ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Much of the start of the world's most famous sled dog race is covered in barren gravel, forcing Iditarod organizers to move the start further north where there is snow and ice. Alaskans can thank the jet stream, which has been delivering warm air from the Pacific, said Dave Snider, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Anchorage. While that's allowing a lot of cold air to flow out of the Arctic into the Midwest and the eastern seaboard, we're locked into the warmer part of that pattern, and we've continued to see those warm pushes for a fairly long period over the winter, he said. A sudden blizzard blew four-time champion and race leader Jeff King out of the race when he was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the finish line of the nearly 1,000-mile race. The route change eliminates the mountainous terrain and treacherous gorge, but it could present mushers with a whole new set of problems with a flat trail on unpredictable river ice. [...] this race will not be won on tricks or gimmicks.