Posted on 03/08/2023 11:29:10 AM PST by Morgana
he 2023 Iditarod kicks off Saturday with a ceremonial start in Anchorage followed by an official race start in Willow.
From there, 33 mushers and dozens of sled dogs will make the 1,000-mile dash to Nome.
It’s the smallest group of teams in the Iditarod’s history, but it’s a pretty competitive one.
Here’s what to know about this year’s race: When will the Iditarod start?
The race begins with a parade-like, 11-mile ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday, March 4.
Mushers and their sled dogs will gather downtown early that morning to get ready.
Starting at 10 a.m., they’ll take off one-by-one every couple minutes from Fourth Avenue, near D Street. They’ll head down city streets, onto the trails and end at the Campbell Airstrip.
Here are places to watch from. People gather all along the trail for the event, but some hotspots include downtown, the hill on Cordova Street and the Trailgate party in the Eastchester Park area.
Next up: the official race start on Sunday.
After the ceremonial start, mushers and their dog teams truck to Willow for the official start at 2 p.m. Sunday on Willow Lake. They’ll again leave at two-minute intervals, and head to Nome.
The Iditarod says folks driving to Willow to watch the start should look for signs on the Parks Highway in Wasilla and at Houston High School that will have information on available parking. Parking will cost $20 cash. The Iditarod is also encouraging people to take a shuttle, instead. There’s a shuttle that leaves from the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel and from Wasilla. More info on prices and timing here. What’s the trail route this year?
The trail will go from Willow to Nome along what the Iditarod calls its “southern route.” Teams have not taken that route since 2019.
(Excerpt) Read more at alaskapublic.org ...
1. Huskies are the best dog ever
2. PETA hates this race.
I was curious about the effect of global warming/cooling/climate complaining.
It’s 11 degrees of my first posting and there is a winter storm coming for the mushers.
What global warming?
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