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Gypsy
Dear Friends, It’s been another great day on the snowy Iditarod Trail! The race is labeled “about” 1,049 miles across Alaska. Many people ask this question about sled dogs. “Do they get to rest on this long race?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” Mushers are like students. Many plan out their schedules very …
Dear Friends, The mushers are on their way! Many teams will reach the checkpoint of Finger Lake Monday evening and Tuesday. Finger Lake can have up to 10 feet of snow! Do you know what that means for us dogs? If another musher wants to pass, or if the team wants to rest, it is …
Dear Girls and Boys, The 2020 Iditarod mushers are on the trail now with their dog teams! Who are they? Look at the pattern of numbers! (Thanks to Eye on the Trail reporter, Terrie Hanke, for this interesting info!) 12 rookies (never run the Iditarod before) and 45 veterans (have run at least once) 12 …
Dear Boys and Girls, Tonight something special happens in the city of Anchorage, Alaska! Today, the day before the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, the streets of the city are like any other. The snow is plowed off roads so cars can easily drive through town. But tonight… the streets of Anchorage …
Dear Boys and Girls, Over the weekend, lots of sled dogs and nine teen mushers are competing in the Jr. Iditarod. What’s different? It’s a shorter race. The mushers, age 14 – 17, race 75 miles from Knik Lake to Yentna Station. They camp OUTSIDE with their dogs overnight, at least staying the required 10 …
Dear Girls and Boys, This week, three teachers will travel to Alaska as finalists for an amazing honor called “Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™.” The Iditarod Education department allows one teacher to go on the race to report back to students and teachers all over the world about what is going on during the race! …
Dear Girls and Boys, Have you ever seen the foot of a sled dog? We have pretty big feet with four toes. When we step down, our toes spread and give us lots of balance. Our feet don’t get as cold as yours do in the snow because of something called “countercurrent circulation” where warm …
Dear Boys and Girls, Have you ever wondered what happens when a sled dog team is running and one dog has to go to the bathroom? This might be an embarrassing questions for kids, but for us dogs? We don’t care! From early on, we sled dogs learn to go to the bathroom “on …
Dear Girls and Boys, House dogs often sleep on a fluffy pillow bed, but sled dogs in Alaska have their own little huts outside. Instead of curling up on a bed or pillow, sled dogs get cozy on layers of straw. Lately, volunteers in Alaska have been covering straw bales with waterproof plastic. These straw …
Dear Boys and Girls, February 2nd was National Sled Dog Day! It is a day dedicated to us sled dogs, reminding people of how sled dogs helped people with transportation, especially in the northern parts of the world. 1. Sled dogs helped haul mail and supplies to the gold miners during Alaskan Gold …