Talkeetna Dog Sleds - 4

To just compete in the Iditarod is the goal of most mushers. Just like a major marathon race (think Boston), there are minimum experience requirements to just enter Iditarod. To win the race is the ultimate achievement and Dallas Seavey has done it 5 times! His father has won 3 times. You see Dallas' 5 trophies in the first photos below (with the lead dog's harness and name draped over it). The third photo shows an overview of the race with checkpoints identified. I really wish I had taken a photo of the full poster. Our tour guide was a multi-time musher in the race and freely told us so many details of the race - from training to dog selection to on-the-trail strategies and details. The race starts in the south with mountain trails - her favorite part of the race. The team energy is at a peak and the scenery is breathtaking. Mushing a sled in the quiet nature is a Zen feeling. You see a North and South loop identified on the map. The villages want the race to go through them (quite the party!) and the solution was to alternate the route for the middle part of the race every other year. The team starts with 16 or fewer dogs. At each checkpoint, there are checks and logs on the health of each dog as well as the musher (the number of support volunteers is huge for this race). If a dog shows any distress, it is removed from the team and flown back to the start where it is cared for until reunited with its team. The musher can place a dog or two in the sled for a part of the race to help rest a dog. The team must take a minimum 12 hr (? not sure this time is correct) break somewhere along the course. They get to choose the checkpoint - often based on the party and food available! Just like so many things in life, the team can go no faster than its weakest member so managing and being in tune with each dog is a huge piece of being a champion. Some of the initial 16 dogs are included to gain experience. A kennel like this will have several teams entered as part of selecting the right set of dogs for a championship run in a future race. With 5 wins, Dallas obviously has the talent to mange such a large operation. By the time the race ends, a champion musher will usually be down to 6 dogs. These strongest of the strong dogs demonstrate the endurance needed for that heartbreak, grueling finish. The last segments along the North coastline are very difficult. The trails are not as well marked (very lonely feeling) and you are following a coastline, typically in heavy fog and snow weather - not to mention fatigue setting in. Let's not forget about the musher's endurance! The race takes over a week to complete with very little sleep and essentially in the dark of the Artic (short days at best). Balancing the time for rest and nutrition for the musher and the dogs is quite the task. As stated earlier, the goal of most mushers is to just finish. Such special people and we got to spend time with one!


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