The Iditarod (aka I'rod) will start a week from now, and a lot of preliminary stuff is happening before the mushers hit the trail. Veterinarians are hustling to draw blood and complete the lab work and perform EKGs on each of the dogs that will be racing. Mushers and their dog handlers are hustling tither and fro to finish all those last minute details that never seem to end until the very last minute.
Trail conditions are not very good this year. Snow is sparse, especially in the Mat-Su Valley and the stretch between Rainy Pass and the checkpoint of Rohn is in abysmal condition, nearly barren of snow. In light of the trail conditions Ed Stielstra has elected to withdraw rather than subject his team of young dogs to trail conditions for which they haven't been trained. Unlike the Yukon Quest, I'rod mushers can switch sleds along the way and those with the means have shipped additional sleds to staging areas along the trail, particularly to Rohn or McGrath, anticipating broken equipment on that bare stretch.
70 mushers have signed up for this year's race, and by my own count at least 30 have the experience and quality of teams to win, depending on the vagaries of Lady Luck and, of course, the conditions of the trail and weather.
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
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Swanny1790
- Posts: 571
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:27 pm
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Looking forward to hearing your updates, Swanny. 
You must have been working very hard - not heard from you for a week or so. (I'm supposed to be working now 
) Is the I'rod the last in this season?
You must have been working very hard - not heard from you for a week or so. (I'm supposed to be working now ) Is the I'rod the last in this season?A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
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OnceInAWeil
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:20 pm
- Location: AZ, USA
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Your posts are always so educational, Swanny.
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
I'm looking forward to the coverage from Swanny perspective too.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
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Swanny1790
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Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
I think the Iditarod will be a very interesting race this year. In order to make a passable trail heavy equipment is being used to crush ice on some of the river trails that mushers will be traveling the first day of the race. There are stretches of trail that are always difficult, and will be made even more so by the lack of snow. I just checked the weather forecasts for McGrath and Galena and there isn't much hope for improvement over the next week.
Early on, the front runners will have a clear advantage, especially over those barren stretches. Every sled has both a drag mat and a claw brake so every sled contributes to churning up the snow (or frozen dirt), degrading the trail for following teams. In a normal year that isn't much of an issue, but when there isn't much snow to begin with it makes for a more challenging trail for the slower teams that follow. Some of the best teams will be among those slower followers.
There seems to be two different approaches to winning the Iditarod, and each has seen success depending upon conditions and of course, fate. Martin Buser, Robert Sorlie and a few others take the "faster is better" approach. Running teams that consist of Eurohounds or similar dogs, they run FAST between checkpoints, and then take long rests before dashing off on another sprint. I chose both Martin and Robert as examples because they have both won the race using that strategy in the past. When it works it's an awesome thing to see, but when it doesn't work it is equally awesome. Last year Martin commanded the race by a large margin for the first 400 miles, but then his dogs essentially quit on him. He had to drop some key team members and though he did finish, it was a painfully slow jog across the rest of the trail.
The other approach is considerably slower, but also steadier. These slower teams rarely run much more than 8 to 10 miles per hour, but on the other hand they rarely run much slower than 8 to 10 miles per hour. They take shorter rest breaks between runs. The goal is to keep the energy level up through the entire race and having a team capable of doing extra-long runs if necessary. That strategy is essentially the "tried and true" in the I'rod and it works as seen by Lance Mackey and Mitch Seavey's victories.
If I were running the race, and had my choice of teams to choose from, I would lean toward the latter. In most endeavors, it can be said that "slow is smooth, and smooth is fast". A more conservative approach, especially on a nasty trail, means you break less stuff (all dogs always break things on the trail). Nicholas Petit has been training his team specifically to run 8 mph all season, expecting the trail conditions to be poor based on the conditions of his "home" trails. He's publicly stated that he'll be running his hard-charging fast leaders back in the team and using slower leaders up front early in the race, to control the speed until he feels more speed is needed.
I believe this year's race will go to the smartest musher, rather than the fastest. That doesn't make it easier to predict a winner, though. They are ALL smart mushers or they wouldn't have qualified to run the race.
So, who do I favor this year? Hmmmm.
Well, Aliy Zirkle is top of my favorites list, but that's mostly a personal bias. She's a good friend and mentor so my feelings need to be tempered with a grain or two of salt. However, she is just as driven as her dogs, she's taken second place two years in a row, both in very close races. She lost to Dallas Seavey in 2012 and to Mitch Seavey (Dallas' father) last year. She'll be running many of the same dogs that her husband, Allen Moore, ran to win this year's Yukon Quest so they are exceptionally well conditioned and race proven. It's been shown that during long distance races the teams just keep getting stronger and stronger, and the limit to that hasn't yet been found, so she certainly has a good a chance as anyone else out there.
Then there are, of course, Mitch and Dallas Seavey. When Dallas won the race many of the dogs on his teams were culled from his dad's "A-team". That didn't slow him much. Dallas is GREAT when it comes to training both his dogs and himself. He's probably the most athletic racer in the field, though Allen Moore comes pretty darned close in that department. So does Aliy as far as that goes. They know their dogs, they know this race course, and they have both proved they know how to win. I'd hate to see it, though. Both tend to be rather insufferably pompous when they do well (sigh). I guess it's a family trait.
John Baker, an Inupiat Eskimo from Kotzebue, is another former champion to watch. His race will drive you to boredom during the first 3/4, until he pulls out the stops and charges over the Yukon River, across the Kaltag Portage and especially along the coast. That's his "home turf" and he's most expert at running dogs on those coastal conditions. He's not so afraid of sea ice as the others and knows how to use the unpredictable and usually ugly coastal weather to his advantage.
