Changing of the Guard: Jonrowe says Iditarod 2018 to be her last

If you grew up watching the Iditarod like most children in Alaska did in the 80s and 90s you knew DeeDee's name. If you were female, in Alaska, and growing up in that era you definitely knew her name. DeeDee Jonrowe was one of the women who people wanted to see win. Who knew she'd win. In many ways, DeeDee was supposed to champion what Susan Butcher had made common place - a female Iditarod Champion. Jonrowe was the media darling after Butcher retired to start a family. Jonrowe was as tough as they came and yet fought to keep her "femininity". She wore make up, had "styled" hair, and of course let's not forget all that pink (which as a kid I forgave because she was a lady musher poised to make it to the top).

She was a dominant name in the 90s, coming in second to some pretty fantastic champions three times, and never seeing a finish out of the top ten in that decade - except for 1999 when she scratched due to dogs balking at the winds of the Yukon River. Jonrowe has also had a difficult career due to personal crisis multiple time. In 1996 she was in a car accident that took the life of her grandmother and hospitalized herself and her husband. Her mother Peggy famously battled cancer several times throughout the last 3 decades, before finally losing the battle in 2015 just weeks after DeeDee signed up for the 2016 race, and while wildfires destroyed the Jonrowe Kennel and home. The Jonrowes lost just about every material possesion along with most of the property's structures (all but one retired sled dog, and one cat, survived thanks to the quick action of Jonrowe and her friends). In 2002 DeeDee herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery to remove both breasts, and after completing her chemo in January she ran the 2003 Iditarod where she placed an incredible 18th place (this was the first time Iditarod would run from Fairbanks to Nome, and was difficult for all teams). Through it all DeeDee pushed through, overcame, and continued to land herself consistently in the top 20.

This morning, the Iditarod Legend (and she deservedly owns that title) took to Facebook to report that the 46th Iditarod will be her last. The last few years have been an extreme emotional roller coaster for Jonrowe, with a lot of emotional posts coming through on social media. She also had a more pessimistic view in many of her interviews as she ran each race. While retirement seemed inevitable, the announcement was still a surprise to many in the mushing fandom. DeeDee is a recognized figure throughout the world and her name is synonymous with Iditarod.

I personally cannot remember a time when DeeDee was not a competitor in the Iditarod. Her first race was 1980, five years before I was born. She has entered every year I've been alive. Next to Libby Riddles and Susan Butcher, DeeDee Jonrowe was the next big thing. The torch passed from her to the next generation of dominant lady mushers a few years ago when Aliy made a splash first in the Yukon Quest in 2000 and then later on in Iditarod. Aliy seemed poised to be the next female super star (and she is) but now Jessie Royer and Michelle Phillips are hot on her tail ready to surpass her. No woman has been a dominant figure as long as DeeDee Jonrowe. While she may never hold the title of Iditarod Champion, she's every bit as known, loved, and respected as those who do (and in some cases she's more so). Next March may be the last time DeeDee runs the Iditarod race as a musher, but she will forever be a part of the Last Great Race.

Thank you for teaching girls world wide, but especially in Alaska, DeeDee how to stay strong and battle through the darkness! May this coming training and racing season be the best one EVER.



Share your favorite DeeDee Jonrowe memory in the comments below.

How you can help the mushers of the Sockeye Fire.

Willow, Alaska is the unofficial mushing capital of the world. Over 5,000 sled dogs reside in the small Alaskan community. It's a tightknit group of folks devoted to their dogs, and the throwback way of Alaskan life. They really are the epitome of the Alaskan spirit. So when the Sockeye Fire started this past weekend, the mushing community watched in horror as it threatened the lives and livelihood of so many. Thankfully no human life has been lost, and very few dogs have perished.

Reports came in chaotically at first, but now with people on the ground able to confirm what was suspected (or disprove it!) we now have a better picture of who and what needs help. Several mushers are known to have lost everything, including the Jonrowes, Jan Steves & Bob Chlupach, and the Highs (who lost their home in December to a fire and were on their way to rebuilding when the wildfire came through).

