Mushing Legends banner Anchorage's "Mushing District"

If you're walking down 4th Avenue's "Mushing District" in Anchorage make sure you're looking up. Last week the organizers of Anchorage's "Mushing District" association took time in the rain to add some legends of the sport to the lamp posts that illuminate the streets. Legends of both Fur Rondy and Iditarod will - for the time being - brighten the sidewalks from 4th and A Street to 4th and G Street, looking down on the bronze dog paws commemorating the many donors who made this project possible.

Anchorage's Mushing District was a project dreamt up in the early 2010s and given the go ahead by then Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz in 2019. The district is the stretch of Downtown Anchorage that the Fur Rondy and Iditarod races traditionally start from each year. It has taken the organizers several years to begin bringing their vision to life. Fundraising from sponsors and community members has been ongoing, with bronze foot prints and husky faces marking the sidewalks with the names of sponsors, and now the banners. The fundraising will culminate in the creation of " a steel truss arch with the silhouette of a dog team and musher racing across the arch" over 4th Avenue. 

The post from the Mushing District's facebook shared the renderings of the banners alongside photos of the volunteers hanging the banners from the light posts in the rain. Portraits of mushing's greatest sprint and long distance mushers in both color and black and white sit on a purple banner with their name and their race stats. Names like George Attla, Susan Butcher, Herbie Nayokpuk, Joe Redington, Earl Norris, and Roxy Wright will represent the hundreds of mushers throughout history. 

Another big announcement from last week for the Mushing District is the proclaimation from present Mayor Dave Bronson that the City of Anchorage will take ownership and maintain the arch once it is put in place. "On Friday, I participated in the Fur Rondy pin unveiling and announced a formal agreement that the municipality officially recognizes a part of 4th avenue as the Mushing District,
 Mayor Bronson wrote on Facebook, "This will be an added tourist attraction and a way to commemorate the historic Iditarod race!"

The banners are, according to the district's social media page, not a permanent addition to the district. They do not have a timeline for when the banners will come down, so if you want to go see them, go as soon as you can.

Have you seen the banners? Share what you think in the comments below!

Walking Along Potter Marsh

Are you annoyed yet? I know this is a lot of photo dumps lately. I should have done this throughout the summer, but I was too busy adventuring to blog, so I apologize. Today's featured adventure was the visit to Potter Marsh just outside of Anchorage Alaska along the Seward Highway. This is a "free" spot for tourists and locals alike to view the local wildlife and landscape. I say "free" because they do ask for a donation, you can place check or cash in a box at the head of the boardwalk. 

There is a boardwalk that takes out out over the Marsh. There are several different "paths" that bring you over waterways where spawning salmon make their way to the spawn beds. Water fowl of every type can be seen all throughout the marsh. Big game like moose and bear frequent the area (moose more than bruin, and normally early morning or late night visits). Several "step outs" have a type of public binocular you can use to see some of the further away wildlife (or look into the homes on the hillside... I joke... kinda.) This is a popular attraction for everyone so be prepared to see a lot of bird watchers, tourists, etc.

On our visit we spotted spawning pink salmon, ducks and other water fowl, and a curious little ermine (also known as a stoat). You can view photos of our visit below.

Come for the Iditarod, stay for the festivities!

Furs ready for auction.

Iditarod can take up a lot of your time, and depending how long you plan to visit it can be the only big event you get to. However, Iditarod is the finale of a two week "celebration" that happens every year in Anchorage called the Fur Rendezvous! An Anchorage tradition that got its start in the mid 1930s, Fur Rondy celebrates Alaska's history as well as its present. Fur Auction, Miner & Trapper Ball, sled dog sprint races, blanket tosses - all represent the Alaska that was and is.

Rondy began as a way to build a community out of the very small town of Anchorage and the surrounding areas. Deciding to host a 3 day sports tournament while the miners and trappers were in town to sell off their haul, the Father of Fur Rondy - Vern Johnson - created an event that spans over 80 years. It has grown to include so much more than skiing, hockey, youth sled dog race, and bonfire. For 10 days in late February and Early March Alaskans and tourists alike gather to celebrate in a festival like no other.

