#Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race

[petnews2day]

In fundraising pitch, Iditarod says financial woes could jeopardize iconic sled dog race

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/HnbYv

In fundraising pitch, Iditarod says financial woes could jeopardize iconic sled dog race

By Claire Stremple and James Brooks, Alaska Beacon Updated: 48 minutes ago Published: 48 minutes ago Jessie Holmes waves to fans after leaving the starting line. Thirty-eight mushers and their teams kicked off the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race with a ceremonial run through Anchorage on March 2, 2024. (Marc Lester / ADN) The future […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/HnbYv #DogNews #CeremonialStart, #IditarodTrailSledDogRace

[sea-salted-wolverine]

In honor of the moose/Iditarod rule 34 chaos post reaching 1000 notes and then Dallas Seavy winning the Iditarod here are all the unhinged stories and things I know about that race

They changed the rules and schedules so you can't do this anymore, but there was a subset of mushers who would race the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod back to back. That's a 1000-mile race followed by another 1000-mile race through some of the harshest terrain on earth in late winter. And the Yukon quest doesn't even finish where the Iditarod starts. To do this required putting dogs in a plane OR having another team of dogs waiting in anchorage and someone to deal with both teams of dogs.

The first woman to win the Iditarod was Libby Riddles in 1985.

Only to have her finish promptly blown out of the water by Susan Butcher who won the race in 86', 87', 88', and 90' while setting speed records the whole way.

Susan did race in 85' but she ran into a moose early and it killed two of her dogs and hurt the rest so she scratched. Dallas got lucky this year.

She was also the first person to mush a dog team up to the summit of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. This is not what dog teams are intended to do, I don't know why she even wanted to, other than to prove it was possible. I don't think anyone has since.

The race now requires GPS trackers on all the racers and you would not believe the bitchfit everyone threw over those. Mushers can either hop between checkpoints or camp on the trail and it may surprise you to learn that these are the kind of people who have secret camp spots in the woods that they don't want anyone to know about. So now, everyone has acquiesced to the tracker requirement but you must have an account on the race website if you want to see them.

The race has 2 paths that alternate even and odd years with different checkpoints but every year includes a section of race that crosses the sea ice, approximately 50 miles from Shaktoolik to Koyuk. so forget landmarks. point the sled north and hope you're going the right way.

the race is in honor of the 1925 Serum Run and the diphtheria outbreak, but the trail itself is the old freight route which is almost twice the length. also, it's a freight route for hauling freight which means the the racers are going at more or less lightspeed as compared to the intended use.

the most effective way to avoid frostbite on your face is a fur hood and duct tape on your cheeks and nose. Cold-related injuries are rare but far from unheard of. The average number of toes and fingertips among mushers is lower than that of the general population.

The finish line is a massive burled arch in the middle of main street in Nome. There is not a lot going on in Nome at any given time and this time of year is the exception. Every racer who finishes the race gets the same reception, which is everyone in town crowding into the finish chute to cheer them on and the city fire siren going off. The last racer in gets the Red Lantern Award which means that they finished dead last but didn't scratch.

the 2020 race had started and was fully underway when the pandemic lockdowns came into place. as far as social distancing goes, you really can't do much better than being isolated 100 miles into the middle of frozen nowhere but the checkpoints are itty bitty villages with no medical infrastructure and the finish was reportedly terrifying because instead of a crowd to cheer at the burled arch, it was just the siren going off in a ghost town.

there is no way I can tell this story that doesn't sound like I'm making it up as I go. The sign says no sniveling and they fucking mean it.

no really, click that link. here's the YouTube vid (non-graphic, after-the-fact interviews)

[solidsnakecake]

Things I learnt about Solid Snake from his MGS1 profile:

1. He owns 50 huskies and wanted to partake Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race before Campbell messed up his day (it was said in the game briefings as well)

2. He has a close friend who is Yupik and taught Snake their language (that's how he knows the tongue and speaks a word with Sniper Wolf)

3. He loves blueberries and salmonberries

4. He suffers from hallucination and PTSD but having dogs helped a bunch

Source: Metal Gear Solid handbook by Konami

[celticjade13]

Does everyone know what's happening in the Iditarod this year?