Mushing is not a glamorous or lucrative sport. Those saying these people make millions off of the backs of animals are deluded liars. There is no money in dogs. Yes, some get big sponsors, but even that just basically pays the dog food bill. Keeping a house and property means long hours working a job not in the mushing world (for most), and then coming home to take care and train dogs. Some can make the two work as one, but not most. They often have to rely on the income of a spouse/partner to keep everything afloat and have a helping hand to care for the team.

So what can we do to help? Many have been asking what the next step is - once the fire is taken care of the victims are returning to scorched land and painful reminders of what they've lost. There are several ways to help that are legit sources.

The Willow Dog Musher Association has partnered with the Northwest Sled Dog Association to set up a link where folks can donate. WDMA has stated that once things quiet down and the board can meet they will decide how to divvy up the funds. Nearly $12.5k has been donated so far. You can donate by going to this link here. Remember, no donation is too small, every little bit helps! If you don't want to donate online the WDMA posted this today on their facebook page:

We have received many messages asking if there is some other way to donate than the fund with the Northwest Sled Dog Association. Of course. You may send a check made out to WDMA, PO Box 858, Willow, AK 99688. Please write in the memo area: fire relief fund. Once things settle down, the WDMA board will discuss how to distribute funds and help as many as possible. Thank you all so much for caring! Any help is deeply appreciated.

Martin Buser's Happy Trails Kennel in Big Lake has become a refugee camp of sorts for mushers displaced by the fire. The Highs and Jonrowes are there as well as mushers unknown by Iditarod fans - and some Buser didn't even know until the fire. Buser and his wife have been keeping fans updated with ways to help on their facebook page since the fire began. They are working tirelessly to organize donations and support. The needs are always changing, and they are good to keep the info current. They are good on dog food, but the needs at the kennel are as follows:

6 ft tall CHAIN LINK Fencing. Most mushers we've talked to know they will need to rebuild puppy and dog pens. If you would like to make a donation of 6 ft chain link fence, we can store it at Happy Trails. or send gift certificates to a place that sells chain link.

The Busers are also taking up donations to specific mushers:

Musher Name
C/O Happy Trails Kennel
PO Box 520997
Big Lake, AK.
Make donation checks to the specific musher name and we will see that they get it. Please do not make checks to Happy Trails or Martin Buser. Besides Jaimee and Justin and Deedee, we know Bob Chlupatch/Jan Steves and Sue Firmin lost everything. We will continue to post names and addresses as they become available.

For The Jonrowes you can send checks to this address:
For donations (checks or gift cards to Lowe's, Home Depot, Fred Meyer, WAlMart)
Deedee and Mike Jonrowe
PO Box 272
Willow, AK 99688

For The Highs you can send checks to this address:
(checks or gift cards to Lowe's, Home Depot, Fred Meyer, WAlMart)
to Jaime and Justin High
PO Box 1096
Willow, AK 99688

Underdog Feeds in Willow has also created a refugee camp of sorts for the sled dogs and mushers displaced by the fire.They are working in conjunction with the WDMA to take donations for the mushers. On their facebook page they've also been posting the needs of those they are directly helping. Yesterday they were asking for tarps, but that post is now gone so I assume they are all good there for the moment. To donate thru them the info is as follows:

Underdog Feeds is accepting cash or credit card donations in person or by phone for those affected by the ‪#‎SockeyeFire‬. The fund will be managed by the Willow Dog Mushers Association. The store # is (907)373 6851. We are very busy at this time, so thank you in advance for your patience in trying to reach us.

These are just a few of the legit ways you can help the mushers get back on their feet. As the week goes on I'm sure we'll find out about other needs and ways to help. Please be aware that there are scammers currently working the phones trying to get people's account and credit card information over the phone. NO ONE WILL CALL soliciting donations on behalf of the fire victims. So far people are reporting the scammers as saying they're calling on behalf of the State Troopers or GCI. GCI IS taking up donations for those displaced as well as the firefighting crews (of both the Sockeye and Card Street fires) but they are NOT calling for money donations over the phone. NEVER give out your information to unsolicited callers.

Four drop out of T200, slots open for last minute registration.

