Jr. Iditarod
The mushers spent the night camped in the woods along the Yentna River at the Yentna Station Roadhouse. For years now, the checkpoint has been hosted by the Gabryszak Family. As the teams arrive, their arrival time is recorded, mandatory equipment is checked, dogs are checked and then they park on the wooded trails along …
It was a busy morning on Knik Lake! Parents and ten teens, each with ten dogs arrived well before the 10:00 am start time of Jr. Iditarod XLIV. The dog trucks and trailers parked in a semi-circle around the start banner. The dogs were brought out for water and a pre-race meal then the mushers …
The Jr. Iditarod Board of Directors has named Gary and Carolee Johannes as the Honorary Musher for the 44th running of the race. The Jr. Iditarod mushers will sign bib #1 and present it to Gary and Carolee in recognition of their service over the past thirteen years. Trail boss Richard Plack says, “Both Gary …
Two rookie mushers competing in the 2021 Jr. Iditarod have family ties going back, way back, in both the Jr. Iditarod and the Iditarod. It’s extremely exciting to see this younger generation of mushers take to the trail in Jr. Iditarod. These two young women carry on the sled dog legacy of families that were …
Kids come to mushing through many different circumstances. Sometimes, it’s purely coincidental and other times it’s a family affair. Some get into the sport after being introduced by neighbors or friends while others follow older brothers and sisters down the trail. Whatever brought them to dogs, these are dedicated young mushers who have worked hard …
While so many things have changed over the past year, there are a few that thankfully keep us anchored in time. The 44th Jr. Iditarod is set to begin as always on the last Saturday of February. That’s the traditional day for the Jr. Iditarod, a week ahead of the Iditarod. The start time of …
This February will mark the 44th running of the Jr. Iditarod. The Junior, just like the Iditarod, began as a dream. It was Joe Redington who dreamed of a long distance race across Alaska to commemorate the place of the sled dog in the history of Alaska and bring recognition to the Historic Iditarod Trail. …
The Celebration of Success for the 2020 Jr. Iditarod was held in the Willow Community Center. Snow had fallen during the night all along the trail and continued through the day on Sunday. That translates into a slow run for the home stretch of the race. The mushers and dogs handled it well. To quote …
The Jr. Iditarod mushers are back on the trail heading to Willow and the finish line. Julia Cross lead all mushers into Yentna and departed at 03:44 to lead all mushers to Willow. Trailbreakers departed before the mushers. Measurable snow fell during the night to create a winter wonderland. Yentna reported 16 inches and Eagle …
It was partly cloudy in Knik and the temperature was just above the zero mark. Light winds brought the feels like temperature down a few degrees but by mushing standards it is a great day for a race. Mother Nature has been good to mushers and snow machiners over the recent weeks, providing adequate snowfall. …
