Iditarod
Meredith Mapes who completed her rookie Iditarod in 2018 is working on a special project for Iditarod XLVII. She’s sharing bits and pieces from the rookies of the race. Follow her stories to get the inside scoop on what rookies are thinking and the challenges they face. Meredith knows as her rookie experience is fresh …
And the race continues. Well, the dog sled race just started, but the race to prepare for and logistically run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race continues. Even as mushers were running with their Idita-riders from the ceremonial start Saturday, more volunteers had begun work for the re-start at Willow. Equipment had to be picked …
Mid afternoon on Monday finds the teams moving along the trail and volunteers moving along the trail as well. The Iditarod Air Force is busy, busy, busy flying people who have been delivered to McGrath by commercial flight to other checkpoints along the trail. Folks who have landed in McGrath via Alaska Air Transport are on …
In talking with some of the rookies today, the general consensus was that they were all ready to be on the trail – most were very nervous, but knew that once they left the starting line they would be in their happy place! Victoria Hardwick was one of the first rookies I talked to, she …
By sunrise on Monday morning, Yentna Checkpoint at mile 42 is a ghost town. The mushers have passed through, the volunteers will soon be flown out, relocating to other responsibilities and the Gabryszaks who host the checkpoint at their roadhouse are enjoying some peace and quiet after a night of intense Iditarod traffic. Beginning at …
Monster snowflakes were falling as the dog trucks arrived at the Willow Community Center. Soon though, the clouds thinned and partly cloudy would describe the start of Iditarod XLVII. Things were rearranged this year from previous starts. Officials decided to park the dog trucks on land rather than on Willow Lake. The start banner was located …
Soon teams will on the trail to Nome in Iditarod XLVII. Yentna Station Roadhouse is the first checkpoint on the trail. The distance from Willow to Yentna Station is 53 miles. The dogs will still be jazzed when they stop on the Yentna River in front of the Roadhouse. Most mushers will continue on toward Skwentna …
As teams headed to the start banner at 4th and “D” there were a lot of smiles. Race fans by the thousands, gathered along 4th Avenue, on Cordova Street, at the Ball Field, on the BLM trails and at Campbell Airstrip – they were all smiling. The dogs were smiling and showing great excitement and …
At the start today I enjoyed talking to a lot of the rookies and their families. Some of the rookies were super nervous, many of their families were more nervous than they were though! The general consensus from the rookies was that they didn’t get any sleep last night, and they’re hoping to get more …
I always enjoy going to the drawing banquet in Anchorage, because there’s a wonderful mix of fans, volunteers, handlers, and mushers. I got to see many of the friends that I only see once or twice a year, and it was great to catch up! One of the wonderful people i spoke to, Lev …