Quick refresher course: The Iditarod is a 1000-ish mile (1520 km according to Wikipedia) sled dog race held annually in Alaska. It's not abusive to the dogs, the dogs love to run. Most of the problem comes from getting the dogs to stop running.

Dallas Seavey is a 5-time winner, going for his record 6th win. A musher on the trail before him encountered a moose and punched it in the nose. (There is no more information than this.) Dallas encountered a moose (possibly the same moose) that injured a dog on his team. He was forced to shoot the moose.

Iditarod rules state that if a musher kills an edible big game animal, they have to gut it. No other mushers can pass while they're doing this and they're supposed to help gut the animal. The meat goes to the nearest town in Alaska to be eaten, so the moose is going to feed a lot of people.

The race officials, after picking up the dead moose, determined Dallas didn't do a good enough job gutting it and penalized him 2 hours. Everyone has a mandatory 24-hour rest period that they usually take right about now, and he has to wait an extra 2 hours before going back on the trail.

How does one go about gutting a moose? No idea! What makes a moose gutting job not good enough? Also no idea! Is this something Iditarod mushers learn before they go out on the course? Apparently not! But it makes for tons of fun for those of us following online. 😂

Also, most importantly, the dog that was injured was treated and is on her way back home.

[csny]

Alaska: Igloo, Kodiak bear, Iditarod sled dog race, Denali

Hawaii: pearl harbor, pineapple

washington: Space Needle, apple, mt st helens, rainier national park

oregon: roses, lighthouse, crater lake, oregon trail, hiking

california: redwood tree, white water rafting, gold, golden gate bridge, silicon valley, yosemite national park, wine country, sierra nevada mountains, hollywood, joshua tree

nevada: silver, las vegas strip, hoover dam

idaho: gemstones, potatoes

montana: rocky mountains, glacier national park, grizzly bear, bison

wyoming: yellowstone national park, old faithful geyser, bucking bronco

utah: great salt lake, zion national park, skiing

arizona: lake mead, grand canyon national park, montezuma castle, turquoise, saguaro cactus

new mexico: pueblo, yucca plant, carlsbad caverns

colorado: rocky mountain national park, columbine flower, elk

north dakota: oil, wind energy

south dakota: crazy horse memorial, the badlands, mount rushmore

nebraska: chimney rock, bald eagle, train

kansas: tornadoes, dodge city, sunflower

oklahoma: tomato, wheat, osage shield

texas: cattle, prickly pear cactus, oil refinery, the alamo, NASA Johnson space Center

Minnesota: lake of the woods, wolf, deer

iowa: prairie grass, corn

missouri; Hog, gateway arch

arkansas: razorback hog, banjo

louisiana: crayfish, mardi gras, jazz music

wisconsin: dairy

illinois: Willis tower, tractor, lincoln

michigan: copper, iron ore, automobile manufacturing, motown

indiana: Car

ohio: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, tires

pennsylvania: street mill, liberty bell

new jersey: constitution

maryland: blue crab

virginia: mount vernon

north carolina: wright brothers national memorial, tobacco farm, great smoky mountains national park, appalachian mountains

south carolina: fort sumter

georgia: peanuts, peach

florida: oranges, kennedy space center, alligator, everglades national park

alabama: cotton, civil rights movement

mississippi: magnolia

tennessee: country music

kentucky: horse racing

west virginia: coal

new york: apple tree, financial market, statue of liberty

massachusetts: american revolution

vermont: maple syrup

new hampshire: fall colors

maine: acadia national park, moose, lobster

And don’t make me repeat it!!!!!!!