Today the festival hosts carnival rides, Native art and sport, World Championship Sled Dog Sprint Races, Fur Rondy on Ice, Snow Sculptures, fireworks, Running of the Reindeer, and SO much more! They still hold the fur auction, the Miners and Trappers Ball, there's a Melodrama. Options are endless and the days are packed. Most events are free to watch, and those that do require a fee for admittance the cost is not big. Some allow any and all to participate (like the Running of the Reindeer) and it's the most fun.

Iditarod's Ceremonial Start is normally held the final weekend of Rondy, but is not the final event. Some mushers even stick around to participate in the Running of the Reindeer (Seaveys have done it a few times, weirdos). If you're in Anchorage the weekend before Iditarod weekend (perhaps for the Jr. Iditarod?) you can catch the World Championship Sprint Dog Races. When the Iditarod was still in its early years, many Rondy race teams also ran the Iditarod.

A team races into the finish of the 2010 Fur Rondy Sled Dog race.

So what events are must do's at Rondy?

The first weekend is the celebratory weekend. Beginning on Friday, there are event long exhibits like the photography contest, the snow sculpture championship. The Rondy Melodrama - which is a highlight for many Rondy fans - also begins and runs through the end of the 10 day event.

Rondy on Ice takes place on the weekends. This is put on by the local figure skating club, but once in a while they have guest stars. This is not Stars on Ice or Ice Follies level skating, but it's still cute and once in a while there's a surprisingly well done performance. Olympian Keegan Messing used to be the star of the show, but now that he's an international competitor Rondy takes place during his competition schedule.

The Alaska State Championship Snow Sculptures begin sculpting the first friday of Rondy, with judging typically on Sunday. These are works of art that only last so long. With our Rondy's becoming warmer, the sooner you view them the better. Visit Sunday around noon during the judging, when sculptures will look their finest.

The Frostbite Footrace is fun, and you can participate or cheer the runners on. Many dress up. It's in the snow, so if you're into something like that (I'm judging you). Typically the run happens on Saturday morning.

Following the Footrace is the Parade. This is another fun way to celebrate our past and our present. You will get to see all of the Fur Rondy royalty and they're dressed in, well, fur. Gorgeous furs. A lot of the crowd will be in furs as well. It is FUR Rondy, after all.

The Open World Championship Sled Dog Race is a 3 day event where the best sprint mushers compete in three 25-mile heats over three days. This may be bias showing, but this is probably the most exciting part of Fur Rondy. Unlike Iditarod, which is slow going to start off with and averaging 8mph, the sprint races are... well... more about speed. You can watch from downtown where all the events are happening, or you can go out onto the trail (like by the Native Health Campus, or Tozier Track where they turn around and head back into downtown).

And don't forget the FIREWORKS. These happen on the first Saturday of Rondy. You can see them from just about anywhere downtown. If you're looking for photo ops, shooting from the carnival with the lights of the rides in the foreground is fun, or go down to ship creek and shoot them with the snow sculptures. Locals also like "sunset park" on Government Hill, and if you want to get further out there's Earthquake Park/Point Woronzof for some awesome cityscape with fireworks photos.

During that weekend there are also the Outhouse Races, the Fur Auction, and the Snowshoe Softball Tournament.

If you're coming for the Iditarod start, and following the schedule I suggested in an earlier blog in this series, you'll most likely come in too late to catch the Rondy races. But! There's still SO MUCH to see and do at Rondy!

The second weekend has the Running with the Reindeer. This takes place on Saturday following the Iditarod Start (well, okay, not directly following, but...) This is a fun, safe event that is a parody of the Running of the Bulls over in Spain. There's no death involved for the reindeer at the end, and honestly it's more a "race the reindeer to the finish line" than it is a "run for your life you're about to be trampled." I think your fellow runners are more dangerous than Rudolph.

Saturday also hosts the Beard and Mustache championship. The men are serious about their facial hair, and some of the beards are legendary.

Whenever you come, there are events that happen continually.

The Melodrama is a local favorite. It is hilarious and is different every year, but it's always a good time. I hear they thrive on audience participation, and that there have been food fights in the past. This is a ticketed event, and tickets go fast.