Of course Jeff King can't be discounted. A four-time champion of the race who has been spending most of the winter training on the Denali Highway (closed to cars during winter) he's been clocking the miles and working with his dogs each and every day. He has avoided the preliminary races this year, though his handlers have been doing well in them. He's one of the smart ones and he usually does well in difficult conditions.
I have to dash off and prepare for work. I'll try to share more later on when I get off duty.
Early on, the front runners will have a clear advantage, especially over those barren stretches. Every sled has both a drag mat and a claw brake so every sled contributes to churning up the snow (or frozen dirt), degrading the trail for following teams. In a normal year that isn't much of an issue, but when there isn't much snow to begin with it makes for a more challenging trail for the slower teams that follow. Some of the best teams will be among those slower followers.
There seems to be two different approaches to winning the Iditarod, and each has seen success depending upon conditions and of course, fate. Martin Buser, Robert Sorlie and a few others take the "faster is better" approach. Running teams that consist of Eurohounds or similar dogs, they run FAST between checkpoints, and then take long rests before dashing off on another sprint. I chose both Martin and Robert as examples because they have both won the race using that strategy in the past. When it works it's an awesome thing to see, but when it doesn't work it is equally awesome. Last year Martin commanded the race by a large margin for the first 400 miles, but then his dogs essentially quit on him. He had to drop some key team members and though he did finish, it was a painfully slow jog across the rest of the trail.
The other approach is considerably slower, but also steadier. These slower teams rarely run much more than 8 to 10 miles per hour, but on the other hand they rarely run much slower than 8 to 10 miles per hour. They take shorter rest breaks between runs. The goal is to keep the energy level up through the entire race and having a team capable of doing extra-long runs if necessary. That strategy is essentially the "tried and true" in the I'rod and it works as seen by Lance Mackey and Mitch Seavey's victories.
If I were running the race, and had my choice of teams to choose from, I would lean toward the latter. In most endeavors, it can be said that "slow is smooth, and smooth is fast". A more conservative approach, especially on a nasty trail, means you break less stuff (all dogs always break things on the trail). Nicholas Petit has been training his team specifically to run 8 mph all season, expecting the trail conditions to be poor based on the conditions of his "home" trails. He's publicly stated that he'll be running his hard-charging fast leaders back in the team and using slower leaders up front early in the race, to control the speed until he feels more speed is needed.
I believe this year's race will go to the smartest musher, rather than the fastest. That doesn't make it easier to predict a winner, though. They are ALL smart mushers or they wouldn't have qualified to run the race.
So, who do I favor this year? Hmmmm.
Well, Aliy Zirkle is top of my favorites list, but that's mostly a personal bias. She's a good friend and mentor so my feelings need to be tempered with a grain or two of salt. However, she is just as driven as her dogs, she's taken second place two years in a row, both in very close races. She lost to Dallas Seavey in 2012 and to Mitch Seavey (Dallas' father) last year. She'll be running many of the same dogs that her husband, Allen Moore, ran to win this year's Yukon Quest so they are exceptionally well conditioned and race proven. It's been shown that during long distance races the teams just keep getting stronger and stronger, and the limit to that hasn't yet been found, so she certainly has a good a chance as anyone else out there.
Then there are, of course, Mitch and Dallas Seavey. When Dallas won the race many of the dogs on his teams were culled from his dad's "A-team". That didn't slow him much. Dallas is GREAT when it comes to training both his dogs and himself. He's probably the most athletic racer in the field, though Allen Moore comes pretty darned close in that department. So does Aliy as far as that goes. They know their dogs, they know this race course, and they have both proved they know how to win. I'd hate to see it, though. Both tend to be rather insufferably pompous when they do well (sigh). I guess it's a family trait.
John Baker, an Inupiat Eskimo from Kotzebue, is another former champion to watch. His race will drive you to boredom during the first 3/4, until he pulls out the stops and charges over the Yukon River, across the Kaltag Portage and especially along the coast. That's his "home turf" and he's most expert at running dogs on those coastal conditions. He's not so afraid of sea ice as the others and knows how to use the unpredictable and usually ugly coastal weather to his advantage.
Of course Jeff King can't be discounted. A four-time champion of the race who has been spending most of the winter training on the Denali Highway (closed to cars during winter) he's been clocking the miles and working with his dogs each and every day. He has avoided the preliminary races this year, though his handlers have been doing well in them. He's one of the smart ones and he usually does well in difficult conditions.
I have to dash off and prepare for work. I'll try to share more later on when I get off duty.
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
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Swanny1790
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Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
I only have a few minutes this morning, but here are some more mushers worthy of our attention in this year's I'rod.
Ken Anderson has been racing the I'rod for a decade or so, and has been steadily improving throughout. He runs some pretty traditional Alaskan huskies and tends to run them conservatively. He had a young team in the Yukon Quest and basically just eased them up the trail - using the Quest as a training run. Given the trail conditions this year, his cautious approach to racing could pay off with a very high finish, maybe even a win.
Jake Berkowitz is definitely a musher to watch on the trail. He ran his first I'rod in 2006, running a "puppy team" for a well established kennel. In 2008, again running another musher's "B-team", Jake finished the race with all 16 of the dogs that started still on the gangline, a feat that has only been accomplished 4 times in the 41 year history of the race. He has gone on to establish his own "Apex Kennels" and has been doing well on the trails. He has adopted the "Alaskan lifestyle" lock, stock and barrel and is very popular up here.
