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Back of the Pack: Full of Talent and Adventurers

There is more than one way to be an Iditarod Professional

by Andy Moderow

03/10/2006

With all the attention given to the front of the pack it can sometimes be easy to forget that an average of 80 athletes, not just a few, run the Iditarod each year. Mushers in the back of the pack occasionally make headlines: We hear when a musher is forced to scratch due to injuries, as was the case for Sue Morgan and Lori Townsend this year, both victims of the Happy River Steps. We hear about the horrific trail they must travel over, particularly early in the race, where all the teams towards the front gouge a “U” into the trail, the result of 80 teams standing on their brakes. Yet truthfully, there is little difference between the front of the pack and the back of the pack. Many talented mushers fulfill their dreams each year by running an Iditarod that is just as challenging and impressive as the Iditarod run by the front of the pack.

Take for instance the race being run by Tim Osmar and Rachael Scdoris, the legally blind musher from Oregon. Tim, running his 21st Iditarod, is hanging back this year, acting as a visual interpreter for Rachael. This pair has been traveling together since Willow, and undoubtedly have run into numerous obstacles.

Another group of very professional dog people towards the back of the pack are ‘Puppy Team’ drivers. Out fulfilling their Iditarod Dreams, these mushers have learned from top Iditarod Champions, and are entered into the race to show future champion dogs the trail for the first time. With an average dog age of 2 years old, puppy teams are entered into the race often by most top Iditarod racers. The mushers selected to train and drive these teams are encouraged to take it easy on their trip to Nome, resting lots, while traveling fast between each checkpoint. For a rookie, the opportunity to learn from the pros and run their puppies can be one of the best ways to see the trail. Katie Davis, a Montana musher running Doug Swingley’s puppy team, seems to be excelling as a Puppy Team driver. A recent Iditarod Insider interview shows her thoroughly enjoying her experience travelling to Nome, despite the numerous challenges she has encountered. Keeping a positive attitude is important on the trail, and a very important quality of a puppy team driver, who must show the dogs a good time. Out of Takotna with all 16 dogs she started with, and posting some of the fastest splits in the entire field, there is no doubt that her boss will be pleased when she reaches Nome.

Tim, Rachael and Katie are just a few examples of mushers traveling to Nome that are just outside the spotlight, but who are having an equally exciting adventure, with just as many challenges. Don’t think all the professionals are at the front: Some of the best dog people in the race fall in the middle or back of the pack each year, not placing too much importance on their competitive results. And perhaps the best way to think of it is this: With the back of the pack on the trail for days longer than the winner, they have many more hours for excitement and challenges on the trail than those who are in a hurry to reach Nome.