Organizers for the T200 posted via facebook yesterday that four teams had withdrawn from the race. Since the checkpoints had already been set up to handle twenty teams, they have openned registration for last minute mushers to take the - now unused - spots. Registration remains as a $200 fee and closes Friday when the mandatory vet check and musher's meeting is set to begin.

Teams that withdrew are Jessie Hendricks, Zoya Denure - citing health issues, but she also posted on facebook that they were having vehicle trouble, and the Clarkes - who hit a moose earlier this week, totalling their dog truck! General registration closed on Monday with a final entry by Colleen Robertia a local Kasilof musher and veteran of the race (as well as the Quest and Iditarod).

Vet Check begins tomorrow at noon at the Aspen Hotel in Soldotna, with a musher's meeting to follow. The race takes off at 9 am on Saturday with the Junior T followed at 11am by the main event. The race begins at Mile 112 of the Sterling Hwy.


**Please note that while I am going to be shooting as the volunteer photographer for the event nothing I post is an official communication with the race. Follow them via their website, facebook and twitter for official updates during the race. I will tweet and post photos as internet and time allows over the weekend. The organizers will try to post my photos of the start as soon as I get them to them.**

T200 Musher Roster up to twenty names. Deadline today.

2012 winning cover art drawn by local student. So cute!

With the 2012 Tustumena 200 set to begin on Saturday (January 28), fans of mushing and the race itself are eagerly awaiting the release of the official roster. Race coordinators have done an amazing job keeping fans updated via their website and their facebook page. The deadline to sign up for this year's race is today, Monday January 23.

On the list of mushers this year are four time Iditarod Champion Jeff King - who just last year was "retired" from racing - and Alaskan favorite DeeDee Jonrowe. Peninsula musher Paul Gebhardt, and 2011 Iditarod runner up Cim Smyth are also competing. Gebhardt just finished the Kuskokwim 300 yesterday in third place and earlier in the season Jeff King won the Sheep Mountain 150. The Junior T boasts a whopping four entrants, including last year's winner Conway Seavey. Seavey's dad, Mitch, is the 2004 Iditarod Chamion and his older brother Dallas won the 2011 Yukon Quest.

Word from the trail says it is in the best condition it's been in years, and the new checkpoints are getting a lot of positive feedback. The one downside is that Clam Gulch, a mainstay for the race, will not be a check point this year. Originally Clam Gulch was a stop, but an announcement was made late last week that there would be changes to the proposed trail. New to the race this year, and going back to the race's roots, is the check point in Homer. Other check points include Oil Well and Freddie's Roadhouse in Caribou Hills - which will serve as the halfway layover. Homer will also have a mandatory layover during both legs of the race.

Vet checks are Friday afternoon, the junior race begins at 9am in Kasilof, the 200 will follow at 11am.

Knik 200 a training run for Team Jonrowe

 Just hours before the weekend's sled dog race was set to kick off, mushing favorite DeeDee Jonrowe posted on her facebook that the Knik 200 was going to be a training run. Jonrowe, 58, runs her kennel out of Willow, Alaska where the Iditarod now starts from. Jonrowe is a long time musher - starting back in 1979 - and, like many mushers, has her sights set on the "big race" in March.

She posted yesterday on her facebook:

"Don't be concerned about wherever Justin High and I finish in Knik 200 tomorrow. This is a training run and both of us have unproven dogs that are out for experience. We are keeping our "eye on the prize", and that is in March. This weekend is about "time on the trail", kind of like "time on your feet" for you runners." 

The Knik 200 is a two day 200 mile sled dog race that starts in Knik and stops at Iditarod checkpoints of Yentna Station and Swentna before doubling back and finishing back at the starting point. The race is used by Iditarod rookies as one of several required mid distance Iditarod qualifying races. Conditions for this year's race couldn't be more perfect with temperatures hovering just below zero and enough snow that it will be a hard, fast paced trail.

The race is dedicated to, and named for, Joe Reddington Sr. who is known as the father of the Iditarod. Reddington was concerned with the dwindling number of sled dogs in Alaska with the boom of airplane transportation and roads. To save the Alaska pioneer way of life, as well as a unique breed of dog, Reddington began his quest to bring mushers together in the early 70s and the first race was run in 1973. Since then the sport has grown in popularity and technology.