Aaron Burmeister is a second generation I'rod musher. He grew up in Nome and has been running dogs his entire life. Running his inexperienced dogs last year, Aaron placed 11th and he's confident he'll do even better now that his pups have seen the trail and know the routine.
Hans Gatt has come out of retirement to run this year's race and it's exciting to see him do so. He says this year's team is the best he's ever seen, and he's seen a lot. He's a three-time Yukon Quest champion and has consistently placed in the top-10 finishers, always with the same dogs he ran in the Quest just a few weeks before. He earns his living building dog sleds and providing teams, training and coaching for sled dog racing "wannabes".
I'm out of time again (sorry). I need to shower, shave and put on the "monkey suit" for another day protecting the "assets" from the ravages of crime, terrorism and disease.
Ken Anderson has been racing the I'rod for a decade or so, and has been steadily improving throughout. He runs some pretty traditional Alaskan huskies and tends to run them conservatively. He had a young team in the Yukon Quest and basically just eased them up the trail - using the Quest as a training run. Given the trail conditions this year, his cautious approach to racing could pay off with a very high finish, maybe even a win.
Jake Berkowitz is definitely a musher to watch on the trail. He ran his first I'rod in 2006, running a "puppy team" for a well established kennel. In 2008, again running another musher's "B-team", Jake finished the race with all 16 of the dogs that started still on the gangline, a feat that has only been accomplished 4 times in the 41 year history of the race. He has gone on to establish his own "Apex Kennels" and has been doing well on the trails. He has adopted the "Alaskan lifestyle" lock, stock and barrel and is very popular up here.
Aaron Burmeister is a second generation I'rod musher. He grew up in Nome and has been running dogs his entire life. Running his inexperienced dogs last year, Aaron placed 11th and he's confident he'll do even better now that his pups have seen the trail and know the routine.
Hans Gatt has come out of retirement to run this year's race and it's exciting to see him do so. He says this year's team is the best he's ever seen, and he's seen a lot. He's a three-time Yukon Quest champion and has consistently placed in the top-10 finishers, always with the same dogs he ran in the Quest just a few weeks before. He earns his living building dog sleds and providing teams, training and coaching for sled dog racing "wannabes".
I'm out of time again (sorry). I need to shower, shave and put on the "monkey suit" for another day protecting the "assets" from the ravages of crime, terrorism and disease.
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
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Swanny1790
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Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Some more contenders before I rack out. It was a long and "interesting" day on the job.
Paul Gebhardt is one of those guys who are easily overlooked, but that can be a mistake if you are competing. This will be Paul's 18th trip from Willow to Nome, and he's placed as high as 2nd in the past. He lives in Kasilof, on the Kenai Peninsula and his training trails have been in better shape than most.
Cancer survivor DeeDee Jonrowe is extremely popular in Alaska. She has been running the race since, well, since Moses was in diapers at least. OK, maybe not quite that long. Her first race was in 1980, back in the days when men were men and women were winning the Iditarod. She is a true contemporary of Libby Riddles and Susan Butcher. She has 16 top-ten finishes on her record. She can be described as "Alaska's Sweetheart" and her dogs are usually rock solid.
I think Sonny Linder has a good chance to be a 'dark horse' in this year's race. Sonny has been running the race off and on even before DeeDee, since 1978. I just 'happen' to know that he's been buying entire teams of competitive dogs over the past three or four years, the latest just this winter when one of our neighbors decided to retire from racing. I've been seeing, and being passed by, his dogs all winter long as he and his grown son and daughter have all been working them hard in preparation. There is a rumor floating about that he has some additional training help this year from the only 5-time champion of the race, Rick Swensen. That's only a rumor, but it's plausible as the two men have been friends for decades and Rick doesn't have a team entered this year. He's an old guy, but a smart and tough old guy who knows what he and his dogs can do. He'll race smart and I think we're likely to see a pretty great performance from them.
Allen Moore and Hugh Neff are both entered in this year's Iditarod. Allen will be running the SP Kennel "B" team while his wife, Aliy Zirkle will be racing to win with the same superstars that just won the Quest. Hugh took second in the Quest, but by a wide margin and only because of some back luck for Brent Sass. Hugh's aggressive racing style isn't well suited to this year's trail conditions. He'll probably finish in the top 20, maybe in the top-10, but I can't pick him to win it this year. His time is coming, though.
Nicholas Petit is also an experience racer with a competitive team. He's already announced his intention to run his slowest leaders during the first half of the race, reserving his hard driving lead dogs for better trail conditions up the trail. He's also one of those staging several extra sleds along the route, in case he and his dogs break things to the point of being beyond repair.
The Smyth brothers, Cim and Ramey, are both contenders. Both literally grew up on dog sleds, helping their parents Bud Smyth and Lolly Medley prepare for THEIR races "back in the day". Both are noted to be particularly strong finishers logging the fastest times between the last checkpoint (Safety) and finish line in Nome. If they are within two hours of the leader at Safety, you can bet it will be a serious dash for the cash to Nome.
Robert Sorlie, from Hurdal, Norway, is the only 'foreigner' to win the race - and he did that twice. He's been off the Iditarod trail for the past 6 years because it's so expensive, but he's back this year for another go at it. The trail conditions aren't real great for his high-speed Eurohounds, but if he can keep his team together for the first half of the race those high-speed Eurohounds can make up a LOT of ground. His challenge, like Martin Buser, will be to keep his team under control and his speed down until they finally find some decent snow covered trails to run on.
