Two More Iditarod Dogs Die, Lost Dog Found -- ZooToo Pet News

It was near 45 degrees below Fahrenheit when Packer began to falter in a rugged area; the trail was no longer exposed and the musher struggled to find his way.

Packer stopped to rest overnight, and while the trail was more visible the following morning, two of his dogs began to succumb to the cold winds.

"The sled just kept falling over and he looked really bad, and then he died," Packer said of one of the dogs, Grasshopper. "I sat there and held him. Horrible."

Later that day, Dizzy began to show a lack of resistance, as well.

"I felt his shoulder for hydration, and ice crystals in the skin is what I felt," Packer reportedly said. "I think those two guys probably froze to death in the high winds. I didn't think it possible."

Both of the dogs had been wearing coats and boots, but they apparently did not suffice against the blistering cold.