The Native Arts Market is a must do. Even if you don't plan on buying anything chatting with the artists and looking at the artwork can be just as rewarding. Ask before you take photos as some artists frown on their art "going so cheap". Make sure to carve out enough time to really look at the craftsmanship of the beading, painting, and sculpting.

For a schedule of all the events, you can visit the official website or pick up a Rondy Guide. Most hotels will have them in their lobby free to their guests.

BEWARE - there are Keystone cops ALL OVER Anchorage during Fur Rondy checking to make sure that you are proudly wearing your Rondy button. If you are caught without the official button (which must be current year) then you will be taken to Rondy Jail where someone has to bail you out. You can also pay your own bail. This is one of the big fundraisers of Rondy. The buttons are collectible, and some are now worth some pretty nice dough. It's a small souvenir for your visit to Alaska.

Rondy is not an event you want to miss. Even if you just wander and take it in for a few minutes, spend time and learn a little bit about Alaska's idea of "fun".

So you want to come to the Iditarod...

Kelly Maxiner celebrates during the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 46.
March 3, 2018. Anchorage, AK.

For many a mushing fan, attending any part of the Iditarod is a bucket list item. The cost of travel, plus the unknown of what to expect detours a lot of fans from ever making the trek. So often when thinking of Iditarod people think of the cold, icy, remote parts of the trail that seem impossible to reach. While the vast majority of the race is like that, the Ceremonial and Official Starts are much more accessible, and close to the largest travel hub in the state.

In the coming weeks I'll give off tips, tricks, and answer frequently asked questions I've gotten over the years on how best to plan and prepare for a trip to the Last Great Race on Earth. So often, for me, it's hard to come up with answers because my experience is not one of travel and care - I've lived in Alaska my entire life. I have routines and being born and raised here I am used to the weather, the lack of sunlight, and other concerns "outsiders" typically have. I've reached out to others who have traveled to this great state for this race, and will share their tips along with my own.

All recommendations come without any kick back to myself or anyone else. I am not giving advice as a way to financially gain or get any sort of perks for sending anyone their way. All opinions are my own unless stated otherwise, and I can only go by what I have researched or experienced first hand.

When to come

This is the million dollar question. While the race runs about 2 weeks from start to finish, champion to red lantern, most fans cannot take off that kind of time, so the question becomes - when do you want to come and what do you want to see?

The start of the Iditarod is the first weekend of March - every year. It's tradition and there's no way they're going to change it any time soon. The entire mushing season in Alaska keeps the Iditarod tradition in mind when they schedule their races. The Ceremonial Start is Saturday and begins at 10am. Teams leave from the chute on 4th Avenue and D in Anchorage, AK and run roughly 11 miles through Anchorage to end at Campbell Airstrip where they load up the teams and head up the road to Willow, Alaska to prepare for the Re-Start (also called the official start). I plan on doing a blog post about the Ceremonial Start later on in this series, so for now we'll just work with the time and date.

Like most other sled dog races, the Iditarod has a staggered start. Each team leaves in bib draw order in two-minute intervals. The first musher out of the chute is typically the Jr Iditarod champion (Jr Iditarod takes place the weekend before Iditarod) and is carrying the Honorary Musher (or if that person was awarded the honor posthumously then a member of their family rides). They get Bib #1, so all racing teams get bib numbers 2 and up. Depending on how many teams sign up, you're looking at 2+ hours of watching teams take off in a celebration of pure Alaskan tradition.

But let's back up a couple of days. Before the ceremonial start, the mushers come together for a Musher's Banquet. Thursday before race weekend at 6pm the Dena'ina Center is filled with music, food, and lots of alcohol. This is where the mushers will thank their sponsors and draw their bib numbers. Their official media photos are taken for the Anchorage Daily News and Iditarod.com. They eat food and mingle. There is a silent auction as well as an outcry auction. And the best part? Fans can be a part of the action! As of 2018, autographs are no longer allowed during the banquet, however there is a Musher Meet and Greet prior to the banquet which begins at 4pm. Iditarod does not show a Meet and Greet on this year's calendar events, but when asked they would not confirm that it would or wouldn't be happening in 2019. All mushers must be in attendance at both the Meet and Greet as well as the Banquet. Both the Meet and Greet and Banquet are ticketed events, with the Meet and Greet being included with Banquet admission. Tickets go on sale by January.

