Tomorrow we will be heading to Willow for the restart.
From what we have heard, the restart is much more serious and focused than the controlled chaos that was Anchorage today.
Willow Lake has on official population of 1,838. From what I understand, the restart is actually ON the frozen lake.
From Willow, teams will travel 42 miles to Yentna Station - population 8. Yentna Station is a roadhouse checkpoin in the Sustina Valley...
More to come tomorrow.
Don't forget.... since the mushers have started racing, you can start reading for the Idita-read! Read yourself right to Nome. As the mushers all say here, "There's no place like Nome!"
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Steps are Back In!
The trail committee has decided at the last minute to put the Happy River Steps back into the race course!
They had planned to replace the steps with a mining road that was recently put in nearby. Today, the trail groomers decided that the new route wasn't safe due to the amount of snow and wind in the area.
So the mushers are back to the steps.
Many mushers consider the steps one of the hardest parts of the trail. It's a series of three switchbacks. Angie said when she ran it last year, she intentionally ran that part at night so that she couldn't see the drops off to the sides! She didn't want to scare herself!
The mushers had very mixed emotions about the removal of the steps from the race. Some thought that everyone should have to do the steps as a sort of "rite of passage." Others were looking forward to skipping it! But most seemed to agree that if was too dangerous for the dogs, it should be taken out.
I'm wondering how this news will effect the mushers tonight. I'm wondering if anyone them will need to alter their game plan at this late date and time.....
They had planned to replace the steps with a mining road that was recently put in nearby. Today, the trail groomers decided that the new route wasn't safe due to the amount of snow and wind in the area.
So the mushers are back to the steps.
Many mushers consider the steps one of the hardest parts of the trail. It's a series of three switchbacks. Angie said when she ran it last year, she intentionally ran that part at night so that she couldn't see the drops off to the sides! She didn't want to scare herself!
The mushers had very mixed emotions about the removal of the steps from the race. Some thought that everyone should have to do the steps as a sort of "rite of passage." Others were looking forward to skipping it! But most seemed to agree that if was too dangerous for the dogs, it should be taken out.
I'm wondering how this news will effect the mushers tonight. I'm wondering if anyone them will need to alter their game plan at this late date and time.....
Musher Profile: Braxton Peterson
I have to tell you about one of the mushers we met today.
Braxton Peterson, 25, was born in Bermuda. His family moved to Alaska when he was a little kid. He has worked in Lance Mackey's kennel for about ten years, and this year is taking some of Lance's dogs on the trail.
But that's not is only claim to fame.
He's also a rapper.
A mushing rapper.... yep - he writes raps about mushing!
There was a big article in the Alaska Daily News about him. Here are some of his lyrics:
"Coming in the checkpoint, set the hook all eyes on me
When I'm in the checkpoint, proficiency is key
Up and down the gangline, I never waste a move
So I'm taking off the booties, laying straw and starting food.
Now the dogs asleep so it's time for me to go bed
I wake up in an hour and to the next checkpoint I head."
And one more....
"Now I'm twisting, dipping, winding, turning through the trees
Now I got my headlight off because I'm creeping on a team
Full moon reflected off the snow so I can see
He shut his headlight off because I think that he heard ME."
So today during the ceremonial start, Braxton pulled up to the starting line with his dogs, his sled, and his drag sled. Standing on the drag sled was his buddy, rapping partner, and Lance Mackey's stepson Cain Carter.
Braxton got the countdown.... "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,4, 3, 2, 1, GO!"
And off the dogs took down the chute dragging Braxton and his sled behind them.
And that was it.
Cain and the drag sled didn't go.
Somehow it came undone and Cain and the drag sled didn't get pulled.
So Cain did what any good friend would do. He jumped off the back of the sled, ran to the front, picked up the rope and ran off down the chute after the dogs!
#63 - Braxton Peterson
Braxton Peterson, 25, was born in Bermuda. His family moved to Alaska when he was a little kid. He has worked in Lance Mackey's kennel for about ten years, and this year is taking some of Lance's dogs on the trail.
