The Iditarod Teachers on the Trail™️ Celebrate the Newly Created Anchorage Mushing District

by Jen Reiter, 2014 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™️

The area of Fourth Avenue, located around the Iditarod Starting Line, has been getting a facelift. The newly created Anchorage Mushing District is a cooperative project between the Anchorage Mushing District and the Municipality of Anchorage. The goal is to “celebrate the rich history of dog mushing in the state of Alaska and particularly the major sled dog races in Anchorage.”  The project has many facets, including street sign toppers, interpretive signage, banners of mushing legends, the Mushing Hall of Fame at the Fur Rondy office, interpreters on site, walking tours, and the main focal point, a steel arch spanning Fourth Avenue.

Iditarod Teachers on the Trail bronze husky head disk inlay in the Anchorage Mushing District.

In 2019, when the project was in its infancy, the Iditarod Teachers on the Trail collectively decided they wanted to support it. We saw it as a way to solidify the Iditarod Teachers on the Trail as part of Iditarod and Alaska mushing history and, particularly, to honor the program’s creation by Andrea “Finney” Aufder Heyde. The program, the Iditarod, and the camaraderie we’ve found have so profoundly impacted each of our lives that we wanted to give back, so we came together to purchase a bronze husky head disk to be inlay along the sidewalk.

Annie Kelly, 2017 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail

We’ve followed the project closely for several years, awaiting updates and information. Annie Kelly McGuire, the 2017 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, traveled to Alaska earlier this summer with her sister and reported back that she located our medallion! We are in space NW20 on the north side of Fourth Avenue. The round medallion has the words Anchorage Mushing District along the outside edge. The phrase “To Honor the Iditarod Teachers on the Trail, Est. 1999” is engraved in the husky’s profile. 

We are in good company! Banners celebrating Iditarod greats Joe Redington, Sr, Herbie Nayokpuk, and Susah Butcher hang nearby! Joe Redington, Sr. “The Father of the Iditarod” is celebrated for his 15 finishes, 7 of which were in the top 10. Herbie Nayokpuk “The Shishmaref Cannonball,” finished 10 Iditarods, 8 of which were in the top 10. Susan Butcher, recognized as a “Pioneer for Women in the Sport,” ran the Iditarod from 1978 to 1994 with four championships and 15 top-ten finishes.

We are honored to be a part of such a fantastic event as the Iditarod and are thrilled to be able to help support the Anchorage Mushing District. Next time you are strolling along Fourth Avenue, be sure to look down! Maybe you’ll see us there!