In between Thursday's official events, and Saturday's Ceremonial start is Friday's "freebie day". This is a day that many mushers's sponsors host meet and greets with the mushers they support. Inlet Towers typically holds a meet and greet for Mitch Seavey and Jeff King. Comfort Inn/Matson host one with Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore. Other meet and greets also happen. Most of these are not known about until the last minute unless you know where to look, or are on musher newsletter/emails/etc. A lot of mushers stay at the official hotel The Lakefront, and there are several book signings typically planned with different authors and mushers. If you have a few hours to kill you can hang out around the lobby and talk with other fans, eat food at one of two restaurants on property, or just people watch. There's also the official swag tables, and the registration desk for volunteers. (I'll have another blog about volunteer opportunities.)

Sunday is when the real race begins. The Re-Start takes place on the lake in Willow, Alaska. That's about a three hour drive from Anchorage - but don't worry! There are lots of options to get you there if you don't want to make the drive. I know I sound like a broken record, but there will be a blog in the coming weeks to give you a look at some ways to get there. The Re-Start is the official start of the Iditarod. It's what all of the mushers have waited for all year. For the rookies, it's the day they've dreamt about for years - some of them their entire lives. The teams take off starting with Bib #2 (remember earlier when I said Bib #1 was for the honorary musher? they only run in the Ceremonial Start), and leave in two-minute intervals. This will be made up later when teams take their mandatory rest along the trail. Teams hit the lake to start getting ready as early as 8:30am (maybe earlier, I never get there that soon). Spectators are allowed to walk around the chute that is "barricaded" by that lovely orange plastic fencing. You're able to take pictures, talk with the mushers and handlers, and see all the dogs. Most mushers don't get too chatty as they are in race mode, but there's a buzz like no other on race day. Spectators then line the chute on both sides all the way across the ice and into the woods. It continues for miles. It's a sporting tailgating party, a must do.

For the next 10 days the race is run through Alaska's rugged and most beautiful terrain. There are ways to get out onto the trail and watch teams come into different checkpoints. This is expensive, and I'll leave you to decide if you want to add it to your itinerary - there will be a blog for these options coming, but this blog is just about planning how long of a trip you want.

Like I said, it will take about 10 days for the teams to start coming in. If you're wanting to see the finish in Nome, most have to make the painful choice of attending either the start or the finish, otherwise you're looking at a lot of time off from work/home... and a huge credit card bill when all is said and done. Alaska is not cheap - and it gets significantly worse the further away from Anchorage you get. So keep that in mind when planning your trip. The top teams average finish is in 9 days, bringing them in on a Tuesday evening/Wednesday Morning. Mitch Seavey holds the fastest time in just over 8 days. There are only two flights into Nome a day during that time on a commercial airline (Alaska Airlines), the Sunday evening flight gets you in with typically a day, possibly two, to get your bearings and see the sights. There is A LOT to do during Iditarod week in Nome. If you can swing a week in Nome you have a good chance of seeing all of the mushers come in under the burled arch.

The sun shines bright over the burled arch in Nome, Alaska. March 2017.

The Finisher's Banquet in Nome takes place two weeks after the ReStart (Sunday). This is a pay at the door event and is where the mushers all come together and swap stories, mingle with friends, family, fans and the community of Nome. Sometimes the banquet happens before all of the teams come in - but lately the red lantern has come in in enough time to participate in the festivities. The Banquet begins at 4pm and tries to end in enough time for folks to make it to the airport should they be flying out on Sunday night. The final flight of the day leaves around 9:30pm, so you may miss a few of the awards, but for the most part you should be fine. You don't need to be at the airport 2 hours before hand. Their TSA is... interesting. But that's for another blog (yes, soon).

Suggested time-frame

So what do I recommend for a bucket list Iditarod trip? Well, I could just be cruel and say blow 3 weeks worth of savings and come from beginning to end. I mean, we're talking bucket list, right?! But, if you are like me and have a limited income and so time and money are precious, I can suggest a few ideas.