[sergeifyodorov]

so the iditarod. any fun facts?

the Iditarod Trail as we know it was originally a mail trail. in the far north, dogs have been used as freight runners since precontact times by alaska native peoples like the inupiat (in fact, the name for the "malamute" sled dog breed comes from the name for a group of the inupiat, the malemiut who lived on the seward peninsula.

as a draft animal dogs are, pound for pound, stronger and faster than horses, and in an environment like the alaskan interior a carnivore is much easier to feed than a hay-eating herbivore. they are also much better at navigating the winding, slippery, and often difficult trails -- there are places that snowmachines can't go, to this day, but dogs can. old mail trail runners would have teams of twenty or more dogs, hauling cargo like gold and mail and people through the interior. the town of iditarod itself, although now largely a ghost town, once was larger than anchorage!

the history of the iditarod race starts in the winter of 1925 when nome, a town on the icebound bering sea, suffered a diphtheria outbreak. without serum and with no way to get it there by other means -- icebound, so no boats, and the only pilot who could make the trip was on the other end of the continent -- they organized a trail relay, seven hundred miles long. it took them six days.

fifty years later, with mushing considered a dying sport, they decided to resurrect the iditarod as a race, anchorage to nome, one musher and fourteen dogs. it's about a thousand miles long -- there's two different routes, which alternate every year.

uh list of fun trivia below the cut so i don't make this TOO long

specifying the two routes thing: the routes only diverge at about the halfway point and reconnect at about the three-quarter mark, at the checkpoint right before they hit the bering sea.

trail dogs wear little booties, not because their feet get cold but to protect them from things like fallen branches, and other hazards on the trail. mushers can go through hundreds of booties in a race.

the last musher to complete the iditarod is called the "red lantern," which is a tradition that apparently started as a joke and stuck. you may have heard of musher apayauq reitan, who made history as the first out trans person to run the iditarod? she was the red lantern in 2022!

the current general frontrunners of the iditarod are father and son mitch and dallas seavey. dallas is one of two people to have won the race five times.

four people have won four times, including susan butcher, one of the first women to win.

race times can vary HUGELY depending on year and musher. the records are about eight and a half days, but it's not uncommon for people to take two weeks. libby riddles, who won in 1985, had a winning time of 18 days!

[darkwood-sleddog]

Hugh Neff...at it again....

[mightyflamethrower]

Togo, hero of the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska, with his owner Leonhard Seppala.

In January 1925 an outbreak of diphtheria threatened to wipeout the town of Nome, Alaska, sparking fears that an epidemic would spread and kill thousands if antitoxin medicine was not supplied. The antitoxin could only be delivered by dogsled across a portion of the Iditarod Trail, the only route accessible for transporting goods during the harsh winters. A heroic relay of dog teams transported the antitoxin across the 674 mile trail from Nenana to Nome braving gale force winds, -85 degree temperatures, and whiteout conditions across the remote Alaskan Interior. The life-saving serum was delivered to Nome in a record-breaking 127.5 hours, without a single broken vial. This came to be known as the 1925 Serum Run. Many aspects of this journey are commemorated annually in the Iditarod dog sled race.

I love Dogs. We should be more like them.

[copperbora]

About a month ago, my work friend J hired me to walk her stud Welsh corgi (Cardigan/Pembroke cross - yes, there are two breeds of corgi,) Whiskey. This has been my first time getting to walk and really spend time with a dog and it has been the best kind of learning curve.

I love Whiskey; he is such a topnotch friend and I have discovered so much from him already. Going into this I was armed only with decades of truly obsessive research about canines. I knew to keep a vast horde of dog bags in my pocket and carry treats but I didn't realize at the start that I really should also carry hand sanitizer because picking up pup poop isn't always the most... hygienic experience. Still, I do it diligently and it really isn't a big deal, so those people who think picking up warm dog poop with a bag is too disgusting? Get over yourselves. It's a complete non-issue although I'm always delighted at the sight of a garbage can so that I can free up my hands.