My choice for "Rookie of the Year" is Abbie West, a neighbor and friend from Two Rivers. Although it's her first I'rod, Abbie has three Yukon Quests under her runners and multiple middle distance races. Her "Cosmic Canines" are primarily from bush village lines from the Yukon Flats region. I have one dog from her kennel, Aumaruq, on my own team. His smaller siblings are perfectly suited for long-distance racing and I Abbie is very good at getting optimal performance from them. I think she'll be the fastest rookie over the trail, and may even be able to break into the top-10.
There are 4 teams of Siberian Huskies in this year's I'rod, plus a team that is a mix of Sibes and Alaskans. Sibe teams are Karen Ramstead from Alberta, Canada, Mike Ellis & Lisbet Norris from Alaska, and Yvonne Dabakk who is coming all the way from Norway complete with her dogs. The mixed team belongs to Lev Shvarts from Willow, Alaska.
I don't know Lisbet, but I do know the Norris family in general. Back in the day Lisbet's grandparents Earl and Natalie Norris' Anadyr Siberians OWNED Alaska's racing trails. The Norris family's Alaskan Kennels is the oldest purebred Siberian kennel in the world.
Karen Ramstead's Siberians aren't just hard working dogs, they are also pretty dogs - pretty enough to perform as well in the show ring as they do out on the trails. Karen sears this is going to be her last Iditarod, but I've heard that song before (i.e. Hans Gatt is back this year). This will be the 11th trip up the Iditarod Trail for Karen's "Pretty Sled Dogs".
I wrote about Mike Ellis and his Team Tsuga Tsiberians in the Yukon Quest thread. Just as a reminder, he holds the record for the fastest time for a team of Siberians over the Yukon Quest trail, and he'd like to do the same over the I'rod trail. I think he has a good chance of succeeding.
I know absolutely nothing about Yvonne Dabakk or Lev Shvarts, so Sibe lovers are going to have to google them up to learn more.
That's it for tonight. I stayed up later than I'd planned and now I hear my pillow calling my name - so I'd time I answered the call.
Paul Gebhardt is one of those guys who are easily overlooked, but that can be a mistake if you are competing. This will be Paul's 18th trip from Willow to Nome, and he's placed as high as 2nd in the past. He lives in Kasilof, on the Kenai Peninsula and his training trails have been in better shape than most.
Cancer survivor DeeDee Jonrowe is extremely popular in Alaska. She has been running the race since, well, since Moses was in diapers at least. OK, maybe not quite that long. Her first race was in 1980, back in the days when men were men and women were winning the Iditarod. She is a true contemporary of Libby Riddles and Susan Butcher. She has 16 top-ten finishes on her record. She can be described as "Alaska's Sweetheart" and her dogs are usually rock solid.
I think Sonny Linder has a good chance to be a 'dark horse' in this year's race. Sonny has been running the race off and on even before DeeDee, since 1978. I just 'happen' to know that he's been buying entire teams of competitive dogs over the past three or four years, the latest just this winter when one of our neighbors decided to retire from racing. I've been seeing, and being passed by, his dogs all winter long as he and his grown son and daughter have all been working them hard in preparation. There is a rumor floating about that he has some additional training help this year from the only 5-time champion of the race, Rick Swensen. That's only a rumor, but it's plausible as the two men have been friends for decades and Rick doesn't have a team entered this year. He's an old guy, but a smart and tough old guy who knows what he and his dogs can do. He'll race smart and I think we're likely to see a pretty great performance from them.
Allen Moore and Hugh Neff are both entered in this year's Iditarod. Allen will be running the SP Kennel "B" team while his wife, Aliy Zirkle will be racing to win with the same superstars that just won the Quest. Hugh took second in the Quest, but by a wide margin and only because of some back luck for Brent Sass. Hugh's aggressive racing style isn't well suited to this year's trail conditions. He'll probably finish in the top 20, maybe in the top-10, but I can't pick him to win it this year. His time is coming, though.
Nicholas Petit is also an experience racer with a competitive team. He's already announced his intention to run his slowest leaders during the first half of the race, reserving his hard driving lead dogs for better trail conditions up the trail. He's also one of those staging several extra sleds along the route, in case he and his dogs break things to the point of being beyond repair.
The Smyth brothers, Cim and Ramey, are both contenders. Both literally grew up on dog sleds, helping their parents Bud Smyth and Lolly Medley prepare for THEIR races "back in the day". Both are noted to be particularly strong finishers logging the fastest times between the last checkpoint (Safety) and finish line in Nome. If they are within two hours of the leader at Safety, you can bet it will be a serious dash for the cash to Nome.
Robert Sorlie, from Hurdal, Norway, is the only 'foreigner' to win the race - and he did that twice. He's been off the Iditarod trail for the past 6 years because it's so expensive, but he's back this year for another go at it. The trail conditions aren't real great for his high-speed Eurohounds, but if he can keep his team together for the first half of the race those high-speed Eurohounds can make up a LOT of ground. His challenge, like Martin Buser, will be to keep his team under control and his speed down until they finally find some decent snow covered trails to run on.
My choice for "Rookie of the Year" is Abbie West, a neighbor and friend from Two Rivers. Although it's her first I'rod, Abbie has three Yukon Quests under her runners and multiple middle distance races. Her "Cosmic Canines" are primarily from bush village lines from the Yukon Flats region. I have one dog from her kennel, Aumaruq, on my own team. His smaller siblings are perfectly suited for long-distance racing and I Abbie is very good at getting optimal performance from them. I think she'll be the fastest rookie over the trail, and may even be able to break into the top-10.
There are 4 teams of Siberian Huskies in this year's I'rod, plus a team that is a mix of Sibes and Alaskans. Sibe teams are Karen Ramstead from Alberta, Canada, Mike Ellis & Lisbet Norris from Alaska, and Yvonne Dabakk who is coming all the way from Norway complete with her dogs. The mixed team belongs to Lev Shvarts from Willow, Alaska.