But that's not is only claim to fame.
He's also a rapper.
L.M. - for Lance Mackey - notice the Lance Mackey bling?
A mushing rapper.... yep - he writes raps about mushing!
M - for Musherz - the name of the rap group
There was a big article in the Alaska Daily News about him. Here are some of his lyrics:
"Coming in the checkpoint, set the hook all eyes on me
When I'm in the checkpoint, proficiency is key
Up and down the gangline, I never waste a move
So I'm taking off the booties, laying straw and starting food.
Now the dogs asleep so it's time for me to go bed
I wake up in an hour and to the next checkpoint I head."
And one more....
"Now I'm twisting, dipping, winding, turning through the trees
Now I got my headlight off because I'm creeping on a team
Full moon reflected off the snow so I can see
He shut his headlight off because I think that he heard ME."
So today during the ceremonial start, Braxton pulled up to the starting line with his dogs, his sled, and his drag sled. Standing on the drag sled was his buddy, rapping partner, and Lance Mackey's stepson Cain Carter.
Braxton got the countdown.... "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,4, 3, 2, 1, GO!"
With Cain Colin before the race
And off the dogs took down the chute dragging Braxton and his sled behind them.
And that was it.
Cain and the drag sled didn't go.
Somehow it came undone and Cain and the drag sled didn't get pulled.
So Cain did what any good friend would do. He jumped off the back of the sled, ran to the front, picked up the rope and ran off down the chute after the dogs!
At the Starting Line!
So the ceremonial start of the 40th Iditarod is in the history books!
We hit the streets early this morning, about 8am to watch the mushers arrive. The mushers with the highest starting numbers (therefore leaving the latest) parked the closest to the start. Those with the lowest starting numbers parked the furthest away. I was a little confused about that, until I realized that people who left the chute first also needed their trucks out of there first, so they parked in the back so they could be the first to leave. Remember, the trucks need to go meet the dogs and mushers at Campbell Airstrip to collect everyone and move them to Willow for the restart tomorrow.
There was definitely a celebratory mood in the streets as the mushers and their handlers got the dogs and the Idita-riders ready for the eleven mile start out of downtown Anchorage to Campbell Airstrip.
It was really neat for the fans to be able to walk around, meet the mushers, get photos and autographs, and see the dogs. At first the dogs were pretty calm and mellow. Some were lying around. Some were getting booties or harnesses on.
The mushers don't usually harness up all of their dogs for the ceremonial start. In fact, the dogs are so geared up and ready to go, it usually takes 4-6 handlers to hold the dogs and 4 - 6 people holding the sled still to keep the dogs from taking off too soon. To slow the dogs down through town, the mushers have a second drag sled attached to their main sled with someone standing on it. Plus remember, each musher has an Iditarider in the basket, and some of them have their spouses or family members ride on the sled too!
By 9:30 or so, everyone had to clear the streets so that the fun could begin.
That's also when the controlled chaos began. Those dogs were so ready to go, go, go! Some were jumping and pulling at their harnesses. Some were running and jumping over or ducking under the gangline. Almost all of them were barking or yipping or howling! It was so loud! It was like they were saying, "Come on already! Let's get this thing started!"
The race officially began with the singing of the national anthem and the Alaska state anthem. Then Conway Seavey, the winner of this year's Junior Iditarod took a sled down the chute. The first musher to leave was the ceremonial musher Dave Olson. His is being honored for his commitment to the race and the trail.
About the chute: Remember I told you they would be trucking snow in to cover the street? Well they did, and it was pretty deep - maybe 6-10 inches or so. They also literally built a chute out of the snow. So as the teams were travelling down the street, they had banks of snow on each side of them pretty much all the way to where they made a big turn as they left the downtown area.
Ray Redington, Jr. was the first racer out. Ryan Redington was the last musher out. It's sort of fitting that Redingtons began and ended the start. It's serendipity. You couldn't have written a better story if you had tried!
