The Iditarod

Wow! What a week! This was one of the items on my unwritten “bucket list.” Let me start at the beginning. The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is billed as the “Last Great Race.” It begins in Anchorage, Alaska and ends about 9-10 days later in Nome, Alaska. The distance has never been pinned down exactly (because of various twists and turns) but is considered to be 1,049 miles (it is close to 1,000 so 49 is added because Alaska is the 49th state in the union). This year 62 teams begin at 4th and D in Anchorage in a ceremonial start on Saturday. Lots of pomp and circumstance but it only goes for a few miles, then the sleds and dogs are loaded up and the real start is Sunday on Willow Lake about 50 miles from Anchorage.


These two pictures are of the ceremonial start. Notice that the mushers only have 12 dogs – they will have 16 for the real start. You might be able to tell that the first sled has a rider sitting in front of the musher. This person paid “big” bucks to be an “Iditarider.” There is also a trailing sled with a friend or relative riding. The dogs are so eager to run they slow them down with extra weight plus the musher rides the brake. The dogs don’t care, they just want to run.
Saturday we drove out to Willow to see the “real thing.” There is a lot of ceremony, lots going on, lots to see. All of this on frozen Willow Lake. The trucks with the dogs and sleds are lined up to the left. The starting line is down the center. People are riding snow machines, making smores on a camp stove, or huddled around a camp fire – yes! a camp fire on the lake snow and ice. People line up on both sides of a plastic fence ready the watch the race begin. A starter gives a count down: “1 minute… 30 seconds… 15 seconds… 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And Deedee Jonrow is off on the last great race.” Across the lake she goes, up the bank, into the trees and out on a 10-day adventure of survival.

Here one of the riders is going down the chute. I don’t remember if it is DeeDee or not. She drew bib number 2 and was the first one out – Bib one is an honorary number given to someone they want to honor.
Want to see a funny looking cheechako (that is a non-Alaskan)?

I’m with a “bobby” who will fine you if you don’t have a Fur Rondy pin. I had one under the down coat. The cap is beaver. I need to add that all the cold weather gear I wore was courtesy of my nephew, Will – except for the thermal underwear I bought. The temperature was probably in the high 20s on this day. One day is rose to about 34 but most of the time it was below freezing. One morning is was a half degree above zero but most mornings around 8 or 9. But always sunny. Really nice weather.

There were some really marvelous ice sculptures in a park downtown. Will and I posed in holes left for photos.

Another place displayed snow sculptures. Some were really intricate. This one shows the soldiers putting the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. There is an angel in the back looking through the window.


The mountains were awesome. The top picture was taken from the top of the tram ride at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, 40 miles south of Anchorage. If you look really, really hard you can see the Resort in the center of the picture. The bottom photo was taken from the plane as we were leaving. This is the Chugash Range.

Cook inlet doesn’t exactly freeze over but it does fill with ice which becomes chunky and makes the water look like a churned up ball field. Ship Creek empties into the Inlet at the right of the picture.
I flew up on March 2, a Thursday, and back on the 10th. It was an incredible journey. Alaska is so different in the winter – as one might expect. Some very good cold weather gear is essential. Thanks to Will I had that. He also let me use his car so I could go places while he was at work. Great trip; I’d love to go back.
For those who know what Will’s house looks like in the summer, here it is in the winter:

Thanks Will and Anna for a great time.