Ever wonder about the Alaska Iditarod race preparations and race period? The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is described as the "Last Great Race on Earth." "You can't compare it to any other competitive event in the world! A race over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer." (www.iditarod.com)
Well, we have had our own correspondent on the scene serving as a volunteer during the pre-race preparations in Anchorage. White Pine Group EXCOM member and Outings Chair, Barb Cooey, has, among other things, assisted with preparing boxes of gear for Check Point volunteers to be out on the trail during the race and has been answering e-mailed questions from school kids directed to "Zuma, the Iditarod Journalist Dog." Most of the questions are about the dogs. She roomed at the Millennium Hotel, Race Headquarters at Anchorage. (See article about "Race Headquarters" here.)
Once the ceremonial start of the race in Anchorage, March 4, and the official race restart in Willow, March 5, were conducted, Barb and her mother went by ski plane to Caribou. Lodge in the Talkeetna Mountains where she received some dog sled training in order to then do a couple of days of mushing dogs herself while following progress of the race in the evenings in the Internet.
You can also follow the race progress by checking out the Iditarod web site and by getting even more technically involved by subscribing to the on-line Iditarod Insider for $19.95. It provides daily video clips; "Behind the Race" video extras; musher biographies; Virtual Trail "Fly-Bys"; and an interactive trail map that shows the route including an elevation profile, describes the Check Points, gives trail weather conditions, and maps the progress of each musher along the route.
While it takes an old computer about 20 minutes to download a 3-4 minute video clip, clips of the start and finish of the Junior Iditarod Race that took place Feb. 25-26 have been enjoyable.
The shortest ever Iditarod finish time was 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds in 2002. So, you should have until March 13 or 14 to catch all the mushers. The longest it took to get to the finish line in Nome was the "red lantern" time if 32 days, 15 hours, nine minutes, and one second in 1973.
Two mushers from Wisconsin and an Iowa born rookie are in this year's race. Explore!
Well, we have had our own correspondent on the scene serving as a volunteer during the pre-race preparations in Anchorage. White Pine Group EXCOM member and Outings Chair, Barb Cooey, has, among other things, assisted with preparing boxes of gear for Check Point volunteers to be out on the trail during the race and has been answering e-mailed questions from school kids directed to "Zuma, the Iditarod Journalist Dog." Most of the questions are about the dogs. She roomed at the Millennium Hotel, Race Headquarters at Anchorage. (See article about "Race Headquarters" here.)
Once the ceremonial start of the race in Anchorage, March 4, and the official race restart in Willow, March 5, were conducted, Barb and her mother went by ski plane to Caribou. Lodge in the Talkeetna Mountains where she received some dog sled training in order to then do a couple of days of mushing dogs herself while following progress of the race in the evenings in the Internet.
You can also follow the race progress by checking out the Iditarod web site and by getting even more technically involved by subscribing to the on-line Iditarod Insider for $19.95. It provides daily video clips; "Behind the Race" video extras; musher biographies; Virtual Trail "Fly-Bys"; and an interactive trail map that shows the route including an elevation profile, describes the Check Points, gives trail weather conditions, and maps the progress of each musher along the route.
While it takes an old computer about 20 minutes to download a 3-4 minute video clip, clips of the start and finish of the Junior Iditarod Race that took place Feb. 25-26 have been enjoyable.
The shortest ever Iditarod finish time was 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds in 2002. So, you should have until March 13 or 14 to catch all the mushers. The longest it took to get to the finish line in Nome was the "red lantern" time if 32 days, 15 hours, nine minutes, and one second in 1973.
Two mushers from Wisconsin and an Iowa born rookie are in this year's race. Explore!