Here are some some interesting facts I learned today:
At the starting line
We hit the streets early this morning, about 8am to watch the mushers arrive. The mushers with the highest starting numbers (therefore leaving the latest) parked the closest to the start. Those with the lowest starting numbers parked the furthest away. I was a little confused about that, until I realized that people who left the chute first also needed their trucks out of there first, so they parked in the back so they could be the first to leave. Remember, the trucks need to go meet the dogs and mushers at Campbell Airstrip to collect everyone and move them to Willow for the restart tomorrow.
Waiting Patiently
There was definitely a celebratory mood in the streets as the mushers and their handlers got the dogs and the Idita-riders ready for the eleven mile start out of downtown Anchorage to Campbell Airstrip.
DeeDee Jonrowe with her Idita-rider
It was really neat for the fans to be able to walk around, meet the mushers, get photos and autographs, and see the dogs. At first the dogs were pretty calm and mellow. Some were lying around. Some were getting booties or harnesses on.
One of John Baker's Dogs
Helpful Handlers
#32 - Anjanette Steer
That's also when the controlled chaos began. Those dogs were so ready to go, go, go! Some were jumping and pulling at their harnesses. Some were running and jumping over or ducking under the gangline. Almost all of them were barking or yipping or howling! It was so loud! It was like they were saying, "Come on already! Let's get this thing started!"
Let's Get Going! NOW!!!
The race officially began with the singing of the national anthem and the Alaska state anthem. Then Conway Seavey, the winner of this year's Junior Iditarod took a sled down the chute. The first musher to leave was the ceremonial musher Dave Olson. His is being honored for his commitment to the race and the trail.
Conway Seavey
In the Chute
Ray Redington, Jr. was the first racer out. Ryan Redington was the last musher out. It's sort of fitting that Redingtons began and ended the start. It's serendipity. You couldn't have written a better story if you had tried!
Heading out of Town
Here are some some interesting facts I learned today:
- The real length of this years race is 975 miles. Remember, they say it is 1049miles as a ceremonial number (1,000 miles - 49th state). It's a bit shorter then it used to be because the ceremonial start is only 11 miles - shorter than it used to be when the mushers went all the way to Eagle River - and the restart is in Willow now instead of Wasilla, which cuts out some mileage.
- Three generations of Seaveys are in the race this year: Grandpa Dan (age 74), Dad Mitch, and Son Dallas.
- The Smyth siblings are racing - Ramey, age 36, came in second last year. Cim, age 35, was fifth in 2009. Their dad was also an Iditarod racer.
- The Beringtons, Kristy and Anna, are the first identical twins to run in the race. Kristy has run the Iditarod two times already, Anna is a rookie this year.
- Lachlan Clarke has a wheel dog named Mackey!
- Zora DeNure's lead dog Demon is okay after being kicked in the head by the moose. He ran lead today with Spicy. The other dogs on her team are: Fender, Sadie, Sebe, Djembe, Bligh, Storey, Peak, Fat Chance, Mulder, Robin, Sparkplug, Elwood, Sparkle, and Charlie.
- Pat Moon stopped several times during the ceremonial start to give kids rides on his sled! How cool is that?
- Lance Mackey's lead dog for this race is named Amp.
- Did I mention it snowed all.... day.... long????
See You On the Trail!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Vikings in Alaska?
I had to pop in and tell you that I just found out that one of Scott Janssen's lead dogs is named Thor!
Some other news just coming in... three hours before start time....
Zoya DeNure's lead dog Demon got kicked in the head by a moose yesterday in a training run. He's being cared for by the Iditarod vet team. Her sled got trampled and her sled bag has a big hole in it, so she spent a busy night last night repairing everything.
The dogs on the parking garage roof are waking up! Did I tell you about them? For the last several nights a truck full of puppies and sleds has been parking on the roof of a parking garage we can see from our hotel room. They are out all day and then come back at night to sleep! We heard them barking pretty late last night, and now they are all waking up! Guess they are getting ready for their big day!
Some other news just coming in... three hours before start time....
Zoya DeNure's lead dog Demon got kicked in the head by a moose yesterday in a training run. He's being cared for by the Iditarod vet team. Her sled got trampled and her sled bag has a big hole in it, so she spent a busy night last night repairing everything.
