CEREMONIAL START OF THE IDITAROD DOG SLED RACE 2024

MARCH 2, 2024. 

WELCOME again this year to the IDITAROD. Hopefully, my info will be different from other years as I know that can get less exciting. I will start with general information:

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA ON MARCH 2, 2024 is a sunny 9 degrees. It looks like snow on the streets yet that could be snow brought in. The beginning of winter, the snows were early and frequent. THEN approx 2 weeks ago the rains came and did a number on the snow coat. Let's hope the undercoat survived and the trails will be snow covered.

This year there are 39 mushers. I'm sad MARTIN BUSER will not be running this year. My "money" will be on JESSIE ROYER#20. She has come so close and someone I met and enjoyed. A familiar name, DALLAS SEAVEY #7 will try for his 6th win and JASON MACKEY #19 (son of LANCE MACKEY a favorite of many, 4 time winner who died in 2022).

The race is made up of many volunteers. Hank and I volunteered for many years and enjoyed each and every time. So much fun being part of it. One can volunteer in many areas as:ceremonial start, trail positions, Willow restart, Nome, trail crew, checkpoint time keepers, checkers, trail breakers, dog handlers, vet assistants, finish line assistants, host families for mushers. I have made this extensive list with the hope some of you may find an interest and participate. You would certainly be part of an exciting adventure.

This year the race with take the NORTHERN ROUTE, pictured here.

At the CEREMONIAL START an IDITAROD RIDER will ride 11 miles with a MUSHER. You can become an Iditarod Rider with a bid at an auction the week before. The money is used to offset expenses for the race. The top 20 finishers receive money which helps mushers get teams home.  The 11 miles is to a park outside Anchorage. The mushers then pack up for the trip to WILLOW (53 miles)where the Official start is tomorrow. 

Each year a TEACHER ON THE TRAIL is chosen from many applicants across the country. This year the 25thTeacher is KATE NEWMYER, a 5th grade teacher from Clear Creek, TEXAS. She teachers language arts and social studies. She has a husband and two teenagers, a cattle dog GUS, cat ED and a snake. She is a weaver a voracious reader. She has a one year tenure beg in July. She has 2 masters degrees in education and is anxious to be part of the program.                                                                                  The Teaching program goes well beyond the traditional classroom walls via internet and being involved in a project that reaches worldwide. 

Each musher must stop and check in at each checkpoint. Vets are also there to check the dogs at each stop. If a dog is unfit, tired or cannot continue they are "dropped" and volunteer Air Force flies them to Anchorage. They are handed over to Vets there and held to the end of the race when the musher comes to pick them up.

There are certain strict rules in the race. Mushers MUST carry cold water, sleeping bag, axe, snowshoes, fuel, cooker and pot, dog booties and harnesses, promotional material, some carry books for children in the villages. Rule #13 is a musher MUST sign in and out to start and complete all mandatory stops.

This is a 1,000 mile run to NOME. It can be grueling, exhilarating, challenging, fun, with breathtaking views and perhaps an aurora. These mushers seem to come back every year so there must be some "pull" in their being to be part of an exciting and rewarding adventure with 14 of the most athletic, dedicated and heroic dogs one can find. 

Now that you have the info, let's get started. I will show you a few pics of the ceremonial start but will concentrate on the official start tomorrow in WILLOW, ALASKA

Excited dogs

Musher with an Iditarod Rider

                                              TILL TOMORROW- SUNDAY