Iditarod Sled Dog Race well Underway

My 8 year old daughter ^ | 3/9/05 | FA

[Fierce Allegiance]

The race is approximately 1/3 complete. This year, they are using the modified southern route, which will go through the ghost town of Iditarod.

The website listed above is pretty good.

[Fierce Allegiance]

My daughter picked Jessica Hendricks as her musher for the race. last night Jessica was 11th, and is currently running 21st.

[Fierce Allegiance]

It's dogs and it's racing. How much cooler can it get!

[Rebelbase]

Could the musher's buy moose insurance?

[Fierce Allegiance]

Referrring to this?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1336320/posts

Moose Stomps Iditarod Lead Dog and Jumps Into Sled

[Bluegrass Conservative]

[HairOfTheDog]

Ping!

Other articles with keyword "DOGGIEPING" since 12/29/04

[Rebelbase]

Maybe they should just carry moose repellent instead?

[annyokie]

I was under the impression that the Iditarod usually took place in early February. Was there not enough snow or am I just mistaken?

[Fierce Allegiance]

AS far as I know, this years race schedule wasn't modified from the planned start date.

The original "race" did end Feb 2, 1925.

[usafsk]

I am currently reading "The Cruelest Miles", about the diptheria epidimic in Nome that required a series of dog-sled runs in 1925. Amazing stuff.

I also went dog-sledding for a day in Ontario last weekend. Amazing experience, nothing like 320 dogs going crazy waiting to be hitched up. We were out for about 5 hours and it was fun and exhausting. You share sleds and one person rides while the other steers, rides and runs along. You'd think riding was easy, but whenever the dogs can't handle a hill - there were many - you have to hop out and run along side. That's easy on snow roads, but on trails you sink up to your knees.

Half-way through the guide volunteered me to ride with an Aussie tourist lady who was crashing alot. Well, I crashed with her 4 times into the snow and trees. When you fall off, the dogs take off like crazy! Anyway, we had a loose binding that the guide repaired and we stablized the rest of the way. Try it. Great places in Ontario, BC, and Teton/Yellowstone, not to mention, of course, Alaska.

[Eska]

We live along the upper yukon and keep a dogteam and snowmachines. As much as I luv the dog connection to nature in winter; I can't imagine 1000 miles. I do 50 mile runs downriver and I'm cold, tired, and sore when I get home 4-5 hrs later. When its minus 30 to minus 60 and you run the dogs; cause your afraid the snowmachine is going to break down out there; your eyeballs freeze shut. No joke, every 5 minutes you got a glove in your teeth as you chip the ice off with your fingers; so you can open your eyes again.

I respect the heck out of those guys but don't envy them in the least and just wish this country wasn't so big without any roads cause then I could have huntin dogs rather than sled dogs. Same interaction.

[annyokie]

Mr. Okie lived in Anchorage for 14 years and he swore it was already over and that this was a secondary race. I have never been to Alaska, so I didn't know. Thanks for the historical information!

[technochick99]

I'm on a number of dog rescue lists, and they describe this as a very cruel sport ending with many dogs dead or injured. Comments? I understand the history, but am curious as to how one would answer the critics.

[Fierce Allegiance]

If you click on the link, they have all the information you could want. I know, it says "My 8 year old daughter" but it is a link to www.iditarod.com.

[Fierce Allegiance]

I am not going to comment on that aspect, but I did notice they list in the current standings how many dogs came in & left the latest checkpoint. I was hoping that the mushers were dropping off injured not dead dogs.

These dogs are money to the owners who have to treat the dogs well or they wouldn't finish the race.

[Fierce Allegiance]

I couldn't do it for an hour nevermind several days.

I would love to come check out that part of the country, but it would have to be in summer, with a huge can of bug repellant.

[Drango]

TV (CNN?)yesterday had a cool report out a blind musher gal who was doing the Iditarod. (She has limited vision and a lead sled to warn her of unusual events. Other than that she's 100% on her own. Sled on!

[Drango]

2005 Iditarod Biographies

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Rachael Scdoris

Bend, OR, USA

Rachael Scdoris, 19, was born in Oregon. Rachael works as a sportswear model and serves as the spokesperson for the Atta Boy 300 Vision Foundation, and races sled dogs professionally. Rachael was born with Congenital Achromatopsia, a rare vision disorder. She is color blind and her acuity is 20/200. She is extremely light sensitive. She is a member of the United States Association of Blind Athletes. Rachael had the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Rachael was honored by the Womens Sports Foundation in New York City as one of the top women athletes in America. She served as Captain of her high school track and cross country teams. Rachael has been mushing since she was three years old. She grew up with 90 huskies in her front yard and started racing at age 11. Rachael has finished the 500 Mile Wyoming Stage Stop, The Atta Boy 300 in Oregon, The Race to the Sky 350 in Montana and The John Beargrease Marathon 400 in Minnesota. "It has been my plan to race the Iditarod since I was eight years old, as it is the biggest and most prestigious sled dog race in the world." Rachael enjoys singing and church activities. You can learn more about Rachael at her personal website, www.rachaelmushing.com, her business website, www.sleddogrides.com or email her at jscdoris@starband.net. You can learn more about Rachael at her personal website www.sleddogrides.com

Sponsors: Atta Boy Dog Food; Cabela's; Julbo's Eye Wear; K9 Topcoats; Les Schwab Tires; Mt. Bachelor Sled Dog Tours (my dad); The Standard Insurance Company; Vita Bone Dog Treats;

Dogs: ANGEL (F); ATHENS (F); BERNARD (M); BRICK (F); DUCHESS (F); DUGAN (M); JOVI (M); KARELLA (F); KITTY (F); LISA (F); MANDY (F); NED (M); PIA (F); POSSUM (M); SETH (M); WHITE-EYES (F);

[Fierce Allegiance]

While I was in college in Vermont, they ran a Juniors race in the field near our house. Well, that was the staging area, the races were a lot longer than a field could hold. I got to take a run around the field with a kid, and my daughter who was 4 at the time got a real good long ride.


It was real cool and definitely a family sport, where all the competitors are friends.

[Fierce Allegiance]

That's real cool. She doesn't let anything stand in her way.