The weather in Alaska has been spotty at best. Just a few weeks ago Fairbanks was setting record cold temperatures, yet to day, Wasilla, the official starting point for the Iditarod, had 43 degree temperatures and Anchorage, the ceremonial starting point, had 36 degrees as its high. Nome, the finish line, reported a high of 34 degrees. Most of the towns along the route report temperatures above the freezing mark during the day with lows dropping into the upper 20s at night. With any luck, there will be enough snow on the ground for them to run the planned route and not the detoured one as they have had to use in the past.
The Iditarod is special.
It has been called the “Last Great Race on Earth” and it has won worldwide acclaim and interest…. It’s not just a dog sled race, it’s a race in which unique men and woman compete. Mushers enter from all walks of life. Fishermen, lawyers, doctors, miners, artists, natives, Canadians, Swiss, French and others; men and women each with their own story, each with their own reasons for going the distance. It’s a race organized and run primarily by volunteers, thousands of volunteers, men and women, students and village residents. They man headquarters at Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Nome and Wasilla. They fly volunteers, veterinarians, dog food and supplies. They act as checkers, coordinators, and family supporters of each musher.
The Spirit of Alaska! More Than a Race… a Commemoration
The race pits man and animal against nature, against wild Alaska at her best and as each mile is covered, a tribute to Alaska’s past is issued. The Iditarod is a tie to — a commemoration of — that colorful past.
The Iditarod Trail, now a National Historic Trail, had its beginnings as a mail and supply route from the coastal towns of Seward and Knik to the interior mining camps at Flat, Ophir, Ruby and beyond to the west coast communities of Unalakleet, Elim, Golovin, White Mountain and Nome. Mail and supplies went in. Gold came out. All via dog sled. Heroes were made, legends were born.
In 1925, part of the Iditarod Trail became a life saving highway for epidemic-stricken Nome. Diphtheria threatened and serum had to be brought in; again by intrepid dog mushers and their faithful hard-driving dogs.
The Iditarod is a commemoration of those yesterdays, a not-so-distant past that Alaskans honor and are proud of.
It is a race in which men, women and their dogs challenge the rhythm and solitude of the trail—not to mention the cold and the snow of a late Alaskan winter. Each team spends ten to seventeen days on the trail to cover a distance of 1150 miles and, while one time will be first, every one that finishes is a winner. Those who commit themselves to the race are amazing.
There are names which are automatically associated with the race — Joe Redington, Sr., co-founder of the classic and affectionately know as “Father of the Iditarod.” Rick Swenson from Two River, Alaska, the only five time winner, the only musher to have entered 20 Iditarod races and never finished out of the top ten. Dick Mackey from Nenana who beat Swenson by one second in 1978 to achieve the impossible photo finish after two weeks on the trail. Norman Vaughan who at the age of 88 has finished the race four times and led an expedition to Antarctica in the winter of 93–94. Four time winner, Susan Butcher, was the first woman to ever place in the top 10. And of course, Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod in 1985.
While perusing the site, I came across a report that was troubling. Susan Butcher, ( www.susanbutcher.com) four-time winner of Iditarod in the late 80s and early 90s was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a malignant disease of the blood and bone marrow. She has been undergoing chemotherapy at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle. When she has finished that therapy she will need a bone marrow transfusion. She and her doctors are searching for a donor.
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