The dogs on the parking garage roof are waking up! Did I tell you about them? For the last several nights a truck full of puppies and sleds has been parking on the roof of a parking garage we can see from our hotel room. They are out all day and then come back at night to sleep! We heard them barking pretty late last night, and now they are all waking up! Guess they are getting ready for their big day!
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Puppy Hotel What we understand is that all the mushers have to be downtown by 8am and in their "parking spots." There are maps floating around of where all the mushers are parked so that race fans can stop by and interact with the mushers - how cool is that? The first musher departs at 10 am! We're getting ready to head out now! Happy Race Day! |
'Twas the Night Before the Iditarod
and all through Anchorage...
lots of creatures are still stirring!
We walked through the starting area this evening and it's starting to hop!
The starting line was hung across the street with great care..
The flags of the participants graced each side.
TV News crews arrived and claimed choice spots,
Making reports on the activities thus far.
Vendors staked claims and set up shop,
Lots of hot food will be needed to warm up the fans.
Roads were closed with ropes and orange cones,
Making getting where you were going a bit of a challenge.
Sled dogs barked from every corner,
As they got their last rest and geared up to go.
Mushers checked, double checked, triple checked their gear,
Reviewed their race plans and headed to bed.
Snow gently fell,
The new total 120.4 inches this year.
Sidewalks were cleared,
While snow was shipped in...
Hold on....
Snow was shipped in?????
I just saw a picture on the news of the dump trucks full of snow arriving.
Yes you read that right.
They are bringing IN truckloads of snow.
They need to cover fourth avenue with snow for the start! So I'm guessing what has happened is that as it snow they plow the streets for traffic, but now they need to put it back so the dogs and sleds can take of tomorrow!
The excitement is mounting......
lots of creatures are still stirring!
We walked through the starting area this evening and it's starting to hop!
The starting line was hung across the street with great care..
The flags of the participants graced each side.
TV News crews arrived and claimed choice spots,
Making reports on the activities thus far.
Vendors staked claims and set up shop,
Lots of hot food will be needed to warm up the fans.
Roads were closed with ropes and orange cones,
Making getting where you were going a bit of a challenge.
Sled dogs barked from every corner,
As they got their last rest and geared up to go.
Mushers checked, double checked, triple checked their gear,
Reviewed their race plans and headed to bed.
Snow gently fell,
The new total 120.4 inches this year.
Sidewalks were cleared,
While snow was shipped in...
Hold on....
Snow was shipped in?????
I just saw a picture on the news of the dump trucks full of snow arriving.
Yes you read that right.
They are bringing IN truckloads of snow.
They need to cover fourth avenue with snow for the start! So I'm guessing what has happened is that as it snow they plow the streets for traffic, but now they need to put it back so the dogs and sleds can take of tomorrow!
The excitement is mounting......
A Special Ride
A new friend of ours, Jeff, has a special role to play in tomorrow's race! He has a lot in common with us - he teaches at an all boys' school in Boston!
Anyway, tomorrow he will get to be an Idita-rider! Each musher has a race fan, or Iditarider, who rides with them for the first eleven miles of the race!
Jeff's riding with musher Lachlan Clarke from Buena Vista Colorado. He's gotten to know Lachlan a bit - he had lunch with him the other day and got to sit with him at the Musher's Banquet.
Lachlan has had quite an adventure getting to Anchorage for the race! He drove his truck here from Colorado and on the road he hit a moose and totaled the front end of his truck! Luckily he and his dogs were fine.
Once he got to Anchorage, he took his dogs out on training runs and within one week we was charged by two separate moose on the trail.
It's been a long tough road to get here, but Lachlan is ready to hit the trail tomorrow. He is ready to leave the starting shoot at 12:20pm tomorrow, in the second to last slot!
Anyway, tomorrow he will get to be an Idita-rider! Each musher has a race fan, or Iditarider, who rides with them for the first eleven miles of the race!
