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Eye on the Trail – Iditarod Mushers Run Mid-Distance Races

Mushers have just completed food drops in both Fairbanks and Anchorage.  Earlier in February straw was bagged and placed on pallets to be ready for shipping, likewise with HEET and lath.  Preparations for Iditarod XLIX are moving along.  As race fans, how are you preparing for the race? Since the first of the year there …

Do sled dogs wear protective clothes when they run?

Marathon or distance sled dogs run and pull sleds in a variety of conditions that include spending nights out on the trail.  Sometimes those conditions can change quickly, going from sunny and above freezing to snowing and well below zero within a few hours.  Because of the need to protect in all kinds of weather, …

Let’s talk about grain-free

Over the last decade, as human diet trends have become more popular, so too have specialty pet foods. Just as people seek out the latest paleo, keto, or high-octane juice cleanse recipe, pet owners are also drawn to “premium,” or “holistic,” or “carnivore-based” diets.  One of the most popular trends in the dog food market …

Can sled dogs live indoors?

  Most sled dogs are part of a kennel, with anywhere from 10 to over 100 huskies living in a dog yard. This is the environment that many people picture when they envision the living quarters of a typical sled dog. However, many people don’t know that sled dogs can be great indoor pets. You …

Eye on the Trail:  Straw, HEET and Lath Ready to Ship

Straw, HEET and trail markers for Iditarod 2021 Gold Trail Loop are ready to ship out to checkpoints.  Volunteers bagged the straw, organized cases of HEET and thousands of lath trail markers, placed them on pallets then shrink wrapped the goods making it ready for shipping.  What goes on behind the scenes to make this …

Statement from Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach regarding the 2021 Iditarod ceremonial start

  While the Iditarod believes the future does not belong to the fainthearted, we take the health and well-being of our racers, volunteers, staff, and spectators very seriously. After consulting with our stakeholders and in consultation with the Municipality of Anchorage, we decided to cancel our traditional ceremonial start in Anchorage due to the COVID-19 …

Eye on the Trail: Iditarod and Flat @ Mile 432

Have you ever wondered where the word or name Iditarod came from?  I’ve heard 3 explanations.  First, Iditarod was a word used by Athabascans that meant FAR DISTANT PLACE.  Second, Iditarod was a word from another indigenous language that meant CLEAR WATER. Finally, a ROD is a measure of distance and so one miner might …

Eye on the Trail: Remembering Yentna Station’s Dan Gabryszak

Master of the Yentna Station Roadhouse, Dan Gabryszak, succumbed to cancer on January 12, 2021 just eight days after being diagnosed.  Dan and his wife Jean have called the lodge on the big bend of the Yentna River home for forty years.  Early on, the Jr. Iditarod asked the Gabryszaks to host a checkpoint and …

Do sled dogs’ feet get cold from running in the snow?

A penguin, a sled dog, and a manatee walk into a diner… Well, maybe not. But even if they don’t frequent the same restaurants, they do share similar adaptations that help them overcome the challenges of life in cold environments. As veterinarians, we’re often asked how dogs can tolerate walking barefoot on snow and ice. …

Get Ready to Visit Iditarod!

by Jen Reiter, EDU Faculty and 2014 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail   With the Iditarod Trail Committee announcing the historic route for the 2021 Race, The Gold Trail, all attention this year will focus on the historic town and checkpoint of Iditarod. Iditarod came into existence after the Christmas Day, 1908 gold strike on …