Iditarod Sled Dog Race

[Zpanther]

Dunno if anyone here is a Sled Dog Race fan, but the biggest of 'em all ..... 'The Iditarod'..... starts on March 4th. I've been following the race for several years now. The dog teams travel over 1,000 miles in Alaska and it takes about 10 days to 2 weeks.

Those dogs are amazing! ..... and the mushers are quite the bunch of characters.

.........................

[Zifnab]

Dunno if anyone here is a Sled Dog Race fan, but the biggest of 'em all ..... 'The Iditarod'..... starts on March 4th. I've been following the race for several years now. The dog teams travel over 1,000 miles in Alaska and it takes about 10 days to 2 weeks.

Those dogs are amazing! ..... and the mushers are quite the bunch of characters.

...............

How is the weather this year? it was a bit warm a few years ago wasn't it?

[Zpanther]

How is the weather this year? it was a bit warm a few years ago wasn't it?

Not too bad this year. It was real cold earlier, but it seems about normal for this time of year now. It changes as they go up and over the mountain ranges and then again when they reach the Yukon, and then one more time when they make the last run up the coast to Nome.

[MCat]

Hank and I like to watch it on TV....I love seeing how well they care for those dogs. It would be so cool to see part of it in person someday.

[Norfolkdave]

Something we dont have in this country, simply because of the weather pattern, but we have a few races in Thetford Forest nothing compared with you guys, and I cant get oit on Sky TV either. It would be nice to watch as I think thats a good sport.

[Cotties]

I see this female musher champion all the time on my cable T.V. She's like a 5 minute filler between shows.. Whats her name and is she running?
I do love the packs of dogs and their hierarchy

[Zpanther]

I see this female musher champion all the time on my cable T.V. She's like a 5 minute filler between shows.. Whats her name and is she running?
I do love the packs of dogs and their hierarchy

There are several female mushers that are contenders Cotties. Deedee Jonrowe is probably the most famous of the active mushers. She's about 50 years old and is recovering from cancer...... and STILL mushes her dog team over the hundreds of miles. She's an amazing woman! There are 2 or 3 others that will be contenders, including a young woman named Jessica Royer that has a chance to win it. She's a Montana girl, so I'm kind of partial to her. Some of the grizzled old veterens are quite the characters too. Doug Swingley (another Montanan) dominated the race for a few years, pretty much like Lance Armstrong did the Tour de France. But in the last few years the race has been dominated by a Norweigan team and Bjornar Andersen will be running their team again this year.

They don't show it on tv until after the race, but it's fun to follow it online at the Cabela's website. They have regular updates every hour or so on the progress of the dog teams.

[spare_change]

From 1970 to 1975, I was stationed at Elmendorf AFB, in Anchorage - where the race "starts". I worked part time for a bush pilot and professional hunting/fishing guide. Each year, during the Iditarod, we would fly supply flights to the various waypoints. One year, because there was a crust of ice on the snow, they put out a request for "mittens" to be sewed that would cover the dogs' feet. Every little old lady in Alaska must have started sewing -- they ended up with over 31,000 -- yes, thousand -- pairs of dog mittens (for about 400 dogs!).

It is unquestionably the most grueling, most amazing, feat -- the dogs are amazing animals, running day and night. It even gets to the point where the musher will crawl into the sled, nap, and the dogs will just run. The mushers are also unique, but more than that, I think they are crazy -- lol. A friend of mine, Susan Butcher, was the first woman to win the Iditarod, and won it three times. She won't be racing this year, because she has cancer.

Most people don't realize just how vast and unexplored this area is. Once they leave Wasilla (the real start), they head into real life, honest to god, wilderness. There is one stretch of 650 miles in which they do not even cross a road! If you want to be inspired by the human spirit, watch this race.

[upstr84u]

what is the payout - sponser - is it for the cash or the race itself?

[Zpanther]

what is the payout - sponser - is it for the cash or the race itself?

Total payout is expected to be approximately $835,000 this year. Entry fee is $1,850. Winner should get around $100,000 plus a new pickup truck.

(They still have the booty brigade Spare)

[Barkiss]

You guys have me all fired up now...do you know what network is covering it?

[Zpanther]

The Outdoor Life Network has the film rights ..... but they won't be showing any segments until it's over ...... on March 18th.
................................
They have updates every hour or two both there and on the Iditarod website. There are pics of the dog teams and mushers. Just click on the current update once it starts on 5 March. You can also click on the musher name and it will give you a little biography and usually their personal website.