For the Starts:
Fly in Tuesday Evening, Spend Wednesday touring locales near Anchorage like Girdwood and Portage, Thursday Mushers Meet and Greet/Banquet, Friday tour Anchorage and check out some Meet & Greets or hang out at the Lakefront and people watch, Saturday attend the Ceremonial start, Sunday attend the restart (at some point in those two days make a trip to the official Iditarod HQ in Wasilla to get a pic with the Iditarod signs as well as Joe Redington's statue!), Monday fly home.

For the Finish:
Fly in Sunday settle in and take in Nome, Monday if possible take a tour to see musk ox or the tour of Nome (both spendy, but it's on my personal bucket list), Tuesday is a possible Iditarod Champion Finish day, Wednesday is a for sure finish day, fly out Thursday evening or Friday Morning... if you can swing a full week then stay through the Finisher's Banquet on Sunday and fly out Sunday evening.


One more (important) note

Now, not to throw a wrench into things but... well... Mother Nature has had the control of late and we've seen Fairbanks come into play for the restart. This has happened now three times in the last 15 years, most recently in 2015 and 2017. Should that happen forget everything I said about ReStart Day and pay attention. SHOULD the race's restart and trail be moved further north the FAIRBANKS RESTART will take place Monday following the Ceremonial Start. The Anchorage Start stays the same, but they need Sunday for travel time to get the teams up to Fairbanks. This is a 10-12 hour drive in the best weather, and if there's snow and ice and wind as there often times is, the drive can be longer. But, don't dispair, there are other travel options on how to get to the ReStart. Flights from Anchorage to Fairbanks are regular and have several airline options. The flight is about an hour and half long. There is also the option of the train, they have rides running but you're at the mercy of their schedule, and it is based on track and weather conditions. Air travel is your safest bet.

The Fairbanks ReStart would take place at 10am on Monday morning, so you would want to fly up the day before and snatch a room. The restart takes place right outside Pike's Landing (which is a fantastic hotel, btw) on the river. I'll talk more about the logistics and planning of a Fairbanks restart in a later blog, but just make sure that when planning your bucket list trip for the start that you are aware of the possibility of things changing. These changes are typically announced TWO WEEKS before the start of the event - so there's not a lot of time to change plans, but if you have a contingency plan and budget in place it's doable.



Hopefully this gives you a basic blueprint to plan your trip for Iditarod - as the weeks go on I hope to have more information on all aspects of trip planning, but this gives you an idea of the timeline you're looking at. Do you have any questions on this or other topics in planning your trip? Comment below or shoot me a note on social media ( @tonichelleak on twitter ) and I'll give you the best info I can. Are you planning a trip? Let me know in the comments when you're hoping to make it, I'd love to know how your planning is going!



*Note: I am not an official travel planner or guide. All advice is from my own experience/knowledge.*

Iditarod ReStart - Official Press Release

This week has been insane so I can't blog about this like I want to. So I'll just leave you with the actual press release the Iditarod Trail Committee released this morning.

Press Release: For further information contact:
Stan Hooley, CEO, 907‐352‐2204 or shooley@iditarod.com
Mark Nordman, Race Director, 907‐360‐1814 or mark.nordman@iditarod.com
 
Iditarod XLIII To Restart in Fairbanks
Anchorage, Alaska – February 10, 2015 – The Board of Directors of the Iditarod Trail Committee held a special meeting earlier this evening to hear a final report from a four person trail committee which spent the day with race staff flying over various portions of the trail via helicopter. The Board was unanimous in making the decision to move the Race Restart to Fairbanks as it was determined that the conditions were worse in critical areas than in 2014 and therefore not safe enough for the upcoming Race.

The traditional Anchorage Start will take place as scheduled on Saturday, March 7, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The Restart will now take place in Fairbanks on Monday, March 9, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

This marks the second time in the history of the Race that the Restart has been moved to Fairbanks because of poor conditions in the Alaska Range. The first was in 2003, when Robert Sorlie of Norway, won his first Iditarod.

“While some snow did fall east of the Alaska Range over the past couple of weeks, other parts of the trail, in very critical areas, did not get much or any of it,” said Stan Hooley, CEO.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to make this very important decision this far out, but the task of getting tons of supplies and equipment in the right places, on time, begins this week,” said Mark Nordman, Race Director.

