At the Starting Line!

So the ceremonial start of the 40th Iditarod is in the history books!

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

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!

Helpful Handlers

By 9:30 or so, everyone had to clear the streets so that the fun could begin.

#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

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.

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!