarod Sled Dogs, 4 Mushers Camping in Thurston County

THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. (AP) — Fifty-three sled dogs and four mushers who competed in the Iditarod in Alaska are now camping on Nisqually tribal land in Washington state.

The News Tribune reports Norwegian musher Tore Albrigtson said their original plan to fly home from Anchorage after the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race fell apart when a cargo plane wasn't available.

Albrigtson says instead the mushers crated the four dog sled teams and traveled to Seattle in a U-Haul truck, stopping in Nisqually.

After Thurston County deputy said they'd been getting a lot of calls about the dogs, a Nisqually tribal employee invited the Alaskan huskies and people to camp on their land while they wait for a flight to Europe on Wednesday.

Officials say the mushers also got showers and meals at the casino.