Jeff's riding with musher Lachlan Clarke from Buena Vista Colorado. He's gotten to know Lachlan a bit - he had lunch with him the other day and got to sit with him at the Musher's Banquet.
Lachlan thanks his sponsors at the banquet
Lachlan has had quite an adventure getting to Anchorage for the race! He drove his truck here from Colorado and on the road he hit a moose and totaled the front end of his truck! Luckily he and his dogs were fine.
Once he got to Anchorage, he took his dogs out on training runs and within one week we was charged by two separate moose on the trail.
It's been a long tough road to get here, but Lachlan is ready to hit the trail tomorrow. He is ready to leave the starting shoot at 12:20pm tomorrow, in the second to last slot!
Friday, March 2, 2012
We Have a Starting Order!
At the banquet last night, the mushers were called to the stage one at a time in the order in which they signed up for the race.
They walked to the ceremonial mukluk, reached their hand in and drew a chip out. At least it looked like a chip - I'll check with Angie about what it really was when I see her today.
They then walked to the podium, gave a little speech - mostly to thank their sponsors and announced their number to the press and audience.
The exited the stage and went into the "chute" where fans could wait to get autographs.
It was a really long process! They started drawing about 7:30 and didn't finish until nearly ten.
Spot number one is reserved for a ceremonial musher, so Ray Redington Jr. will be the first out of the starting chute in position #2. This year's ceremonial musher is Dave Olson of Knick who was one of the original Iditarod trail busters. Dave Olson has finished the Iditarod four times himself! Ryan Redington, Ray's brother, drew the last starting number. It's somehow fitting that in the 40th anniversary, the Redingtons will start and end the opening ceremonies!
Some people I'm sure you are wondering about:
Jeff King - #10
John Baker - #11
DeeDee Jonrowe - #17
Lance Mackey = #18
Dallas Seavey - #34
Ken Anderson - # 39
Jan Steves (with Angie's dogs) - #40
Martin Buser - #41
Their starting numbers are also their bib numbers for the race. So the sign-up numbers don't matter anymore!
You can check out all of the starting numbers on the Iditarod Home Page - it's linked from my Moodle Page - but here it is again:
http://iditarod.com/race/musher-listing/
Ken Anderson Comes to the Stage
Martin Buser reaches in....
They then walked to the podium, gave a little speech - mostly to thank their sponsors and announced their number to the press and audience.
Dallas Seavey gives his thanks...
The exited the stage and went into the "chute" where fans could wait to get autographs.
Autograph Chute
It was a really long process! They started drawing about 7:30 and didn't finish until nearly ten.
Spot number one is reserved for a ceremonial musher, so Ray Redington Jr. will be the first out of the starting chute in position #2. This year's ceremonial musher is Dave Olson of Knick who was one of the original Iditarod trail busters. Dave Olson has finished the Iditarod four times himself! Ryan Redington, Ray's brother, drew the last starting number. It's somehow fitting that in the 40th anniversary, the Redingtons will start and end the opening ceremonies!
Some people I'm sure you are wondering about:
Jeff King - #10
John Baker - #11
DeeDee Jonrowe - #17
Lance Mackey = #18
Dallas Seavey - #34
Ken Anderson - # 39
Jan Steves (with Angie's dogs) - #40
Martin Buser - #41
Their starting numbers are also their bib numbers for the race. So the sign-up numbers don't matter anymore!
You can check out all of the starting numbers on the Iditarod Home Page - it's linked from my Moodle Page - but here it is again:
http://iditarod.com/race/musher-listing/
The People of Alaska Thank 3A
Last night was the Musher's Banquet, where the mushers reach into the ceremonial mukluk to draw the starting numbers for the race.
I couldn't believe how many people were there! It was crazy! Each musher has a table where he or she sits with family and major supporters. Then there are lots of tables filled with fans! We counted 162 tables with about ten people at each table!
I am very proud to say that 3A was well represented at the banquet! The twenty-five centerpieces we sent for the banquet arrived and were placed on the tables. Just between you and me, our centerpieces were all set on the main tables in the front of the podium. Mushers John Baker, DeeDeeJonrow, Dallas Seavey, Pat Moon, Hank DeBruin, Jim Lanier, Justin Savidis, Jaimee Kinzer, Matt Failor, and Cim Smyth all had our designs on their tables! It was so cool!