I don't know Lisbet, but I do know the Norris family in general. Back in the day Lisbet's grandparents Earl and Natalie Norris' Anadyr Siberians OWNED Alaska's racing trails. The Norris family's Alaskan Kennels is the oldest purebred Siberian kennel in the world.
Karen Ramstead's Siberians aren't just hard working dogs, they are also pretty dogs - pretty enough to perform as well in the show ring as they do out on the trails. Karen sears this is going to be her last Iditarod, but I've heard that song before (i.e. Hans Gatt is back this year). This will be the 11th trip up the Iditarod Trail for Karen's "Pretty Sled Dogs".
I wrote about Mike Ellis and his Team Tsuga Tsiberians in the Yukon Quest thread. Just as a reminder, he holds the record for the fastest time for a team of Siberians over the Yukon Quest trail, and he'd like to do the same over the I'rod trail. I think he has a good chance of succeeding.
I know absolutely nothing about Yvonne Dabakk or Lev Shvarts, so Sibe lovers are going to have to google them up to learn more.
That's it for tonight. I stayed up later than I'd planned and now I hear my pillow calling my name - so I'd time I answered the call.
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Swanny, thank you thank you thank you for taking the time to give us all this exciting information 'from the inside' especially as work, dogs and sleep time is always calling you. I am especially interested in the different types of dog and looking forward to learning how each performs.
I am in awe at those who have finished with a full team. That is some achievement in both husbandry and mushing.
I am in awe at those who have finished with a full team. That is some achievement in both husbandry and mushing.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
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Swanny1790
- Posts: 571
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:27 pm
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Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
This afternoon I found a nice new article from the (Los) Anchorage newspaper about Siberian husky driver Lisbet Norris. It offers a wonderful nod to her grandparents. You can view it at http://www.adn.com/2014/02/26/3347528/m ... ghter.html.
The Iditarod bib draw banquet is tonight, so by morning we should probably have an idea who will be wearing which bib, and the order in which they'll start the race. Weather reports up the trail have not been very encouraging. All of the mushers and their teams are going to face some tough challenges this year, I'm afraid. Here's an article about this year's trail by Craig Medred, who has been following and reporting on the race even longer than I. http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/2 ... ce-bridges
The ceremonial start, which means nothing other than money and popular support for the race, is Saturday in downtown (Los) Anchorage. The "real" start will from Willow on Sunday. That's when the fun really begins.
The Iditarod bib draw banquet is tonight, so by morning we should probably have an idea who will be wearing which bib, and the order in which they'll start the race. Weather reports up the trail have not been very encouraging. All of the mushers and their teams are going to face some tough challenges this year, I'm afraid. Here's an article about this year's trail by Craig Medred, who has been following and reporting on the race even longer than I. http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/2 ... ce-bridges
The ceremonial start, which means nothing other than money and popular support for the race, is Saturday in downtown (Los) Anchorage. The "real" start will from Willow on Sunday. That's when the fun really begins.
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
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Swanny1790
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- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:27 pm
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Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Here is an unofficial result of last night's bib draw. Bib #1 is awarded to an "honorary musher" each year, so isn't listed here.
Bib # Musher Name Sex City State Country Status
2 Curt Perano M Central Otago NEW ZEALAND Veteran
3 Paige Drobny F Fairbanks AK USA Veteran
4 Gus Guenther M Clam Gulch AK USA Veteran
5 Dan Kaduce M Chatanika AK USA Veteran
6 Mitch Seavey M Seward AK USA Veteran
7 Michael Williams, Jr. M Akiak AK USA Veteran
8 Yvonne Dabakk F Oslo NORWAY Rookie
9 Newton Marshall M St. Anne JAMAICA Veteran
10 Aliy Zirkle F Two Rivers AK USA Veteran
11 Richie Diehl M Aniak AK USA Veteran
12 Tommy Jordbrudal M Longyearbyen NORWAY Rookie
13 Kelly Maixner M Big Lake AK USA Veteran
14 Dallas Seavey M Willow AK USA Veteran
15 Michelle Phillips F Tagish YT CANADA Veteran
16 DeeDee Jonrowe F Willow AK USA Veteran
17 Jeff King M Denali AK USA Veteran
18 Monica Zappa F Kasilof AK USA Rookie
19 Allen Moore M Two Rivers AK USA Veteran
20 Scott Janssen M Anchorage AK USA Veteran
21 Christian Turner M Karratha WA AUSTRALIA Rookie
