Mushers Debate Where to Take 24-Hour Layover
Three days into the Iditarod, the race is still anyone’s game. And the mushers are keeping it interesting this year. Martin Buser completed his 24 hour layover early in the race. Lance Mackey and Sonny Linder appear to be embracing the opposite strategy… making their way down the trail to…
Exciting Iditarod Omelet has Team after Team Ping-Ponging into Lead
Some people like their eggs over easy. This year, mushers are serving up an Iditarod omelet with everything mixed inside. Slow and steady. Sprints to the front. Cagey moves between checkpoints and thought-provoking strategies highlight what is shaping up as one of the most exciting competitions in years. Since the…
No Sleep ‘Til Fairbanks: Following the Yukon Quest
Brent Sass was ready. His sled bag was loaded, and his dogs were screaming to run, flinging themselves forward against their harnesses, rearing into the air, barking and crying for the trail ahead.Sass, a veteran 33-year-old dog musher, tall and lean with a dark ponytail and scruffy beard, moved up…
At 54, Cindy Abbott Runs the Iditarod to Raise Awareness of Her Rare Disease
As someone who has bungee jumped, climbed the Oakland Bridge, and stayed awake for 80 hours in a sleep deprivation study, I considered myself adventurous. Wrong! At 54, Cindy Abbott is running the Iditarod, a treacherous, 1000-mile dog sled race through the Alaskan wilderness. When she finishes, she will be…
Not Much Snow but Mushing at Victoria Mews
Sled dogs in Boonton? Yes, thanks to Kathy Murarik, the residents at Victoria Mews Assisted Living got a feel for an activity better associated with Alaska.Visiting with Murarik, who is president of the New Jersey Sled Dog Club, were three companions, 4-month-old Siberian Husky, Stormy, and her mom, Libby, and…
Above the trail, Iditarod Air Force Manages Unwieldy Race to Nome
Tuesday’s discovery of a fatal plane crash along the Iditarod Trail is a stark reminder that even with experienced pilots, things can go badly while flying Alaska’s skies.It’s not yet known what caused the Cessna 182 to crash into Simpson Pass en route to Takotna, killing the pilot, a 29-year…
Spirit of the North Winter Warrior Sled Dog Races
The North Star Dog Club hosted multiple sled-dog races in the first ever “Spirit of the North” Winter Warrior sled dog race held Feb. 16–17 on the grounds of Camp Ripley.“Mushers and teams came from all over the state to take part in 10-, 25- and 40-mile races around the…
Iditarod Mushers Running Fast, Early
Mushers have known since the start that this year’s race is likely to be fast, but many seemed surprised that the blistering pace would pick up so early. Mushers typically plan to maintain strong teams and take their time along the first third of the trail.Martin Buser surprised nearly everyone…
Who’s the Toughest Iditarod Musher — and Why?
As mushers on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race make their way to the Rainy Pass checkpoint and beyond, thoughts are focused on one thing: toughness.The section of trail, which includes two technical traverses including the fast and steep Happy River steps and perilous ice bridges dotting the Dalzell Gorge…
Iditablog: Mushers Trying to Throttle Back Blistering Early Pace
Dallas Seavey may be 10 minutes ahead of his planned race pace into Nikolai, but the defending Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion isn’t concerned. If anything he’s hoping his team can dial it down a bit.“Nothing would make me happier than to see this group of dogs waddle out…