As Spare says, these folks are the Legends of the North. Rugged individuals that don't just race dogs once in awhile. They live the lifestyle year round. The dogs are amazing. They're bred to live to run. There will be somewhere around 70 teams that will start the race.... It's a staggered start. Those dogs can run 6 to 10 miles an hour for 6 to 10 hours with 4 or 5 hours sleep in between.... braving rugged mountains, steep gorges, monotonous miles up or down the mighty Yukon river, bitter cold, disease, dangerous wild animals, and finally the windswept coast as they will their weary bodies toward Nome and the finish.

[surfnchat]

Any chance at starting a Fantasy Sled Dog league? I'm getting the shakes waiting for football season. :D

[Cotties]

How are your Montana guys fielding Z.P?

[Seeker]

Indeed a TRUE contest! This is one of the most amazing races ever! It is a shame that it is not more widely covered by the media!

[Zpanther]

Went to see a movie that just came out named 'Eight Below.' I'm not much of a movie fan, but this is a good one. It's based on a true story about a dog team that has to be abondoned by scientists in Antarctica ........ and how they survive on their own. Great movie for kids too! Lady P and I both loved it!

[Zpanther]

Been busy following the Iditarod. I love this race. It's only 3 days into a 10 day race and already one female musher scratched after breaking her ribs after bouncing off trees and having to retrieve her sled from the bottom of a gorge. The wolves stole some of the teams dogfood at one of the checkpoints. A leading contender (out of the 84 teams that started) hit a tree and his team ran off with his sled. They found his team and sled 9 miles away and another contenstant gave him a ride and he's back in the race. The Norweigan team to beat got lost and lost over and hour on the trail. They've completed about 400 miles of the 1100 they have to go and there are still 20 teams within an hour of the lead.

...........................

[Wyvern75]

Being a native Texan and not much into cold weather sports, the Iditarod is fascinating, from a historical/traditional thing. I am glad there are people who love to do the dog sled thing and that there are some of them that are good enough and crazy enough to go that distance and in those conditions. But if it weren't for the snow and cold, I am not sure they could get 20 miles through parts of Alaska.

But then I also enjoy watching the people hitching up teams of oxen, mules and horses and doing the old farm chores and such with that animal power. These people also live the life, as you have to train the animals every day and you have to stay trained. There are times when I wish I had the means (land, and money) to do that.

I wish they bothered to write about it in the papers down here, but that might be asking too much. I will keep an eye out for the Outdoor Channel broadcast of the event.

[Annie]

I just heard on the news that one of the dogs passed away today. They think it might have been due to pneumonia. This is sad, I don't ever remember hearing of that happening before! Those dogs are extremely well taken care of.

[woody9340]

This is flirting?

[spare_change]

This is flirting?


Clearly, you have never dated a sled dog!!!

[Cotties]

I hear they'll snug up to anyone on a cold night.Clearly, you have never dated a sled dog!!!

[spare_change]

I hear they'll snug up to anyone on a cold night.

She did.

[tiger50]

She did.

hmmmmmmmmmmmm :sc

[Zpanther]

Been watchin' the race........... and it's the best one in years. Couple more days to go, but just about everything that could happen has this year. The 2 best Mushers in the last 20 years or so are neck and neck going into the last 300 miles.

[Jy]

Someone just told me how this race got started; how it's the trail that mushers took to deliver medicine to Nome back in the 1920's! Wow! What a fascinating history!

[Zpanther]

Finally over........ very good race again. Those people and dogs are amazing!

[lovemakenman]

Well I am just trying to post as many as I can. So how are you all doing

[Cotties]

I would have liked a bit more commentry from you Z.P


maybe next year................ so who won and how many people or dogs died?
Finally over........ very good race again. Those people and dogs are amazing!

[Cotties]

I'm doing good LMM


are you enjoying posting?
Well I am just trying to post as many as I can. So how are you all doing

[lovemakenman]

Vary hard race I would not want to do it

[Zpanther]

I would have liked a bit more commentry from you Z.P


maybe next year................ so who won and how many people or dogs died?