There are a ton more pictures of the centerpieces I'll show you when I get home!
When we took pictures of each centerpiece we explained who we were, why we were taking the picture and that our students had mailed the centerpieces from Baltimore. Every single person was so impressed with your artwork and said to be sure to thank you! They really appreciated you work!
Way to go guys!!!
I couldn't believe how many people were there! It was crazy! Each musher has a table where he or she sits with family and major supporters. Then there are lots of tables filled with fans! We counted 162 tables with about ten people at each table!
I am very proud to say that 3A was well represented at the banquet! The twenty-five centerpieces we sent for the banquet arrived and were placed on the tables. Just between you and me, our centerpieces were all set on the main tables in the front of the podium. Mushers John Baker, DeeDeeJonrow, Dallas Seavey, Pat Moon, Hank DeBruin, Jim Lanier, Justin Savidis, Jaimee Kinzer, Matt Failor, and Cim Smyth all had our designs on their tables! It was so cool!
Matt Failor with his centerpiece!
When we took pictures of each centerpiece we explained who we were, why we were taking the picture and that our students had mailed the centerpieces from Baltimore. Every single person was so impressed with your artwork and said to be sure to thank you! They really appreciated you work!
Way to go guys!!!
Celebrity Sightings
As if seeing Ken Anderson, Martin Buser and Rohn Buser in one day wasn't enough....
Wednesday evening we were invited to a reception by John Baker's family. John Baker, as you know is the current Iditarod champion and record holder for the fastest race time. He is also the first native Inupiat to win the race. His lead dogs in that race were Velvet and Snickers.
Here's is the link to his website: http://www.teamjohnbaker.com/
Here is an article from a few days ago about his upcoming race: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/action/story/2012-02-28/iditarod-champion-trains-dogs-in-isolation/53291052/1
It is amazing to me how humble and down to earth all the mushers we have met are. They are so willing to stop and talk to you, pose for a picture, and always thank you for your support. They are a perfect example of the Gilman Five!
Wednesday evening we were invited to a reception by John Baker's family. John Baker, as you know is the current Iditarod champion and record holder for the fastest race time. He is also the first native Inupiat to win the race. His lead dogs in that race were Velvet and Snickers.
Here's is the link to his website: http://www.teamjohnbaker.com/
Here is an article from a few days ago about his upcoming race: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/action/story/2012-02-28/iditarod-champion-trains-dogs-in-isolation/53291052/1
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| With John Baker John's message to everyone is "Dream, Try, Win." Dream something big - work really hard and and set you goal - then meet your goal and win! And then, as we were leaving the hotel where the reception was held, guess who was coming to check in? |
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| With Lance Mackey Lance Mackey is a four winner of the Iditarod and a four time winner of the Yukon Quest! |
It is amazing to me how humble and down to earth all the mushers we have met are. They are so willing to stop and talk to you, pose for a picture, and always thank you for your support. They are a perfect example of the Gilman Five!
Happy Trails Kennel
With Four Time Champ - Martin Buser
"Martin's Dogs"
I wish I wasn't allergic!
Matt
Rohn took us into the trophy room to show us the kennel's trophies. Martin has won the Iditarod four times! The kennel is most proud of the four Humanitarian Awards that Martin has won. That award is presented to the musher whose dogs show the best care and attention and are judged by the vets at the end of the race.
The glass trophies are the Iditarod Humanitarian Awards
Martin asked us we had seen Rohn's "Little Trophy." Rohn won the Kusko 300 in January. He beat his dad and Lance Mackey in the race!