22 Robert Sorlie M Hurdal NORWAY Veteran
23 Aaron Burmeister M Nome AK USA Veteran
24 Ellen Halverson F Wasilla AK USA Veteran
25 Nathan Schroeder M Chisholm MN USA Rookie
26 Charley Bejna M Addison IL USA Rookie
27 Jessie Royer F Darby MT USA Veteran
28 Cim Smyth M Big Lake AK USA Veteran
29 Nicolas Petit M Girdwood AK USA Veteran
30 Rick Casillo M Willow AK USA Veteran
31 Lev Shvarts M Willow AK USA Rookie
32 Linwood Fiedler M Willow AK USA Veteran
33 Karin Hendrickson F Wasilla AK USA Veteran
34 Justin Savidis M Willow AK USA Veteran
35 Paul Gebhardt M Kasilof AK USA Veteran
36 Martin Buser M Big Lake AK USA Veteran
37 Jake Berkowitz M Big Lake AK USA Veteran
38 Jim Lanier M Chugiak AK USA Veteran
39 Jason Mackey M Wasilla AK USA Veteran
40 Jan Steves F Edmonds WA USA Veteran
41 Lisbet Norris F Willow AK USA Rookie
42 Cindy Gallea F Wykoff MN USA Veteran
43 Peter Kaiser M Bethel AK USA Veteran
44 Mats Pettersson M Kiruna SWEDEN Rookie
45 John Dixon M Fairbanks AK USA Veteran
46 Cindy Abbott F Irvine CA USA Rookie
47 Joar Leifseth Ulsom M Mo i Rana NORWAY Veteran
48 Travis Beals M Seward AK USA Veteran
49 Ramey Smyth M Willow AK USA Veteran
50 Marcelle Fressineau F Whitehorse YT CANADA Rookie
51 Ray Redington Jr M Wasilla AK USA Veteran
52 Anna Berington F Kasilof AK USA Veteran
53 John Baker M Kotzebue AK USA Veteran
54 Ralph Johannessen M Dagali NORWAY Rookie
55 Elliot Anderson M Big Lake AK USA Rookie
56 Kristy Berington F Kasilof AK USA Veteran
57 Matt Failor M Willow AK USA Veteran
58 Hans Gatt M Whitehorse YT CANADA Veteran
59 Karen Ramstead F Perryvale AB CANADA Veteran
60 Alex Buetow M Fairbanks AK USA Rookie
61 Hugh Neff M Tok AK USA Veteran
62 Danny Seavey M Seward AK Veteran
63 Katherine Keith F Kotzebue AK USA Rookie
64 Robert Bundtzen M Anchorage AK USA Veteran
65 Ken Anderson M Fairbanks AK USA Veteran
66 Mike Ellis M Two Rivers AK USA Veteran
67 Wade Marrs M Wasilla AK USA Veteran
68 Mike Santos M Cantwell AK USA Veteran
69 Abbie West F Two Rivers AK USA Rookie
70 Sonny Lindner M Two Rivers AK USA Veteran
Bib # Musher Name Sex City State Country Status
2 Curt Perano M Central Otago NEW ZEALAND Veteran
3 Paige Drobny F Fairbanks AK USA Veteran
4 Gus Guenther M Clam Gulch AK USA Veteran
5 Dan Kaduce M Chatanika AK USA Veteran
6 Mitch Seavey M Seward AK USA Veteran
7 Michael Williams, Jr. M Akiak AK USA Veteran
8 Yvonne Dabakk F Oslo NORWAY Rookie
9 Newton Marshall M St. Anne JAMAICA Veteran
10 Aliy Zirkle F Two Rivers AK USA Veteran
11 Richie Diehl M Aniak AK USA Veteran
12 Tommy Jordbrudal M Longyearbyen NORWAY Rookie
13 Kelly Maixner M Big Lake AK USA Veteran
14 Dallas Seavey M Willow AK USA Veteran
15 Michelle Phillips F Tagish YT CANADA Veteran
16 DeeDee Jonrowe F Willow AK USA Veteran
17 Jeff King M Denali AK USA Veteran
18 Monica Zappa F Kasilof AK USA Rookie
19 Allen Moore M Two Rivers AK USA Veteran
20 Scott Janssen M Anchorage AK USA Veteran
21 Christian Turner M Karratha WA AUSTRALIA Rookie
22 Robert Sorlie M Hurdal NORWAY Veteran
23 Aaron Burmeister M Nome AK USA Veteran
24 Ellen Halverson F Wasilla AK USA Veteran
25 Nathan Schroeder M Chisholm MN USA Rookie
26 Charley Bejna M Addison IL USA Rookie
27 Jessie Royer F Darby MT USA Veteran
28 Cim Smyth M Big Lake AK USA Veteran
29 Nicolas Petit M Girdwood AK USA Veteran
30 Rick Casillo M Willow AK USA Veteran
31 Lev Shvarts M Willow AK USA Rookie
32 Linwood Fiedler M Willow AK USA Veteran
33 Karin Hendrickson F Wasilla AK USA Veteran
34 Justin Savidis M Willow AK USA Veteran
35 Paul Gebhardt M Kasilof AK USA Veteran
36 Martin Buser M Big Lake AK USA Veteran
37 Jake Berkowitz M Big Lake AK USA Veteran
38 Jim Lanier M Chugiak AK USA Veteran
39 Jason Mackey M Wasilla AK USA Veteran
40 Jan Steves F Edmonds WA USA Veteran
41 Lisbet Norris F Willow AK USA Rookie
42 Cindy Gallea F Wykoff MN USA Veteran
43 Peter Kaiser M Bethel AK USA Veteran
44 Mats Pettersson M Kiruna SWEDEN Rookie
45 John Dixon M Fairbanks AK USA Veteran
46 Cindy Abbott F Irvine CA USA Rookie
47 Joar Leifseth Ulsom M Mo i Rana NORWAY Veteran
48 Travis Beals M Seward AK USA Veteran
49 Ramey Smyth M Willow AK USA Veteran
50 Marcelle Fressineau F Whitehorse YT CANADA Rookie
51 Ray Redington Jr M Wasilla AK USA Veteran
52 Anna Berington F Kasilof AK USA Veteran
53 John Baker M Kotzebue AK USA Veteran
54 Ralph Johannessen M Dagali NORWAY Rookie
55 Elliot Anderson M Big Lake AK USA Rookie
56 Kristy Berington F Kasilof AK USA Veteran
57 Matt Failor M Willow AK USA Veteran
58 Hans Gatt M Whitehorse YT CANADA Veteran
59 Karen Ramstead F Perryvale AB CANADA Veteran
60 Alex Buetow M Fairbanks AK USA Rookie
61 Hugh Neff M Tok AK USA Veteran
62 Danny Seavey M Seward AK Veteran
63 Katherine Keith F Kotzebue AK USA Rookie
64 Robert Bundtzen M Anchorage AK USA Veteran
65 Ken Anderson M Fairbanks AK USA Veteran
66 Mike Ellis M Two Rivers AK USA Veteran
67 Wade Marrs M Wasilla AK USA Veteran
68 Mike Santos M Cantwell AK USA Veteran
69 Abbie West F Two Rivers AK USA Rookie
70 Sonny Lindner M Two Rivers AK USA Veteran
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
What an impressive list!