According to the latest posts on the Knik 200 facebook and twitter, the first team will cross the finish line around 1:30pm Alaska time today.

Jeff King returns to the Iditarod

4time Iditarod Champion Jeff King (2010)

It didn't take the four time champion to realize he's not done yet. King was one of the first in line Saturday morning to sign up for the 40th Iditarod Race. This is huge news for fans and officials alike. Coming up on a major milestone (fourty years of Iditarod) with some of the biggest name in the sports history lined up for the prize, and along comes the reportedly retired musher to try to nab another title.

King retired after a third place finish in the 2010 race. He had been very vocal prior to the start of the race that it would be his last. He was one of the old dogs, he wanted a break. If you were able to follow the musher on facebook you know he did just that, with trips all over North America as well as Norway to witness a historic sled dog race over there. Followers were bombarded with his political endeavors (let's just say he's not a fan of Palin or any of her picks for any political seat), and were wooed by Jeff's pics of his rescued pig. (Yes, that's right, Wilma the pig.)

The buzz of a return started earlier this year after Jeff returned from Norway and his posts about the race over there. He denied his desire to return. Then late last week Jeff asked for information on the Volunteer picnic - which is also the first day of sign ups. Immediately he was flooded with posts asking if he was returning. He coyly did not directly answer, but his posts leaned more to suggesting he was just in it for the food, not the race.

Then, at the picnic an announcement was made. Jeff King was one of the 47 mushers who signed up that day to put their bid in for the 2012 Champion. He will join the likes of Mitch and Dallas Seavey, Martin Buser, Lance Mackey, Jim Lanier, Paul Gebhardt, Hugh Neff, John Baker, and DeeDee Jonrowe. All capable in their own rights, all vying for the ultimate prize.

Also returning after hiatus: Rookie Pat Moon who ran the race two years ago but was forced to scratch after his accident along the Dal Zel Gorge in which he was rescued by another musher, and Aaron Burmeister  who retired so that he could be on the inside of Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC) decisions. Team Norway will also be represented this year with Sigrid Ekran. With the price of travel, and the entry fee for the race, going sky high Team Norway had announced last year that they would most likely not make the trip to Alaska again, but it looks like with the entry fee's being lower this year, and the purse higher, at least one of the team will try their luck again.

Mushers have until sometime in December to sign up for the Last Great Race on Earth. Volunteers will begin signing up for the race around that time. Iditarod 40 has already generated a lot of buzz - a lot of it focussed right now on King and the rivalry he and Mackey share - and it looks like it'll be a race to remember.

Iditarod 39: Toni's top 10 to watch!

We're a week away from the beginning of the latest Iditarod. Back are some familiar favorites to the race - at least two who said they were going to sit this one out are back - and all are knocking on the door ready to make history. I was originally going to just do a run down of the key players, and that's basically what this will be, but instead of looking at it clinically I will just go with gut feelings and personal opinion. Mainly because now that there are actual mushers reading this blog, well, I just don't feel qualified to make anything more than that. I don't know what I'm talking about, just know my fansense.

1. Mackey. Lance Mackey, to be exact. He's the reigning four time (consecutively at that, a first in Iditarod history) Iditarod champion. He ran last year's race without using his pain killing meds in order to prove a point - that his drug use was not giving him an advantage - I personally felt it also should have sent him a message that he didn't truly need the drugs, but he disagrees. There's been no big press release explaning what he will do this season, but considering the Iditarod was forthcoming last year saying he would not be affected by the new rules, I assume he's taking them with him this time. He's been battling knee problems, after all. Lance had suggested at the end of the race last year that he wasn't going to run this year, but when it came time to sign up last summer, Mackey was among the few who put their name down. Why should he? He's dominated this sport like no other in recent history. The only thing that will keep this team from winning the fifth consecutive title is Mackey's physical health.

