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Sanka W. Dog
Jr. Iditarod has crowned its 40th Champion. Andrew Nolan of Wasilla claimed the Championship by just 3 minutes over Colby Spears also of Wasilla. Emma Shawcroft of Fairbanks was the third team to cross the finish line. Nolan round out his 4 year Jr. Iditarod career with the victory. He’s been in the top five …
When I’m asked when does Iditarod start, I reply the last Saturday of February. Folks in the know would try to correct me, saying Iditarod begins the first Saturday of March. But for me, because I work as the starter/timer for the Jr. Iditarod, the whole Iditarod scene begins to unfold with the Jr. race. …
One of the reasons Joe Redington, Sr. invented and promoted the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was to preserve the Historic Iditarod Trail. The trail was used to transport people, goods, mail mining supplies and mining equipment across Alaska long before snowmachines or airplanes were invented. The 2017 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, Annie Kelley, …
The winter weather advisory posted for Wasilla, AK where Iditarod Headquarters is located called for 4 to 6 inches of snow to fall over night and throughout the morning. The forecast was fairly accurate. Sharing with you today the scenes at Headquarters.
My name is Sanka Wusha. The name,Sanka, comes from the character in “Cool Runnings,” the movie about the Jamaican Bobsled Team and Wusha is Ethiopian for dog. My birthday is in the middle of May so I’m about 5 months old right now. I was born at Rayme Redington’s kennel just a few miles away …
Sixteen rookies earned their Iditarod finisher’s belt buckle in the 2016 Iditarod. Many of the veterans at the banquet in Nome were wearing belt buckles earned in their rookie run. Iditarod XLIV is in the history books now. Already mushers and race planners are looking forward to the 45th running of The Last Great Race® …
Aliy Zirkle finished the 2017 Iditarod in 3rd place for the race and her husband Allan, who gives their younger dogs a first look at the trail, finished in 32nd place. Of course Aliy was at the burled arch to welcome Allen and the dogs. This was Allen’s finish but Aliy did answer one question …
Some race personnel fly with the Iditarod Air Force for relocation and others fly on larger aircraft like this very nice Navajo that 9 of us flew to Unalakleet in. The flight from McGrath to Unalakleet took about an hour. That’s as the crow flies. Had we flown over the trail it would have been …
This harness reminds me of my favorite very old flannel shirt. I’ve got pretty new shirts but they hang in the closet as I prefer the well worn old one that’s a little ragged but soft and fits perfect. Seems this dog may feel that same way about his harness.
Busy, Busy, Busy at McGrath. One team checking in while another team approaches on the frozen river. There’ll be plenty more action as the night wears on. Noah Burmeister was the sixth musher to bring his huskies into the checkpoint. His dogs are all eyes!