RAINY PASS, Alaska -- Linwood Fiedler took the lead of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Monday, leaving Rainy Pass after a break of less than one hour.

Fiedler, the runner-up last year, was the sixth musher to arrive at the checkpoint. He moved into the lead when he left Rainy Pass after just 40 minutes.

Charlie Boulding led racers into this checkpoint at 10:56 a.m.. Boulding, running his 10th Iditarod, said he arrived hours earlier than expected due to the excellent, hard-packed trail.

"The trail is wonderful. It's the best I've ever seen," Boulding said.

The checkpoint at Rainy Pass Lodge is at the base of the pass itself, which takes racers to an altitude of 3,160 feet, the highest point on the trail. The racers then make the treacherous descent down the Dalzell Gorge.

Boulding arrived just four minutes ahead of DeeDee Jonrowe of Willow. Three-time Iditarod champion Jeff King appeared eight minutes later, followed by John Baker of Kotzebue at 11:26 a.m. and 1976 Iditarod champion Jerry Riley of Nenana at 11:56 a.m. Rainy Pass is 224 miles from the start in Anchorage.

Montana musher Doug Swingley, who has won the last three Iditarods, was still at the Finger Lake checkpoint Monday afternoon. He arrived there in 37th place at 12:17 p.m., barely half an hour before race leader Fiedler left Rainy Pass, 30 miles ahead.

Also resting at Rainy Pass on Monday afternoon were Ramy Brooks, Jon Little, Vern Halter, Jim Lanier, Sonny Lindner, Nils Hahn, Mitch Seavey, Sonny King, Ray Redington Jr., Tim Osmar, Lance Mackey, Bruce Lee, Kjietil Backen, Robert Sorlie, Aliy Zirkle, and Al Hardman.

Martin Buser, a three-time Iditarod champion, left Finger Lake at 7:14 a.m. Monday and probably was resting along the trail instead of at the checkpoint.

Harald Tunheim was also out of Finger Lake, followed by five-time champion Rick Swenson.