Not your average dog race
photo by Jon Little
Yup, it’s that time of year again. For those of you who missed all the fanfare of the start, and the first few days of the race, you can still be part of all the excitement of the The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. And what a race it is this year. We’re in Day 9 and the weather has thrown some incredibly difficult legs for the mushers and their dogs.
What? You are surprised that I’m following The Last Great Race of the world? You mean you don’t know the names King, Swingley, Jonrowe or Iten? You haven’t been pouring over the Alaska maps and checking the weather updates? Well, I do understand that the race has unfortunate timing what with coinciding with midterms at WTS. But still.
“It’s unlike any other event in the world. A race over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain known to man: across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and windswept coastline.” That’s straight from the official website, what more could you want?
Exactly why am I interested in this kind of extreme sport? Well, there is the obvious snow factor. And the solitary trek pitting musher and dog against the elements. And the strategy of how to run your race. Plus, it’s just exciting. And I wish I could do it. In fact, right now DeeDee Jonrowe is in third place (she’s at least 5 years older than me). But, thankfully for my family, it is too expensive of a sport for me to even consider participating in except via computer. Although I do think at some point I’m going to have to get that triathlon under my belt.
OK, so if you want to take a look at the action, there are a few good links. One is the official site (ok, but not the best) and another one is the Cabela’s sponsored site (better). Of course, if you have to really pick and choose when you can get involved, there is nothing like watching the Nome-Cam when they start to cross the finish line. But you have a few days to get ready for that!
Just because the race results aren’t in Hebrew doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it!
March 12th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
The Iditarod has always been the winter counterpart to our love for the Tour de France.
March 12th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
And what about the legendary Susan Butcher? Did you hear she has breast cancer? (I think that’s it). And Doug Swingley is from Montana! Woo hoo!
March 13th, 2006 at 7:56 am
Right you are, Christian. Susan Butcher’s just been through a few rounds of chemo, but she was at Unalakleet checkpoint to see in the first arrivals of the gang yesterday (she was also at an earlier checkpoint). Her daughter, Tekla, is with her.
DeeDee arrived after King and Swingley… but it took her 2 hours longer than the guys (everyone was expecting her after about 12 hours). No news yet what happened along the way.
March 13th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
Karyn - You just went up about a dozen notches in my book! It must be a decade since I’ve heard anyone mention the Iditarod (of course, I’ve spent the past decade in Texas and Tennessee, where few people have probably even heard of it. Never try to extol Alaska to Texans, btw - I’ve tried, and it’s impossible. Either they just don’t have categories for what Alaska is like beyond igloos and icebergs, or they are just still bitter about being the second largest state. It’s not enough that Alaska’s twice as big, but it’s absolutely beautiful and produces oil to boot. You can see how Texans would be a little jealous and sensitive.) I remember being taught about the Iditarod in elementary school when I was a kid in Anchorage. I was up there during Susan Butcher’s streak of wins, so I heard her name a lot. And there were people in my Dad’s church who raised sled dogs.
I had no idea Susan Butcher has breast cancer - how sad.