Anchorage, AK–At the height of summer, it’s hard to imagine what Alaska looks like when it’s Iditarod time. Everything was gorgeous and green when I visited in June, 2009. What’s not hard to imagine is the long distances between towns and villages, because even in the height of 18-hour daylight summer days, the drives can be daunting. (Read Jack London or Alaska’s Wolf Man by Jim Rearden to set the mood.) Switch that mix to short, dark days combined with bone-chilling temps and snow, and you’ve got some serious racing.
This year’s race include a rookie from Chicago–Pat Moon of Park Ridge, IL. And there’s a Jamaican guy–what’s up with that? Doesn’t he know everyone’s heading TO Jamaica in March?
The Iditarod runs more than 1100 miles, with teams of dogs that have been trained year round. Lest you think that the mushers are getting a free, albeit cold, ride, it’s time to correct your assumption. Mushing is a lot of pushing and kicking (think riding a Razr Scooter) as you help the dogs along and hope the sled does not tip. It’s no fun running after a team of full-out racing dogs hitched to a now-riderless sled. Trust me on this. A four-hour dog sledding trip I enjoyed in Jasper, Canada left me tired, hungry, and ready for the hot tub.
My recommendation is to bid on a slot in the basket of a sled in the Iditarod auction. You can choose your musher. Minimum bid is $500. Basket riders tag along for only 11 miles, but that’s more than enough to earn bragging rights for riding in the Iditarod, right?
