News and Information
The 2017 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, Annie Kelley, arrived in Anchorage June 17th for Iditarod Summer Teacher’s Camp. Annie is a fourth grade teacher from the Chicago area. The question I asked Annie today after she arrived in Anchorage was, “When did being the 2017 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail become real for you?” …
Call it roadhouse, call it lodge, call it checkpoint or call it home like the Gabryszak family, Yentna Station Roadhouse is the epitome of Alaska’s backcountry friendliness. Ask any Iditarod musher, Jr. Iditarod musher or volunteer who’s descended upon the wilderness oasis in late February and early March, they’ll all share different stories praising the …
Pictured above is a unique piece of art. Click and enlarge. Take a close look. It’s a paper collage. Everything that’s depicted is torn from paper, assembled and glued to the background to create the finished product. Note the artist’s attention to detail in the mittens, mitten keeper, headlamp, light beam, sled bag, dogs and …
No roads to Nome and no roads home after Iditarod. Sled dog athletes are being loaded onto an Alaska Air Boeing 737 Combi for their journey to the road system and eventually home. As you can see, freight is located in the front half of the aircraft while passengers fly coach in the back half. This shot was …
It’s Unalakleet in 2013, Aily Zirkle is preparing to depart for Shaktoolik. She is applying paw cream and booting her dogs. In this photo, Olivia enjoys Aliy’s complete attention. That’s the gist of what’s going on in this picture but take a closer look. Zoom in! As Aliy applies that wonderful pink paw goop, …
Who is this legendary musher? He’s run Iditarod thirteen times. In those thirteen races, he’s finished in the top ten eight times and has scratched only twice. His first race was in 1992. In his rookie run he claimed 43rd place with a time of 14 days, 4 hours and 12 minutes. He sat out …
Only twice in the 39 year history of JR Iditarod has the start been moved from the traditional location of somewhere between Knik and Willow. Like Iditarod, the JR race relocated in 2003 due to warm conditions and lack of snow. That year the Iditarod started from Fairbanks and the JR Iditarod started in Glenallen. …
In 2005, Martin Buser wasn’t shaking hands with fans at the Ceremonial Start. Note that his right hand is mittened and elevated. Only four days before the start of Iditarod, Martin reconfigured his index finger on a table saw. The medically correct term would be “partial amputation.” Martin underwent surgery and was advised by his …
There are so many contributors to The Last Great Race®, it would be an impossible feat to make an accurate list. People contribute in the most incredible ways. It’s not just helping the mushers or the dogs, it’s also helping the volunteers. Contributing toward the well being of the volunteers certainly comes full circle back …
Alan Eischens has been involved with the sport of mushing for more than 30 years. Over that time, he’s served as a race official and checkpoint volunteer. In 2012 he established Double EE kennel in Wasilla. He’s done a sled load of qualifying races and participated in his first Iditarod or perhaps we should say …