Again: hand sanitizer is your friend!

Also, it's better if the leash is attached to your waist; I just use an old leather belt around my middle and it's kinda amazing how well this completely curbs Whiskey's desire to pretend to be a sled dog racing the Iditarod. It's additionally just nicer having my hands free and I can get cuter pictures of Whiskey this way. (Although he admittedly rarely stops moving.)

It's fun. We hike for an hour, approximately five kilometres which is good exercise and mental stimulation for both of us. I'm a human with rather terrible mental health and he's a dog who spends many of his days being bored out of his mind at home. On the trail we both relax and find peace, which brings me to my favourite things that I have learned from Whiskey.

Walking with Whiskey we often find things that I never would have noticed hiking by myself.

He's led me to a dead fish no doubt dropped by an osprey, a dead mouse, a bone, and an absolutely enormous nest of woodland ants. He's even pointed out wildlife to me, like this herd of mule deer!

And, most importantly, he keeps me company. Hiking alone for years has been hard on me; my parents can no longer keep up so I usually find myself going solo. It hurts, remembering the days when I used to have trail companions but I don't feel lonely hiking anymore with Whiskey!

I think the very best thing about him though is that he truly cares. Today, driving back to his home I got spooked by a male human suddenly coming up to my car when I paused for another pedestrian. The moment we were safely away Whiskey nuzzled my face and I felt much better.

I knew that dogs were pretty smart but Whiskey is definitely a full person in a vertically challenged canine body. From the unimpressed looks he gives me when he is pooping and he notices me watching to how he lets me walk onto a hillock to check out a view then gently but firmly leads me back onto the trail, he's a whole person.

I really feel deeply grateful for getting to have him as a hiking partner; he's a really good boy.

Here's to many more trails together.

[petnews2day]

Tributes, jokes and celebrations as mushers pick starting order

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/YbHpD

Tributes, jokes and celebrations as mushers pick starting order

People line Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage and cheer on Fairbanks musher Riley Dyche after he and his dog team crossed the ceremonial start of the Iditarod on Saturday, March 5, 2022. (Emily Mesner / ADN) Mushers and Iditarod superfans gathered Thursday evening for the race’s first in-person banquet and bib drawing since March 2020, […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/YbHpD #DogNews #AlaskaSledDogRace, #Anchorage, #Ceremonial, #Champion, #How, #HowLongIsTheIditarod, #Iditarod, #IditarodInsider, #IditarodRaceUpdates, #IditarodStartOrder, #IditarodTrail, #IditarodCom, #ItSCool, #LanceMackey, #MostRecent, #Musher, #Name, #Restart, #Results, #SledDog, #Standings, #Start, #UglyDogs, #WhatIsTheIditarod, #Where, #WhereDoesTheIditarodEnd, #WhereDoesTheIditarodStart, #WhoIsRunningTheIditarod, #WhoIsWinningTheIditarod, #WhoWillStartTheIditarod, #Willow, #Winner, #Won

[itsnothingbutluck]

Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, are perfect destinations for those in search of an outdoor adventure. In Anchorage, you can traverse through the Coastal Trail year-round, and explore the Chugach Mountains by hiking, biking or kayaking! Anchorage is also home to the iconic Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and gives you the chance to run with reindeer during the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous. In Fairbanks, you can see the beautiful northern lights and try gold panning in Denali National Park. #Alaska #Fairbanks #NorthernLights #BookThatTrip

[toughgirlchallenges]

Sunny Stroeer: Completing the Iditarod Trail Invitational 1,000-Mile Race on Skis, Becoming the First Woman to Do So.

Sunny is a professional adventure athlete, guide service owner and story teller based in Kanab, Utah.  

After obtaining an MBA from Harvard Business School and pursuing a career as a management consultant in her twenties, Sunny decided to leave behind the business world in order to focus full-time on mountains, climbing and VLDs (very long distances). 