I read a mailing this morning posted to the local Malamute mushing group (that introduced me to the local samoyed group) calling for people to refuse to support sponsors of this "cruel" race. I wonder if these same people are lobbying to end the olympics? A lot of that seems much more cruel/crazy to me than dog mushing in environments that the dogs were bred to thrive in. Oh, and doing what they were bred to love doing. I believe it was posted to the group as an FYI that there are people out there trying to eliminate this race.
I read a mailing this morning posted to the local Malamute mushing group (that introduced me to the local samoyed group) calling for people to refuse to support sponsors of this "cruel" race. I wonder if these same people are lobbying to end the olympics? A lot of that seems much more cruel/crazy to me than dog mushing in environments that the dogs were bred to thrive in. Oh, and doing what they were bred to love doing. I believe it was posted to the group as an FYI that there are people out there trying to eliminate this race.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
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Swanny1790
- Posts: 571
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:27 pm
- Location: Two Rivers, Alaska
- Contact:
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
I'm quite familiar with the "group" and their allegations - few of which can be substantiated in the past 15 years or so. As a board member of Mush with P.R.I.D.E. I get my fair share of hate mail from those who buy into this "group's" intentional deception, disinformation, misinformation and outright lies. But, since the name of this message board stresses POSITIVELY, I'll leave it alone for now. If anyone wishes to discuss alleged widespread misconduct on the part of dog mushers I'll be happy to discuss it via private messages.MPbandmom wrote:What an impressive list!
I read a mailing this morning posted to the local Malamute mushing group (that introduced me to the local samoyed group) calling for people to refuse to support sponsors of this "cruel" race.
Meanwhile, today is the last "day of rest" any of these mushers will have for quite a while. Nearly every bar or pub in Anchorage hosts one or more favorites for a Friday night "meet and greet". Meanwhile, city and private work crews are working through the night to truck in enough snow to cover some 15 miles of city streets with enough snow for the teams to run safely.
The ceremonial start is quite the major event in Anchorage - kind of like Mardi Gras without the moral constraints. Literally hundreds of thousands of people will line the streets of downtown Anchorage to watch the mushers run their teams a few miles - barely a warm up run, and cheer their favorites. For the specators and mushers it can be a lot of fun, but for the dog handlers it's a LOT of work. I've handled for Aliy and Allen at the race start, and it's NOT a picnic. The primary job of the dog handler is to protect the dogs from the fans, the same fans the musher is expected to woo and wow. There are so many people who want to get close to the dogs, but don't have a clue how to behave around them, that it can quickly be overwhelming. This is especially true for teams from rural areas of the State. A sled dog from a small village might have met every single person in the village by the age of 16 weeks (including infants and elders)- but the total is still probably less than 50 people. An experienced four or five year old racing sled dog has been handled by easily that many people at various races, but race volunteers who work directly with the dogs are usually experienced dog people who can read canine body language well enough to avoid stressing out an already aroused dog. Even well experienced sled dogs can have a tough time dealing with such a huge mob of alleged humanity as shows up for the race start.
So, you put the most tolerant dogs on the curb side of the truck (closest to the crowd) and least tolerant on the street side (where they are only dealing with experienced dog people and race officials), and the truly frightened dogs go intp their boxes in the truck where they are usually most comfortable. You are monitoring the dogs every minute, watching their body language and reactions to all the hullabaloo and intervening whenever and wherever necessary, sometimes several places at once all while trying to answer a bajillion questions without losing your temper or sense of humor. Let's just say it's a wee bit stressful.
Having done it once, I vowed I'd not do it again unless the situation was truly "make or break" for a musher who I really, REALLY like a lot - and is willing to pay for the beer afterward. A LOT of beer afterward.
The restart on Sunday is an entirely different type of event. Security is VERY strict - if you aren't a musher, race official or registered handler you do NOT get inside the roped off "inner circle", and if a gate-crasher does happen to get past the private security folks, the Alaska State Troopers will be happy to intervene. The spectators get a good view of the teams as they launch, but they don't even get close to the staging area. I liked that a lot more than the downtown scene.
During the second weekend of the I'rod, our local club (Two Rivers Dog Musher's Association) runs our Chatanika Challenge 200 mile race - it's a Quest and Iditarod qualifying event and popular with mushers who for one reason or another aren't running the I'rod or haven't yet qualified for the long distance races. Of course our club is usually a bit short handed during the 200, because so many of our members are racing to Nome.
So, here I am at work some 400 miles away thinking I'm perfectly safe - but alas. Have you ever noticed that the person who ISN'T present is the one most likely to be "volunteered" for a major job? I just got an Email telling me I got "elected" to serve as one of the race judges. That's not quite so heavy duty as race marshal for the Solstice 100, though. At least the checkpoints at OUR race probably have WIFI connections so I can keep an eye on the Iditarod as well as the Challenge. The race marshal for our event this year is Bob McAlpine, a Quest and I'rod finisher who is well liked and well respected by most folks who know him. I like Bob a lot, and I REALLY like his dogs a lot - so it will work out O.K. It'll just mean another all-nighter or two (sigh).
Working a checkpoint during the 200 is always kind of interesting. The first three questions incoming mushers ask are invariably "Where do you want me to park the team? Where can I get water for the dogs? What's happening in the I'rod?"
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Swanny,
I know that you are overwhelmed with work right now, but what an honor to be considered a judge for a part of the race. At least you will be working with someone you onow, but ss you said, ot os work, and I am sure you want to get home ASAP to checkm on Trish and your dogs, too.
Thaks for all the "inside" postings. It always helps to get information from someone like you who not only knows what os going of, but also onows those partocating.
I pray it is a good race without any mishaps.
As to the idots who protest, there are those who protest rodeos and anything else they want to. I think, they just like having something to protest. Makes me wonder how they have so much time on their hand.
People don't realize that the dogs live to race. It is fun for them.
Take care and cant wait to hear the next installment.
Diane
I know that you are overwhelmed with work right now, but what an honor to be considered a judge for a part of the race. At least you will be working with someone you onow, but ss you said, ot os work, and I am sure you want to get home ASAP to checkm on Trish and your dogs, too.
Thaks for all the "inside" postings. It always helps to get information from someone like you who not only knows what os going of, but also onows those partocating.
I pray it is a good race without any mishaps.
As to the idots who protest, there are those who protest rodeos and anything else they want to. I think, they just like having something to protest. Makes me wonder how they have so much time on their hand.
People don't realize that the dogs live to race. It is fun for them.
Take care and cant wait to hear the next installment.
Diane
Sandy, Chihuahua mix b. 12/20/09
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
You totally owe me a new keyboard............Swanny1790 wrote: kind of like Mardi Gras without the moral constraints.
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Swanny1790
- Posts: 571
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:27 pm
- Location: Two Rivers, Alaska
- Contact:
Re: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
I'll bet right now there are some I'rod mushers looking for new sleds, rather than new keyboards. The race started between 10:00 and 12:30 today, and of course the mushers are all bunched up. Just under half the field has gone through the checkpoint at Yentna. So far they've all been controlling their speed nicely, with all of the teams running somewhere between 7 and 9 mph. Sebastian (Sab) Schnulle, a Yukon Quest champion and second place I'rod finisher (my dog, Denali, was on both of those teams BTW) is following the race by snowmachine and reporting on the I'rod website. He reports the trail is in better condition than expected, very fast and not at all punchy, even for the back of the pack teams. That's a pleasant surprise given that the temperatures were well above freezing in much of that region this afternoon.
Sab was reporting the some of the top-ranked mushers were carrying one and two dogs in the baskets of their sleds, intentionally, to reduce the dog power and slow their teams a little bit. Former Champion Dallas Seavey was among them. Dallas averaged 7.1 mph between the start and Yentna, one of the slowest shown on the leader board.
For the first two or three days we should be seeing most of the 70 mushers bunched up in one big group. I don't expect the field to start spreading out much before Rainy Pass. In this early stage the goal is to maintain a position close enough to the lead to challenge it later up the trail, but run slow enough to preserve energy for that later effort.
The Iditarod has a lot more checkpoints than the quest, and of course they are spaced more closely than in the other 1,000 mile race. It's possible to run the entire race and never camp out on the trail. Some of the "puppy team" racers do exactly that - but as I mentioned in the Quest thread (I think), there are quite a few mushers in the race who handle for competitive kennels, and their job here is to just give the young dogs (usually a mix of yearlings and two-year-olds) a fun time while showing them the trail. Now THAT would be a fun way to do it, I think.
Meanwhile, many of the experienced mushers try to avoid stopping for long breaks at checkpoints. They feel their dogs get better rest when camped on the trail, in a less stimulating environment. I'm pretty sure my dogs would rest better somewhere out by ourselves and well away from strange people and lots of unknown dogs.
I only have a couple more days here at work, and then I can head home and work with my own dogs. It's going to be an action packed R&R this time around and I'm looking forward to spending a good part of it out on the trails.
Sab was reporting the some of the top-ranked mushers were carrying one and two dogs in the baskets of their sleds, intentionally, to reduce the dog power and slow their teams a little bit. Former Champion Dallas Seavey was among them. Dallas averaged 7.1 mph between the start and Yentna, one of the slowest shown on the leader board.
For the first two or three days we should be seeing most of the 70 mushers bunched up in one big group. I don't expect the field to start spreading out much before Rainy Pass. In this early stage the goal is to maintain a position close enough to the lead to challenge it later up the trail, but run slow enough to preserve energy for that later effort.
The Iditarod has a lot more checkpoints than the quest, and of course they are spaced more closely than in the other 1,000 mile race. It's possible to run the entire race and never camp out on the trail. Some of the "puppy team" racers do exactly that - but as I mentioned in the Quest thread (I think), there are quite a few mushers in the race who handle for competitive kennels, and their job here is to just give the young dogs (usually a mix of yearlings and two-year-olds) a fun time while showing them the trail. Now THAT would be a fun way to do it, I think.
Meanwhile, many of the experienced mushers try to avoid stopping for long breaks at checkpoints. They feel their dogs get better rest when camped on the trail, in a less stimulating environment. I'm pretty sure my dogs would rest better somewhere out by ourselves and well away from strange people and lots of unknown dogs.
I only have a couple more days here at work, and then I can head home and work with my own dogs. It's going to be an action packed R&R this time around and I'm looking forward to spending a good part of it out on the trails.
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