Additional details regarding the Fairbanks Restart will be available on www.iditarod.com as additional planning decisions are made.

Seventy-nine (79) teams, the sixth largest field in the history of the Race, are busy training and preparing for the 43rd running of the Iditarod.

Where to watch the Ceremonial Start

I get asked this every year. I don't expect people to read this blog, so I know I will still answer this over and over, but just incase you stumble upon my blog looking for suggestions, here are mine.

First off, Downtown Anchorage. The race starts on Fourth Avenue - and it's well marked and blocked off. I think everyone should experience the madness and chaos at least once in their life, if only to understand why I don't go Downtown if at all possible! Ha ha! There's nothing quite like hearing the mushers be announced, hear the roar of all the dogs barking from all the teams getting so excited to finally be out there ready to RACE. The energy is overwhelming for many. If you're not big on photography or having an up close and personal seat to the teams, then 4th Avenue is great.

Next stop I would suggest is Goose Lake. This is a place that people really make a party for the event. Mushers tend to stop for a moment - especially if their fan groups are there (I think it's run by a group of Buser fans, if I'm not mistaken). There are no barriers, and trail guards let you get really close so long as you do not get in the way of the teams.

Just past Goose Lake is the second largest area of the trail that a lot of people come out for. Tudor Crossing. This is the spot that I am at every year (I trail guard) and it's perfect. It comes down near University Lake (dog walkers, PLEASE do not bring your dogs out to watch, they just get in the way. But if you must play stupid for a couple hours at the very least LEASH YOUR DOGS) and goes under Ambassador tunnel, and over the walking bridge over Tudor. There's a lot of parking. Alaska Air the last few years has given out Hotdogs. It's fun, and again you can get very close to the trail.

The last spot I would suggest is Campbell airstrip. This is where the 11 mile start ends and the dogs are packed back up and the mushers all head for Willow for the ReStart on Sunday. There's a different intensity here. Now the race will really begin. Teams are now locked into their 16 dogs, and it's game day. It's also a fantastic spot to take pictures from.

Where do you like to view the start?

Iditarod FAQ - 2012 edition - Part 1

It's been a couple years since the last one of these. I still get asked a lot of the basics, but I want to try and make it more concise. To see the original, go here. This is a replay of some of those, but also some new tidbits.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (the official full title of "The Iditarod") began when a group of mushers - led by Joe Reddington, Sr. - decided to "save the sled dog." With the introduction of airplanes and snowmachines/four wheelers to the state of Alaska, the jobs that were originally given to dog teams were going to the newer technologies. Reddington and his band of buddies were concerned that the lifestyle they loved would disappear forever. Reddington worked tirelessly to begin the world's first long distance sled dog race into existance.



DeeDee Jonrowe's dog "Crush" at
the start of the 2012 Tustumena 200.

The Alaskan Sled Dog is a hearty, but small, breed of dog. There are no strict guidelines into what goes into the breed, nor is there a breeding standard. What makes a sled dog a sled dog is their desire and willingness to pull and run with a team. The Alaskan Malamute is the closest we have to a "standard breed" of sled dog. They are related to the Native Sled Dogs that are basically the starting point for all sled dogs. The best way to describe the racing dog today is: mutt. They are typically 50lbs to 60lbs, are incredibly hyper and high strung, and come in all colors. You will never see an Alaskan Husky in the dog shows like Westminster, they aren't always the prettiest of dog, and - again - there is no standard to the breed. People are typically surprised at the smallness of the dogs - hollywood typically uses Malamutes or Siberian Huskies to portray these amazing athletes in film, because they look better. The dogs look like your typical running athlete, they are thin (but incredibly healthy and well fed), and have thinner/shorter coats than their ancestors. Because they are running hard, the extra fur is not desirable - and mushers have to be sure to care for their team with the proper gear (dogs wear dog coats so that when they aren't running in the sub-zero temperatures they retain their heat). They are bred to keep the pack mentality instinct, and they are loyal and trusting of their mushers.