2. Hans Gatt was second place last year, and has been knocking on the door for several years. He had a rough time on the Quest (didn't finish) but that might be a good thing going into the Iditarod. His team will have had just a few more days to recoop from their time on the Yukon. It could also hurt because it could be showing the team's weaknesses. With the random weather we've had again this year, who knows what to expect (the Iron Dog race which starts out following the Iditarod Trail had to stop and restart several times due to weather). Hopefully Gatt and his team still have confidence going into the Iditarod and continue their quest for the championship.

3. Dallas Seavey just won his first major race EVER. While he's been named as the one to watch for several years, he's just now starting to see major wins (or, rather one major win). Dallas is a third generation musher, and knows his stuff. He broke top ten two years ago with a sixth place finish, and last year placed two spots higher than his Iditarod Champion father. He is competitive, has set his goals high (he wants to break Rick Swenson's record of being the youngest champion, and he has three years to accomplish that). He went into the Yukon Quest as a rookie looking for it to be a training run for the Iditarod and ended up winning the whole thing after freak storms and accidents took out the main players. The question now is, can Dallas' team keep that momentum going into the Iditarod and are they capable of winning both (a feat only Lance Mackey has accomplished), or will they be too tired to be competitive for the last great race on earth?

4. Hugh Neff was supposed to with the Quest, but after losing one of his dogs during the Quest and scratching because of it, one has to wonder if Neff will be mentally ready to go up against another formidable race. Last year, the Iditarod accomplished a feat it's been trying for all along - no deaths on the trail. This should come as a comfort to Neff, but at teh same time - it's not a sure thing that it won't happen again. Will Neff be willing to push his team to be competitive or will he be gun shy?

5. Mitch Seavey won the Iditarod in 2004 and has stayed in the top ten ever since. He saw his son pass him and head into Nome ahead of him last year, and he's seeing quite a few new strategies pass him by. I wouldn't count Mitch out yet, though. He's one of those silent types who, at any moment, could come around and surprise us. But it seems that he relies heavily on sticking to his plan, and having others follow it. That's not to say he won't be in the mix or even win the thing again.

6. Paul Gebhardt has been one of the top contenders in the race for years. I honestly can't remember a time when I haven't heard Gebhardt and the Iditarod. He's one of those gotta pull fors because you really do feel that he should win it at least once. Just because he's a great guy, great musher, his dogs are awesome... But something always gets in the way of victory. Still, he's always one of those teams that strong up to the end, and you cannot count him out.

7. Sebastian Schnuelle was supposedly pulling a Jeff King and retiring after last year. Well, the retirement was short lived. He ran a great Quest, though was fouled up when helping other mushers out of the Yukon River, and gave Dallas a run for his money coming in very close behind Dallas (Dallas' team was just out of the finish line chute when Schnuelle's came in). My mom likes him just because of his hair. Go Figure. With King out of the way I see Schnuelle being the team that challenges Mackey's more than anyone else.

8. Dee Dee Jonrowe has an outside shot at a win. She is all over the map in finishes. She was supposed to take over for Susan Butcher as the next lady champion and it hasn't ever happened. Still, she's tough as nails running the Iditarod shortly after battling (and beating!) breast cancer - though afterwards she said it was too soon to come back. Her mom's been foremost in her mind the last couple of years as she battles her own bout of cancer (recurring). Look for her to be top fifteen, but she might get lucky and finally hold off the big boys.

9. Martin Buser hasn't won an Iditarod in a while, but still holds the record for fastest win. He's dedicated to his dogs first, sport second. Happy dogs are the goal for Martin, and he's a fan favorite because of it. But don't think he isn't competitive, he always manages to stay in the thick of things. Martin just has to be willing to push just a little bit harder. This isn't the 90s anymore, he's gotta be willing to play the game a bit differently now.

10. Rick Swenson is looking to see Mackey tie his record five wins. This might be the year that lights a fire under his butt as his "king of the Iditarod" title is now completely in jeopardy (if it wasn't already surpassed after Mackey's history making win last year). It'd be great to see this long ago champion take a whack at a sixth title, but I'm not sure his team is built for the new generation of racing. It's still a team to watch, though, if for no other reason than history.