Today, she is a professional athlete and owner of two guiding businesses - AWExpeditions and Dreamland Safari Tours. 

She is also the founder of the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation that breaks down barriers for women+ to access mountaineering and the backcountry -- in the form of tens of thousands of dollars in expedition scholarships. 

Sunny first came on the Tough Girl Podcast on Jun 23, 2020. Sharing her story about being the first woman to circumnavigate and summit Aconcagua in a single push. 

You can listen to that episode Here

***

 Don't miss the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 AM UK time!  

Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women. 

This episode of the Tough Girl Podcast is proudly sponsored by INOV8, pioneers in cutting-edge sportswear. 

Use code TOUGHGIRL15 to get your 15% discount.  Click Here 

***

Show notes

Who is Sunny 

Working as a professional adventure athlete and running her own travel companies 

Sunny first came on the Tough Girl Podcast on Jun 23, 2020. First woman to circumnavigate and summit Aconcagua in a single push.

What happened in 2020 

Deciding to buy a tour company/guide service business

Using her MBA from Harvard

Thriving with the challenge and the uncertainty 

Pursuing her own adventures and being her own boss

Getting involved in running Fastest Known Times (FKTs)

Starting to focus on adventuring in Alaska

350 mile race on cross country skis - Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI), held in Alaska during Winter (2021)

Planning to head to the South Pole in the future 

More info about the ITI and how its structured, and what you can expect. 

The short version - 350 miles. The long version 1000 miles. You need to do the short version of the race before you can attempt to race the longer version.

The different modes of travel: Fat bike, dogs, skies, walking

The lessons learned from the recce before the bigger race

No mandatory gear list

Being able to connect with folks who had done the race before to get advice and tips

Leaving her comfort zone behind and moving into the stretch zone

Dealing with uncomfortable feelings

Reflection back on her first ITI in 2021 

Dealing with overflow

Not having a background in cross country skiing

Knowing that she able to keep herself safe in these extreme conditions

Dealing with broken bindings and having to hike the final 150 miles

Having a 10 day deadline to cover the 350 miles

Being pushed to her limits both physically and emotionally 

Going back in 2022 to ski the 350 mile distance again - gaining more experience and knowledge

Fat biking the race in 2023 with her husband

Feeling ready to commit to the 1000 miles race in 2024

Race strategy and plan (both adhoc and thought through)

Needing to complete the 1000 miles (approx 930 - 960 miles) in 30 days

Dealing with a stress fracture on her shin in the December and only having 5 weeks to train

Using both a backpack and a pulk/sled to transport gear. 

Dealing with the cold and trying to avoid getting wet in -30/-40 degrees

Aiming to travel slowly, keeping her heart rate low in an aim to keep from sweating

Dealing with wet and damp gloves and getting a little bit of frost bite on her fingers. 

Dealing with numb heels and maybe a little bit of nerve damage after the race

Highlights and magical moment from life on the trail

Being in her own thoughts for 14hrs or more a day

Food and nutrition on the trail

Feeling the pressure to reach the finish line before the cut off point

Making it across the sea ice before it flooded or melted

Being 200 miles from the finish on the North Shore

Becoming the first women to ski the ITI 1000

Recovery after the race (doughnuts & wine!)

How to connect with Sunny and to follow along with her adventures

Final words of advice and and wisdom to inspire and motivate women and girls 

Why you need to continually be pushing your comfort zone 

  Social Media

Websites: 

www.sunnystroeer.com 

www.awexpeditions.org 

www.dreamlandtours.net 

www.summitscholarship.org

Instagram:

@sstroeer 

@awexpeditions 

@dreamlandsafari 

  Check out this episode!

[liza123de]

Anchorage Alaska attractions

Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, is a treasure trove of natural wonders, cultural experiences, and outdoor adventures that enchant visitors from around the globe. Nestled between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet, Anchorage offers a unique blend of urban amenities and unspoiled wilderness.

