The Roadhouse, Talkeetna
We woke up this morning and it is STILL snowing! 36 inches since it started yesterday!
We had breakfast at the Roadhouse in Talkeetna before heading to Dallas Seavey's kennel in Willow for our mushing trip.
Dallas is the youngest person to ever run the Iditarod, turning 18 the day before his rookie race. Here is part of his race record:
- 2011 Iditarod - 4th place
- 2011 Yukon Quest - 1st Place
- 2010 Iditarod – 8th & Dorothy G. Page Halfway Point Award
- 2010 Kusko 300 – 4th
- 2009 Iditarod – 6th
- 2007 Iditarod – 47th
- 2007 Tustumena 200 – 15th
- 2005 Iditarod – 51st
- 2005 Junior Iditarod – 3rd & Sportsmanship Award
- 2005 Kusko 300 – 6th & Humanitarian Award
- 2004 Kusko 300 – 4th
- 2004 Junior Iditarod – 2nd
- 2003 Junior Iditarod – 2nd & Sportsmanship Award
- 2002 Junior Iditarod – 7th
With Dallas Seavey!
We arrived at Dallas' house and were met by Dallas himself who was plowing his driveway so we could get in! He had already groomed the trails with a snow machine so we could mush safely. He, his wife Jen, and his daughter Annie live in a yurt! A yurt is a portable,bend wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The Seaveys live in a more modern yurt similar to this:
The Seavey's Yurt
Dallas is getting ready to run the Iditarod this weekend (did anyone pick him to track?). He is currently working on building a lightweight sled to ship further down the trail. Towards the end of the race, he is planning to change to this lighter sled to help his team finish strong. He is making the sled from used light weight hockey sticks he bought at Play It Again Sports! He also makes all his own harness etc.
The dogs were smaller than the dogs we met in Minnesota. They have shorter hair and longer bodies. They also bark, not howl! We met the young dogs - under a year old and then we got to take out 11 of his two year old dogs for a run! The sled was also different - it was all wood and had just the two runners to stand on, not the platform like in Minnesota. The brake is in between the runners, so you step forward to apply the brake, not backwards like we were used too.
Future Iditarod Champions!
We didn't really get to mush, more like we were taken for a ride. I sat in the sled, Armon (Dallas' dog handler) stood on the back of the sled, and then Mrs. Rizzuto stood on the runners of a second sled. About halfway through the trip, Mrs. Rizzuto and I switched places.
Posed Picture.... we weren't really on the same sled like this!
It was a beautiful ride. So quite and so peaceful! The dogs were quick too! I think Armon said four words to them the whole time we were out! They were so excited to go, go, go! The dogs were just beautiful!
Let's Get Going!
While we didn't get to take this year's race team out, we did see them! We also got to play with one of the puppies. They like to have people play with the puppies so they get used to being handled by lots of different people. They asked us to touch his paws a lot while playing, because it is very important that they get used to having their paws handled. The mushers need to be able to care for their feet often on the trail.
Puppy in the Yurt! Only in Alaska....
Jen Seavey predicts that Dallas will win it this year... we'll have to wait and see!
So - I know you are wondering....
NO FALLS AGAIN TODAY!!!
But, we did get stuck in the driveway of Dallas' house. Josh, our guide, had to put the chains on the tires to get out to the road....
Josh Working Hard....
And that pretty much sums it up for today! Oh - the wildlife count for today? 7 or 8 moose! Tonight we met all the teachers who are here for the conference at a party put on by Exxon who is one of the big sponsors. Tomorrow the conference officially starts.... we have a field trip tomorrow, so check back on Wednesday to read all about that!
Mrs. Reiter
Dear Mrs Reiter,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pictures--it really gives us a sense of what you and Mrs Rizzuto are experiencing. And all that snow.... we're getting daffodils and crocuses out of season instead. It's wonderful to see the dogs at work and at home.
Wendy
Dear Mrs Reiter and Mrs Rizzuto - Thank you for taking the time to publish this blog and send everyone the great pictures. I must admit that we are getting cold just looking at you. If we could send you hot chocolates, we would. It's sad to learn about the moose and their difficulties this season, but it's good to know that the wildlife people are blazing trails for them and "sneaking" them food. We can't wait to read more.
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