So who do YOU think/want to win? Be sure to vote in the poll on my blog! (It's to the left of the blog entries)

Iditarod Mushers @ Alaska State Fair (Palmer)

Iditarod Champions Lance Mackey, Martin Buser, Dick Mackey, and Mitch Seavey will be on hand with Dee Dee Jonrowe, Ramey Smyth, Dallas Seavey and Hugh Neff


All will be at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer Alaska this Saturday (September 4th), from 1:30 to 5 pm to spend time with Iditarod Race Fans of all ages. This is a great opportunity for you to get up close and personal with these athletes as they share their stories of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The event takes place at the Borealis Plaza Tent on the green trail at the Alaska State Fair!

Warren Palfrey scrathes.

And then there were twelve. Palfrey is the latest to scratch on the Iditarod trail. It's yet another team that has ended its quest because the "dogs were no longer able to continue to be competitive."

What does that mean? It's not like they were up there with the leaders anyway. So what does it mean to be competitive? Was it the musher who was discouraged because, once again, he paid a boatload of money to run this 10 day race and he wasn't getting anywhere in the standings? Seems a little silly and very anti-mushing.

So is it because teh dogs didn't want to pull/run anymore or because they're ill? In that case he should be commended. At least he didn't go the Ramy Brooks route and try to beat running into the dogs.

Still, it just seems odd - the reasons being given for the scrathes this year.

There are bets beginning on when DeeDee will be forced to scratch, she's still got a third leg to go and she's down to eight dogs. What gives?

Musher's Banquet Tomorrow Night

And the countdown in hours begins. The musher's banquet is the kick off to teh kickoff. Mushers and their families mingle with race fans as they celebrate teh start of another year's race. It also hosts the drawing of the bib numbers determining where a musher will start in the line up. It's a night of celebration, it's low key but exciting none the less.

This year I have the honor of working the sales table at the banquet. Having never attended one before (tickets are rather inexpensive, but parking downtown is a huge pain). I have to admit I'm pretty excited. It'll be the "who's who" of mushcing as all the mushers must be presant that night to draw their number - this also ensures that those that pruchase ticketers rub elbows with "their musher."

In honor of this great tradition - and because I will not have time to blog tomorrow - tonight's blog will spotlight the mushers who are the ones to watch over the next two weeks.

Let's start off with the team favored, by most, to win: Lance Mackey. Mackey is riding high (on most days literally) off of his three consecutive wins. He is part of mushing royalty - his father, Dick Mackey, won the Iditarod in 1979 by a dog's nose, and Mackey's brother Rick is also Iditarod champion. If Lance wins this year he will be the first musher to win four in a row. Lance thrives under the attention he's garnered over the last few years, so winning his fourth is something he wants badly. But, Lance's sason has been pretty rocky. Last summer the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC) announced that they would be enforcing the drug policy on mushers this year. Mackey has been very outspoken - he claims it's because people can't stand him winning all the time - stating that everyone in the state does it (for the record this life time Alaskan has never even entertained the idea of smoking pot, but, whatever, Lance). Lance is a cancer survivor who has a medicinal marajuana license - making it legal for him to use for medical purposes - and the ITC has stated it will not count against him. Mackey has stated he plans to race without his stash. We'll see.

Challenging Lance the past few years is four time Iditarod champion Jeff King. King is said to be the winningest musher in the sport. He's been part of several great rivalries from Susan Butcher to Martin Buser and, now, Lance Mackey. Jeff is a charismatic and innovative musher, much of the equipment (like the 'old man's sled') we see the mushers use out on the trail he has had a hand in improving. King's antics on the trail are also well documented by many reporters, and has helped give him an endearing quality that have race fans cheering him on year after year. Jeff King is well respected and liked by the mushing community and fans alike. He's a stark contrast to Mackey - while both seem to be showmen, Jeff has a sense of humility that Mackey lacks. Jeff gave $50,000 to the ITC with their dwindling funds and has been a champion for the race on and off the trail. King stated early this week that Iditarod 38 may very well be his last, he's sold many of his top dogs and is running a younger more inexperienced team. IF this is his final run down the trail his presence will be truly missed.