One of the city's most iconic attractions is the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, a scenic path that winds along the coastal bluffs, offering breathtaking views of the inlet and the surrounding mountains. Visitors can hike, bike, or simply stroll along this 11-mile trail, taking in the fresh sea air and spotting wildlife such as beluga whales and bald eagles.

For a taste of Alaska's rich native culture, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is a must-visit attraction. Here, visitors can explore traditional indigenous dwellings, witness captivating dance performances, and learn about the diverse cultures of Alaska's native peoples through interactive exhibits and storytelling.

Nature lovers will find paradise in Anchorage's backyard, with opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, and glacier exploring just a stone's throw away. The Chugach State Park, located on the city's doorstep, boasts over half a million acres of pristine wilderness, dotted with towering peaks, sparkling lakes, and abundant wildlife.

In winter, Anchorage transforms into a snow-covered wonderland, offering world-class skiing, snowboarding, and dog sledding experiences. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, known as The Last Great Race on Earth, starts in Anchorage and is a thrilling event that showcases the rugged spirit of Alaska.

Whether you are seeking outdoor adventure, cultural immersion, or simply a serene escape into nature, Anchorage, Alaska has something for everyone. Come and discover the magic of this vibrant city where wilderness meets urban charm, and beauty abounds in every direction.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.20 (after 1950)

1951 – Fujiyoshida, a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū is founded. 1952 – The US Senate ratifies the Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan. 1956 – Tunisia gains independence from France. 1964 – The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organisation) is established per an agreement signed on June 14, 1962. 1969 – A United Arab airlines (now Egyptair) Ilyushin Il-18 crashes at Aswan international Airport, killing 100 people. 1972 – The Troubles: The first car bombing by the Provisional IRA in Belfast kills seven people and injures 148 others in Northern Ireland. 1985 – Libby Riddles becomes the first woman to win the 1,135-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. 1985 – Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research. 1987 – The Food and Drug Administration approves the anti-AIDS drug, AZT. 1988 – Eritrean War of Independence: Having defeated the Nadew Command, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front enters the town of Afabet, victoriously concluding the Battle of Afabet. 1990 – Ferdinand Marcos's widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering. 1993 – The Troubles: A Provisional IRA bomb kills two children in Warrington, England. It leads to mass protests in both Britain and Ireland. 1995 – The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo carries out a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, killing 13 and wounding over 6,200 people. 1999 – Legoland California, the first Legoland outside of Europe, opens in Carlsbad, California, US. 2000 – Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther once known as H. Rap Brown, is captured after murdering Georgia sheriff's deputy Ricky Kinchen and critically wounding Deputy Aldranon English. 2003 – Iraq War: The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland begin an invasion of Iraq. 2006 – Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The rebel movement sought to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Déby. 2010 – Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland begins eruptions that would last for three months, heavily disrupting air travel in Europe. 2012 – At least 52 people are killed and more than 250 injured in a wave of terror attacks across ten cities in Iraq. 2014 – Four suspected Taliban members attack the Kabul Serena Hotel, killing at least nine people. 2015 – A Solar eclipse, equinox, and a supermoon all occur on the same day. 2015 – Syrian civil war: The Siege of Kobanî is broken by the People's Protection Units (YPG) and Free Syrian Army (FSA), marking a turning point in the Rojava–Islamist conflict. 2019 – Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is sworn in as acting president of Kazakhstan, following the resignation of long-time president Nursultan Nazarbayev.

[statesone]

2024 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Live Blog - Alaska's News Source

📣 StatesOne — https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFsYXNrYXNuZXdzc291cmNlLmNvbS8yMDI0LzAzLzAyLzIwMjQtaWRpdGFyb2QtdHJhaWwtc2xlZC1kb2ctcmFjZS1saXZlLWJsb2cv0gEA?oc=5&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr