Iditarod

Jeff King

Sunday was the Iditarod restart in Willow.  We go to Crystal Lake and assist with traffic control.  The mushers come across the lake towards us, then go down a trail, across a road and onto another lake. 

Since snow machines, skiers and people on foot are also using this access to the lake, it’s important for the safety of the dog teams that the trail is clear.  We spot the teams as they come onto the ice (about a quarter mile away) and then relay the information to the crossing guards on the road.  They get a “one minute out” warning so they can stop traffic.   Then, once the team clears the chute, the trail is re-opened. 

 

last year's winner, Dallas Seavey, heads towards the road

 

Ray Reddington Jr. ready to pass Cim Smyth

The teams start two minutes apart, so generally there is time between teams.  But the flat terrain of the lakes is easy running for the dogs, so we sometimes have two or three teams together on the ice.  A couple of years ago we had a problem when one of the teams stopped at the road and the two teams right behind them had to slam on their brakes to avoid a collision.  I got a shower of snow as the musher hit the snow brake on the sled right as he passed me. 

Wade Marrs

Our Scottish musher Wattie McDonald is not running this year.  He dropped out before last year’s race when his wife became ill. Wade Marrs, a young Wasilla musher ran his team last year to get them experience.  Wattie expects to be back next year. 

Brazilian Luan Marques

This year has rookie mushers from Norway and Siberia – cold climates you’d expect to have dog teams.  But we also have a guy who works in a pet shop in Brazil.  He’s been working with “Dream A Dream” Kennels for two years to learn mushing, training with a veteran who happens to be our representative to the Borough Board of Supervisors. 

Jamaican Newton Marshall

Our favorite outsider in this race is veteran Newton Marshall from Jamaica… this is his third race.  He's always dancing when he comes past us.



“Unless you’re the lead dog, the view never changes,” is a well-known observation about mushing.  More importantly, “if the lead dog stops, everyone stops” – as we got to see when the Russian team stopped right in front of our position.     

Mikail Telpin

 

This is the 41st Iditarod...

three racing today have each won 4 races (Jeff King, Martin Buser, and Lance Mackey) ...

there are three others who have previously won (John Baker and father & son Mitch and Dallas Seavey)...

racers range in age from their 20s to their 70s.

 

One of our favorites -- DeeDee Jonrowe --  is doing her 31st race.  Of the previous 30, she finished 28 times, including 15 in the top 10!  She's also battled back from a near-fatal car crash, has beaten breast cancer, and ran the famous Hawaiian Ironman race (she had to learn to swim at age 55 to do it). 


pretty in pink... here comes DeeDee