Very tough trail this year. Lot of drifted snow and temps got down to over 50 below zero Fahrenheit (no, not wind chill..... -50) for a lot of the race. Jeff King won his 4th Race..... first since the 90's. It was a 10 day duel between Jeff and Doug Swingley. Amazing what those dog teams are capable of. What I liked about this race is the top 4 or 5 teams were all over 50 years old. What other professional sport are the top perfomers over 50. DeeDee Jonrow is also over 50. She's been racing since 1980 and finished 4th this year...... she's recovering from breast cancer.

[lovemakenman]

Did you enjoy it.

[Zpanther]

Did you enjoy it.

I always enjoy it. I admire those 'Legends of the North.' Rugged individuals that brave some extreme elements for over 1,100 miles. There are about 30 teams that enter the race to run it just for the experience and then the others are competitive. Three dogs died this year, but none of them were in the leading teams that were pushing for the win. When dogs die in that race it's almost never because they are overtired or have received poor care. Dogs die every day just like people do and they don't live as long as we do. These folks love their dogs and those dogs 'live to run.'

[sweetgapeach]

I always enjoy it. I admire those 'Legends of the North.' Rugged individuals that brave some extreme elements for over 1,100 miles. There are about 30 teams that enter the race to run it just for the experience and then the others are competitive. Three dogs died this year, but none of them were in the leading teams that were pushing for the win. When dogs die in that race it's almost never because they are overtired or have received poor care. Dogs die every day just like people do and they don't live as long as we do. These folks love their dogs and those dogs 'live to run.'


Do you ever feel sorry for those dogs ?

[Zpanther]

Do you ever feel sorry for those dogs ?

Never! Those are probably the happiest most well cared for dogs anywhere. They just love running the race and they love the training. In fact they get bored if they don't get to go for a long run regularly. They run for 40 to 80 miles, rest for 6 hours and are eager to go again.

[Cotties]

If this breed of dog was locked in a back yard I might feel sorry for it.

As Z.P has stated. these dogs were born to run in packs. it makes their world.

Its great how they need to pair them up{the dogs running side by side}. This I hear makes or breaks a good teamDo you ever feel sorry for those dogs ?

[spare_change]

The winners are all in, and the money divided. But .......

There was a young lady named Rachel Scdoris. She finished 57th, about two days behind the winner. She brought all her dogs in, not losing a one. This was her first Iditarod.

But .....

Rachel covered 1049 miles of absolute wilderness, a place where if you get off the trail you can die, and a trail that has claimed its fair share of victims. She trained all her dogs herself. She made it. Rachel turned 21 on Saturday.

Oh, by the way, Rachel is legally blind -- 20-200 in each eye. She can only make out vague shapes at 10 feet, and is extremely sensitive to light. I don't know how she did it -- but that is absolutely the most incredible feat I have ever heard of.

If you want a hero for your kids, I recommend Rachel.

[Cotties]

a champion....


wonderful story Spare
The winners are all in, and the money divided. But .......

There was a young lady named Rachel Scdoris. She finished 57th, about two days behind the winner. She brought all her dogs in, not losing a one. This was her first Iditarod.

But .....

Rachel covered 1049 miles of absolute wilderness, a place where if you get off the trail you can die, and a trail that has claimed its fair share of victims. She trained all her dogs herself. She made it. Rachel turned 21 on Saturday.

Oh, by the way, Rachel is legally blind -- 20-200 in each eye. She can only make out vague shapes at 10 feet, and is extremely sensitive to light. I don't know how she did it -- but that is absolutely the most incredible feat I have ever heard of.

If you want a hero for your kids, I recommend Rachel.

[Annie]

The winners are all in, and the money divided. But .......

There was a young lady named Rachel Scdoris. She finished 57th, about two days behind the winner. She brought all her dogs in, not losing a one. This was her first Iditarod.

But .....

Rachel covered 1049 miles of absolute wilderness, a place where if you get off the trail you can die, and a trail that has claimed its fair share of victims. She trained all her dogs herself. She made it. Rachel turned 21 on Saturday.

Oh, by the way, Rachel is legally blind -- 20-200 in each eye. She can only make out vague shapes at 10 feet, and is extremely sensitive to light. I don't know how she did it -- but that is absolutely the most incredible feat I have ever heard of.

If you want a hero for your kids, I recommend Rachel.

She did it by the grace of God and some incredible dogs! I can't imagine any other way. I saw her on tv, I think it was Good Morning America before the start. Isn't she amazing!