Iditarod Record, More Mushers than Ever Enter 2008 Race!
This year the Iditarod has 110 mushers potentially signed up to run the race (2 applications are supposedly "in the mail," so it may turn out to be 108 if they don't turn up in time.) Of course, some will wash out before the race even begins on Saturday March 1. Still that is the highest count ever, especially considering that they doubled the entrance fee this year.
I am an admitted Iditarod junkie, checking on the racers every 2 hours or more on the internet. My whole family piles into the car to go downtown for the ceremonial start every year. My kids are young so we can't stay all day. I try to time it so that I can see my favorite mushers (for that year) taking off.
You may wonder how they can mush dogs in downtown Anchorage. They pack snow down the main road (4th Avenue) in town. Every side street is filled with mushers, teams of dogs and oodles of volunteer dog handlers. There are hot reindeer sausages for sale on every other corner and people! Lots of people. I always need to explain, however, that that means "lots of people by Alaska standards." We are always able to find a spot to sidle up to the rope for front seat tickets to watch the action.
Much of the rest of the trail in Anchorage cuts through the greenbelts in town. Anchorage has a lot more wild spaces than most people know about. Even here in town, the mushers have to be wary of moose on the trails.
So here is the run down if you want to get in on the action.
March 1 - Ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage
March 2 - Official (timed) start (North of Anchorage, location tends to change with snow conditions these days.)
March 16 - Wells Fargo Awards Banquet (Nome)
There are tours that follow the Iditarod by small plane, ending in Nome where you can attend the Awards Banquet if your tour company is clever enough to score tickets. Other tours will take you out of the trail, by dog sled or by snow machine. The race runs on volunteers, so there are many ways to get involved in a much more personal fashion. Or, like me, you can just come and experience the thrill of watching these crazy athletes (two and four legged) start their journey from downtown Anchorage all the way to Nome, and then cozy up by a fire as you keep updated by the news and the internet.
Get caught up in the excitement! www.iditarod.com