Another four time champion in the mix is Swiss born Martin Buser. Buser holds the record finishing time (just under nine days) and would probablybe the musher most likely to win the Mr. Congeniality competition. Buser's reputation is widely known - his dog care is second to none, he's been 'critisized' (for lack of a better word) in teh past for 'babying' his dogs - for Martin the placement is not half as important as the level of fun the dogs are running at. There is, quite possibly, no one else that embodies the Alaskan Dream like Buser. Marting moved from his native Switzerland to run dogs in Alaska in the late 70's. Though he lived in the state for many years before winning his first Iditarod championship in 1992, Buser was (and is) considered the first international musher to win (though three time champion Robert Sorlie actually flies over from Norway to compete.) and was not looked at as "one of us" until teh year his home in Big Lake, Alaska was threatend by forest fires. Fire personel in the area were evacuating everyone from the area, but Buser refused to leave without his dogs - all of them. so, without the help of those evacuating the humans, Buser set out to rescue the entire dog lot. All but two dogs survived (two got loose and ran into the woods and were never returned) and Martin Buser became Alaska's own.

Completing the club of repeat champions entered in race 38 is Rick Swenson. If there's anyone who does not fit the modern stereotype of mushers, it's Swenson. Rick seems more apt to be a linebacker or a blobsledder than a musher, but he's done fairly well. In 1979 he was the second place musher in a photo finish - losing by less than one second to Dick Mackey. Rick is also teh only musher to win five Iditarods. His knowledge of the trail is extensive, and this man from Kotzebue knows how to survive the toughest of conditions. Swenson is best known for his rivalry with the great Susan Butcher, in the 80s it was all about their head to head battles out on the trail. He hasn't quite dominated the sport recently, but he just might have another one left in him.

2004 Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey gave a recent interview stating while he wasn't planning to race into his 80s (he's not close to that anyway) he does plan on winning this year - but what musher doesn't? Mitch is another musher in the Iditarod royalty. His father, Dan Seavey, ran in the first Iditarod coming third, Mitch is the 2004 champion and all of his age elligible sons (and a daughter in law) have run. In 2008, Mitch won the largest purse ever for a sled dog race when he won the All-Alaska Sweepstakes. While most mushers seem to just have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, Mitch has his strategy down to a science. It's almost mathmatical the way that he works. If everything works out to the schedule he plans to run there'll be no stopping him. His dogs are ready, as is he, if he wins it will be a great upset, and one that will have folks talking. It's about time he wins again, right?

Speaking of Seavey's, Mitch's third son Dallas is hitting the trail once again. Dallas came in sixth last year after a near flawless run. It was the highest placement for the musher yet, and he is well on his way to his goal of becoming the youngest Iditarod champion. Dallas is already the youngest musher to finish the race, he was just 18 years old - he turned 18 the day before the race, meaning he pretty much owns the title of youngest finisher for the rest of time. Dallas's momentum after the Iditarod was stopped abruptly this summer with the loss of his prized lead dog Fridge. Dallas worked hard with the young dog, especially after Fridge washed out of Mitch's team (Fridge and Mitch's personality's didn't click). When not training Fridge co-starred in Dallas's Wildride Sled Dog Rodeo in Anchorage, Alaska showing tourists and Alaskans alike the intricasy of training a lead dog. Even with the horrible setback of losing a close friend on the trail, Dallas is hard working and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him just as high or higher in the standings this time around.

Sentimental favorite DeeDee Jonrowe has never won the Iditarod though she's been in it as long as most of the old dogs. She's a cancer survivor and was looked at as the next woman in line to win the thing. So far she hasn't come through on the championship, but she's come darn close. DeeDee is still considered to be a champion among women, and has been the inspiration for many young girls looking to get into the sport. She loves her dogs, and she loves to run, and she's passionate about the race. She proudly wears pink in honor of breast cancer awareness and is one of those you feel compelled to cheer for. Will she be in contention for the championship? Anything is possible.

Other mushers to note that could pull out a spoiler are mushers like Zack Steer (who is being sponsored by the US Census Bureau), John Baker, Paul Gebhardt, and Sebastian Schnuelle. All I can say is it's going to be a GREAT RACE. stay tuned.

Photography by Antonia Reitter