The Iditarod. Twenty-five checkpoints, 1,000 miles, 900+ dogs, and over a calendar week inward sub-zero temperatures brand upward the Last Great Race on Earth. Since the showtime race inward 1973, the Iditarod (held every twelvemonth inward early on March) has continued to choose mushers from all over the world, to essay their mitt at this seemingly impossible feat. In fact, to a greater extent than people conduct hold reached the summit of Mt. Everest, than conduct hold finished the Iditarod!
The Iditarod trail varies from twelvemonth to twelvemonth due to conditions, hence this year, after the ceremonial start inward Anchorage, the mushers headed upward to Fairbanks for the official timed start, together with then it's a race to the complete inward Nome, Alaska. The trail winds through vast, rugged together with unsafe terrain! What other sport has details for how to handgrip the demand to kill(self defense strength only), together with gut, a moose inward the dominion book?!
Can I simply state that it was a mutual depression temperature morning? Very, real cold. I'm learning that yous simply layer upward together with exit anyway.
The news' trucks were laid upward together with gear upward to go. This is a large lawsuit roughly here!
We arrived real early, to wander roughly together with acquire to a greater extent than up-close-and-personal alongside the mushers together with their dogs.
These dogs were 2 year's old, together with Iditarod rookies. My girls were inward love.
The sleds must hold out large plenty to bear injured or fatigued dogs, every bit good every bit all of their supplies, which include; nutrient together with domestic dog food, water, sleeping gear, showtime assist items, an ax, etc. On the trail, mushers conduct hold exclusively iii mandatory breaks, i for 24 hours together with 2 for 8 hours. So, slumber deprivation prevails!
Since it would hold out also heavy to bear all of their supplies for the entire race, extra sleds/supplies may hold out sent ahead to futurity banking concern correspond points.
We saw many methods for transporting the dogs; crates within a trailer,
crates mounted to the dorsum of a pick-up, (Matt liked the toll effectiveness of this option),
together with everything inward between! But, this was my favorite method. Aren't they cute?
The immature lady pictured below was a rookie Iditarod musher, who showtime barbarous inward honey alongside the race dorsum inward 2006 spell doing query for a homeschool project. Now, 11 years later, at the historic stream of 20, she was running her showtime race. H5N1 dream come upward true! (There are a serial of qualifying races together with times, inward guild to participate. In fact, it ordinarily takes a minimum of 2 years to gear upward for the experience.)
One trailer was decorated alongside motivational posters for the dogs. How tin give notice yous acquire to a greater extent than motivational than Rocky? I tin give notice listen the subject vocal now. That fifty-fifty makes ME desire to run!
Seventy-two mushers, from 8 unlike countries, were represented this year.
There was definitely an international flavor to our wandering.
Watch out for xanthous snow!
We enjoyed watching the TV interviews, live.
And, nosotros fifty-fifty got to encounter Jeff King! Who is Jeff King, yous ask? H5N1 four-time Iditarod winner, together with somewhat of a celebrity inward this circle. I loved the fact that Jeff is 61 years quondam together with yet racing.
Most of the dogs nosotros saw were frisky together with running around, but non Jeff's dogs.
The handler told us that this is how 'seasoned professionals' human activity earlier a race. They were calm, cool, confident together with non rattled past times the spectators.
Speaking of dogs, exclusively northern domestic dog breeds such every bit Siberian together with Alaskan Huskies are permitted to run the race. This dominion was instituted inward the early on 1990's, when someone raced measure poodles. Sadly, the poodles did non fare good inward the conditions, together with had to hold out left behind at diverse banking concern correspond points, alongside matted fur together with frozen paws. Northern domestic dog breeds conduct hold thick double fur coats for protection, together with are bred for the conditions.
Each musher tin give notice choose a squad of twelve to 16 dogs. That's a lot of responsibility!
Most of the mushers had a squad of handlers to help.
What does a sled domestic dog eat, anyway? They were served a bowl of warm kibble, bacon, salmon, together with tripe (cow stomach). I don't know close the tripe, but the residuum of it doesn't audio also bad. Also, each domestic dog eats upward to 10,000 calories per twenty-four hr stream spell racing. Move over Michael Phelps!
Care together with ethical handling of the dogs is the release i priority of the race. As alongside whatever high profile athletic competition, random drug testing is also enforced at the Iditarod. Urine samples from the dogs, are collected at the start, complete together with throughout the race. Not certain how it's accomplished, but plainly they conduct hold their ways!
About an hr earlier start time, the spectators were asked to leave of absence the belongings expanse hence the mushers could gear upward for the race.
Anytime is a cracking fourth dimension for hot chocolate inward Alaska!
The dogs bark similar crazy waiting for their turn. Patience is tough!
We constitute a spot close the start, together with I enjoyed beingness able to listen the commentary close each musher together with their team. There was a staggered start, hence a squad was sent every 2 minutes, for close 2 hours. H5N1 few days prior to the race, at that topographic point is a depict for start order.
And they're off! You tin give notice tell the dogs honey it together with are totally inward their element.
In the extreme conditions conditions of this region, dogs conduct hold e'er been the preferred type of pack animal, fifty-fifty over horses. They are faster than horses alongside the mightiness to run 12 MPH for hundreds of miles, together with pound for pound, tin give notice push clitoris twice every bit much weight every bit horses.
All of the dogs were wearing trivial booties, non for warmth, but to protect their pads from snow, H2O ice together with rocky terrain. The musher is required to bear 8 extra sets, per dog.
Each domestic dog is chosen for a specific position. Team positions are; Pb dogs (the 'brains' of the squad that Pb together with laid the pace), swing dogs (help steer the pack during turns), squad dogs (the 'brawn' of the squad that keep the speed), bike dogs (usually the largest together with able to withstand the brunt of the sled weight).
The musher is complimentary to rotate positions, together with simply similar children, the dogs tin give notice hold out separated when they are fighting.
We enjoyed the festive party-like atmosphere along the streets.
Team Canada was having a tailgating political party of some sort. Thank yous USA for giving the populace tailgating!
We walked close a mile downwardly the course of written report to the showtime turn.
This is i of the tightest curves inward the race, together with it slow for the sled to tip over if non handled precisely.
We watched a few accept a spill, but this squad handled it to perfection. The musher leaned dorsum together with to the right. I realized that at that topographic point is quite a chip of science involved alongside the musher, every bit well.
After each team, the snowfall was groomed for the adjacent competitor.
What practise yous accept dwelling if yous win it all? H5N1 novel Dodge Ram truck together with $75,000. Not bad for a weeks work, I suppose. Three-time winner, Mitch Seavey was the champion this twelvemonth alongside a tape breaking 8 days, 3 hours together with forty minutes. At 57, he was also the oldest winner on record.
Everyone upward to 31st identify gets a monetary prize, together with the concluding finisher gets the reddish lantern award, which signifies perseverance together with pride inward the accomplishment.
So at that topographic point yous conduct hold it. One one one thousand miles of untamed, extreme, together with unsafe wilderness. The Last Great Race on Earth. And now, I tin give notice reckon why it's been given that name.
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