If there is one day when mushers in the Iditarod sled dog race did not have to worry about trail conditions, it was on Saturday during the ceremonial start.
A lack of snow south of the Alaska Range created treacherous trail conditions, forcing race officials to move the competitive start of the race to today in Fairbanks. A stalled jet stream pushed Arctic air and snow into the Midwest and the east coast, but kept Alaska fairly warm and dry this winter. However, the ceremonial start, a chance for fans and mushers to meet in a casual atmosphere, went on as planned in Alaska’s largest city.
Despite the city receiving only about a third of its normal winter snowfall, Anchorage was still able to stage the traditional ceremonial start to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. City crews overnight delivered up to 350 truck loads of snow and spread it out over city blocks so the show could go on. The festivities started on Saturday morning in very un-Iditarod-like conditions — almost 5°C with a light rain falling before the start.
Photo: Reuters
City maintenance workers stockpiled snow from neighborhoods the past few months and kept it for winter events, culminating with the Iditarod, Anchorage public works department’s Paul VanLandingham said.
This event is designed for fans who cannot be on the rugged 1,600km trail stretching from Fairbanks to Nome.
Mushers took off from the start line along Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue every two minutes. Fans lined the streets and cheered on the mushers and their Iditariders, who are people who have won auctions to be in the sled. The route covered 19 city blocks before it met up with the city’s trail system and ended in East Anchorage.
Fans arrived early on Saturday morning before the start to mingle with the mushers and pet one of the estimated thousand dogs that are set to be in the race.
Musher DeeDee Jonrowe — a fan favorite — is in her 33rd Iditarod. She spent most of the morning signing autographs, posing for photos and greeting fans like they were long-lost friends.
“It’s an opportunity to show people the dogs I raise, and the quality of the dogs I raise,” she said. “I like that we have a day that we can give back.”
Musher Justin Savidis of Willow said the start is an opportunity to let the dogs shine in the spotlight and let them have some fun.
“You know, if you’re not having fun doing this, there’s no reason to do it,” he said.
This year’s Iditarod features 78 mushers, including six former champions and 20 rookies.
The winner is set to receive a bigger purse, US$70,000, which is US$19,600 more than defending champion Dallas Seavey received last year.
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