Rohn's Kusko 300 Trophy
Rohn Buser
Martin took us inside their sled shop where all three racers have built their own sleds for the race this year. He spent a lot of time talking to us about the gear they have to take and how they plan for things along the trail. The Busers use a lot of science to help them prepare for the race. They have a whole science lab where they work with and monitor the dogs to see how they can help improve their success in the race. He stressed over and over again that it is all about keeping the dogs happy and healthy. You are only as fast as your slowest dog, so he likes to focus a lot of attention on helping all of his dogs reach their highest potential. They do a lot of work to ensure their equipment makes life easier for the dogs - they experiment with different types of polymer runners for different locations on the trail, a two part sled that allows the center of gravity to be better distributed for the dogs, special harnesses that allow the dogs to pull the most efficient way while allowing the dogs to pick their own path along the trail..... and much, much, more! It was pretty amazing!
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| Martin explains his equipment - including doggy leg warmers! Just the day before we got there, someone had left two puppies at Martin Buser's Kennel. Apparently, they were found in an open area nearby being picked on by some ravens. Someone rescued them from the ravens and left them at Happy Trails Kennels assuming that Martin knew how to take care of them. I'm happy to report that both of the puppies have found new homes with teachers from our group! One will be staying in Alaska, and one is going to a new home in Boston!  |
Thursday, March 1, 2012
More From the Vet Checks
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Still Waiting for the Vet One of Angie's Dogs Waiting   The vets check the dogs at each and every checkpoint. Sometimes it is very late at night and everyone is very tired, so the vets have a quick way to remember what to check for. They call it the "HAW and L" principal. It works like this: H = heart and hydration - check the heartbeat, are they hydrated A = appetite and attitude W = weight L= legs and lungs   Giving a dog a shoulder to get out of their box!   Reading the microchip  Next stop.... Martin Buser's Kennel!!! |
Headquarters!
We made it to the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasillia today!
We went in to the headquarters to look at the little museum that was there..... here are some of the highlights:
Jake Berkowitz Signs in for his Second Race
Isn't that soooo cool?
It was a pretty busy day at the Headquarters. Mushers were coming in to turn in paperwork and have their vet checks.
We went in to the headquarters to look at the little museum that was there..... here are some of the highlights:
Official Trophies - the winners get a smaller version of each. These large ones stay at headquarters and are engraved with each winner's name.
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| The Old Trophy |
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The New Trophy - adopted to honor Joe Reddington after his death  While we were checking out the exhibits, the mushers were filling out paperwork in the back room. Look who we ran into:  With Ken Anderson It was so neat to meet the musher we had talked to online in person! I think we caught him a little off guard, but he was very friendly and more than willing to talk to us for a few minutes!  |
Outside the headquarters things were hopping as the mushers brought their dogs in for vet checks. The Vets were checking temperatures, drawing blood, sampling urine, checking paws and legs, teeth and ears.... everything from tip of their nose to the tip of their tales. One musher, Pat Moon, learned that one of his dogs was pregnant so that dog will not be allowed to run.
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| Waiting for the Vet |
Later I asked Angie about how that works. What happens if you get a dog to vet check and then the dog can't run, are you out of luck? She says that you usually bring more dogs to the vet check than you actually plan to take on the race. You then have some extra dogs in case something happens between now and the start of the race. You don't actually have to make the final decision to the restart. Whichever dogs you leave Willow with are your dogs for the race!
The Vet Trailer
More Snapshots from Outside:
Ken Anderson's Truck
Ken Anderson (left) has a dog checked by the vet
Sigrid Ekran's Dog Truck
Sigrid Ekran is from Norway. She lived in Alaska for awhile and ran the Iditarod while she lived here. She now has returned to live in Norway and has been running races there. This year she is back to run her third race.
Here's the coolest thing.... this is her dog box. The sides close down and the whole thing loads onto the airplane to bring her dogs to the race. Then she just has to rent a truck to drive them around on!
Sigrid and a pup
Here is a picture of it all closed up:
Isn't that soooo cool?
Zoya DeNure's Truck
This might be Mrs. Rizzuto's new favorite musher. Her name is Zoya DeNure. She has a kennel where she rescues and rehabilitates sled dogs. She used to be a fashion model!
Zoya With Her Lead Dogs - they are girls too!
I'm going to stop here for now... I'll have more from the vet checks in the next post!
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