MARCH 5, 2022
Today is the ceremonial start of the 50th IDITAROD from 4th Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska
This morning in Anchorage it was warm, in the 30's and blue sky. By race time, it was snowing hard and continued throughout the start. Apparently there is a lot of snow on the trails which is good and bad. Good for the sleds and dogs and bad because there will be a lot of moose on the trail. Rather than trudge through the deep snow they like a nice groomed trail. I did hear talk from the mushers that it was a "hard winter".
At the ceremonial start each musher with his dogs and Iditarider(from a paid lottery drawing get to ride in the sled with the musher to a point outside Anchorage) are introduced and ride to this point outside Anchorage. It's a fund raiser. Looks like such fun. Sorry I never did it.
This year there are 50 mushers. They are such a diverse group--You can meet some of them.
LEV SHVARTS - born in Ukraine. He studied Electrical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon.
RYAN REDINGTON--his grandfather was RAY REDINGTON a musher who started the IDITAROD.
BRENT SASS--a very serious musher. He said he is in it to win it!!He did win the Yukon Quest race this year. He is a real woodsman living off the grid. He came in 3rd last year.
DAN KADUCE--Last year ran into a herd of bison at Buffalo Tunnel. Appropriate.
MITCH SEAVEY--DALLAS SEAVEY'S DAD. Took a year off last year and now has a new team and is all refreshed to go. Hank and I spent some time with him during one of the races. He had some problems and had to stay in one of the checkpoints for sometime. It happened to be where Hank and I were volunteering.
AMANDA OTTO -She is running Jeff King's A team as Jeff is taking Nic Petit's team (Nic tested positive for COVID.)AMANDA'S DAD is JIM OTTO He is in the Football Hall of Fame playing center for the Oakland Raiders in the late 70's.
MILLE PORSLID --from Denmark. She is very well liked by the fans. This is her 3rd Iditarod. Last year came in 5th.
RYNE OLSON-- Has a herd of reindeer that she keeps on her land along with her dogs.
BRIDGETT WATKINS -- is the daughter of ALLEN MOORE, a musher. She the stepdaughter of ALIY ZIRKLE.
PETE KAISER -- In the summer is an intense fisherman. Many fans like him. He won the IDITAROD in 2019.
MARTIN BUSER--my friend and favorite, has run the most IDITARODS and for 9 years had the fastest time.
APAYAUQ REITAN -- is from KAKTOVIK, ALASKA the farthest north one can live in Alaska. Her family runs polar bear tours. They will return home by dog sled. They are planning on a month to get there.
MATT PAVEGLIO -- Is an ER nurse and is carrying his Mothers ashes with him to spread on the trail.
YUKA HONDA -- studied Agricultural Physics in Japan.
HUGH NEFF ---#50, last in line but a real champion. He finished 15 Iditarods and in 2018 came in 5th.He wears his red top hat from "Cat in the Hat" spreading fun and books along the way. As I previously said, he came to Poughkeepsie a few years ago to speak to an elementary school class.
DALLAS SEAVEY- took last year off and is in to win for his 5th time this year.
up and spreading snow on 4th avenue. There is a lot of snow but plowed off the main streets for traffic, reason to bring in some to spread for the sleds.
First sled out at 2pm (EST).
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