In 1973, Reddington's dream became a reality when the first Iditarod Sled Dog Race was held. It began the first weekend of March, and followed part of the historic Iditarod Trail and had long ago been used by trappers, goldminers and later the mail route (run by sled dogs). The race runs, mainly, along the same trail as the historic teams ran, but does not complete the entire trail. While Anchorage is the start of the race, Mile 0 of the Iditarod trail is actually in Seward, Alaska. To this day, the only Iditarod team to have traveled from Seward to Nome is 2004 Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey's team when he ran his team from Seward the days before the start of the race in 2001.

In the early years, the race began in Anchorage's Tozier Track and travelled all the way to Nome. However, with the ever growing city's expantion in the late 70s and 80s, the race holds two starts; the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage (from 4th Avenue downtown to the Campbell Airstrip), and the restart at the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla. With Wasilla's growth and expansion, however, in the late 90s the restart was relocated to Willow where it starts from currently. Safety of the teams is first priority and with the growing vehicle traffic in the former cities, Willow was the best solution.

In 2003, due to a lack of snow in the South Central region, the race took a drasticly different route. It was the only year that Fairbanks hosted the start of the race. The teams took another historic route before connecting back to the Iditarod Trail. The race followed, basically, for the first and only time the famed Serum Run route to Nome. The Serum Run happened in 1925 when there was a Diptheria epedemic in Nome and the surrounding villages. Due to extreme weather, the newer technologies of transportation were unable to get the medicine the town so desperately needed. Teams of sled dogs planned a relay to get the medicine to Nome. A train transported the medication as far as Nenana where it was taken by dog sled. It took about six days to get to Nome, and the weather was horrendous. The average temperature was forty below zero, and the wind was so strong it was able to knock over dogs and sleds alike!

Leonhard Seppala & his lead dog Togo.
Togo is the official mascot of the Iditarod Race.

Most famous of the Serum Run was Balto and his musher Gunner. They were the ones that led the medicine into Nome. A little less known - but most heroic - of the story was Togo and Leonhard Seppala. Seppala was the most well known musher of his day - think of him as the Jeff King (considered the "Most winningest musher in history") of his day. He understood the urgency and need for the medication when several others thought more of their lives and their dogs. Seppala and his team, led by Togo, made most of the journey when several mushers backed out. About 80 miles out from Nome, Seppala could go no further. He and his team were exhausted. He had Gunner take a second string of dogs into the city with the medicine. Balto and Gunner weren't exactly rookies to the job, but they were virtual unknowns until their historic finish. They would overshadow Togo and Seppala in the history books, but Togo - not Balto - is the official mascot of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Togo and Balto were both stuffed after death. Balto resides at the Smithsonian, while Togo stands proudly at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Headquarters in Wasilla. (By the way, Togo and Seppala not only ran the medicine towards Nome, they ran the trail to go meet up and get the medicine from the previous musher. Over 200 miles over some of the most difficult terrain.)



The Iditarod Sled Dog Race has two trails along the Yukon River, and alternates each year between the two. The Northern Route is run in the even years, and the Southern Route in the odd years. It's said that of the two, the Southern is more difficult because the wind generally comes at your face. The decision to have seperate courses was to allow more of the interior villages the chance to be featured and celebrate the race. The addition of the Southern route also allowed the race to go through the old gold rush town of Iditarod (now a "ghosttown" where only one structure somewhat remains). Iditarod is an Alaska Native word that means "A Great Distance." Iditarod (and Cripple for the Northern route) marks the halfway point of the race, and the first musher to make it into the checkpoint is rewarded with a plaque and $3000 in gold nuggets.

Because of the nature of the trail, and the fact that most of it is only put in for the purpose of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race (as well as the Iron Dog Snowmachine Race and the Iditarod Bike & Run), mileage differs slightly from race to race. The official mileage is 1,049miles (the 49 is a nod to Alaska's being the 49th state) but is normally closer to 1,200 miles when all is said and done. In 2012 it was decided that a major change to the race will occur. For only the second time, the Happy River Steps - feared by Rookies and intimidating to even the most seasoned veterans - will not be part of the race. A new trail was forged for a project in the area, and since its abandonment earlier this year the Iditarod Race Officials have glomped onto it. The reason cited is for the safety of the mushers and their dogs, which is the races' top priority. This change could be permanent.

Check back soon for part two of the series.

KIDNAPPED: Samantha Koenig, 18