Dear Friends, Some things on this race have broken or been hurt: sleds of Ryan Redington and Katti Jo Deeter finger of Jennifer LeBar (it was dislocated and bent at an unnatural angle) ribs of Aaron Peck when he wiped out on a steep turn/hill in the Happy River Steps What do mushers do …
Dear Friends, The dog teams in the 2023 Iditarod have blasted onto the trail! Most of us picture a musher raising puppies, training them into sled dogs, feeding, scooping poop, and making them into a team. But, what if a person wants to race with dogs, yet cannot keep a full dog kennel of their …
Dear Friends, It is an exciting week in Alaska! The mushers and their sled dogs are getting ready for the big start of the race on Saturday and Sunday. Last minute packing and planning is going on in the kennels. Meanwhile, in Anchorage, a teachers’ conference is going on with three teachers who are super …
Dear Friends, Gypsy, canine reporter, here! Right now, mushers are beginning fall training runs with me and my sled dog friends. We need to keep in shape! Another task to begin is planning dog food and musher food for the Iditarod. Dog food is expensive, but easier to gather. We dogs need high performance, dry …
A favorite photo of mine from 2018 illustrates the sled dogs’ excitement and determination to run. Tongues are lolling about and the cute husky smile is often seen on the dogs’ faces! The dogs of the Iditarod are super excited to begin the race! They pull and tug at their harnesses, hoping for the signal …
Dear Friends, The race is done for this year! What an exciting time it was for everyone! Many of the mushers and us dogs are already thinking about next year…”What can we do better?” “Will the weather be better or worse?” Two things happen at the end of the race. The Widow’s Lamp that has …
Dear Friends, It’s been tough for those still on the trail. Some of you may have wondered what was taking so long to go 77 miles from White Mountain to Nome. Three mushers have scratched due to a severe ground storm with high winds past White Mountain. That region has wind tunnels which have affected …
Dear Friends, Some of you may ask, “Why do teams stop for so long in the White Mountain checkpoint?” The rules of the Iditarod race require all teams to stop for an 8- hour rest. This slows everyone down before the final 77 miles to Nome. What happens there? A hole in the river ice …
Dear Friends, We dogs have family in the Iditarod as do the mushers. For example, some of Dan Kaduce’s dogs are litter mates. You can tell by the theme of their names: Wonton, Fried Rice, Kimchi. Can you figure out the theme? Litters of sled dog pups are typically named to fit with a theme. …
Dear Friends, Teams are coming into Nome like crazy now! The mushers share about their amazing dogs that continued to lead the team and work together. Dan Kaduce is the only musher to have his entire team still with him in Nome, all 14 dogs! Why do some teams come in with fewer dogs? …
