Iditarod 2007

[Tonichelle]

Yes it really is that time of year yet again! March 3 hosts the ceremonial start in Anchorage, Alaska and I'll be at my usual spot with my camera and wearing a ton of clothes because it's going to be so flipping cold this year! UGH!

GOOOOOOOO TEAMS!

Here's hoping Martin Buser will come out on top!

 

[SeaniBu]

GO BALTO!

Cool, keep us posted Toni, that is such an interesting race. Hoping to see some of the pictures too!:agree:

Keep warm!

 

[Tonichelle]

*sigh* Balto gets all the credit... when he was really just one of two heroic lead dogs...

and don't even get me started on that farce of a film that Spielberg produced. I know it was animated, but couldn't it have at least TRIED to follow the true story?

 

[SeaniBu]

*sigh*

You mean he didn't team up with a goose to save the town of Nome with the vaccine?


Yah, I have been seeing a lot of the "true story" on History channel coming up. When Truth is greater then fiction.

OK, now do I ask if Cuba Gooding Jr. is going to be there?

 

[Tonichelle]

I've not seen snow dogs (I think that's teh title?) - even though my brother owns it - but I don't think he'll be there

i don't think he could handle it

 

[SeaniBu]

Yep, Snow Dogs. I "liked" it. Not clever by any means, but a neat movie to watch as you do house choirs or something - one you can talk thru.

I am not remembering another Disney movie about the Iditarod. ???? It was back in the 70s I think. ???

Have they added any mandatory rest stops for the dogs yet? Oh now I am stating to think of the animal rights issues. Hum??? I wonder why they don't just make it shorter really.

 

[Tonichelle]

they don't make it shorter because the dogs do have one manditory 24 hour layover as well as another 6 hour layover. Any signs of cruelty will get a musher basically a moving targets by others- as well as disqualified.

The only real abuse these dogs might suffer is when they're cut from the team...

 

[SeaniBu]

I have been reading and looking into this that I had never before. I agree.:agree: I don't see animal cruelty in this. You can just look at the dogs face, know this is what they want to do. Plus the dogs that didn't want to do this would not be selected for the team.

117 deaths during is not really that bad IMO - in consideration. I can find evidence of only ONE Moose attack, that I found interesting.

Basically they are athletes. It is in their soul to be a "work" dog. They live for this and I feel it is not cruelty, unless of course it is a bad person being cruel - not the race. But otherwise I think the dogs love it and agree, it is more cruel to not let them do it. Dogs are strange in the way the get enjoyment out of things like that. And these dogs in-particular are naturally driven to do this.

It fits my belief that treating a dog like a dog is better for the dog then treating them like a child. Loving and caring for an animal like a child is one thing, but dogs aren't humans.

Anyhoo, this is cool and I am looking forward to your reports.

 

[Tonichelle]

moose shy away from noise, and those dogs can be quiet loud, especially when you have a musher pushing them with the yelling of commands...

the moose was a freak accident, poor Susan (may she rest in peace ) had to wrestle it away from the dogs and lost so many of her team... it was rough... and it was a shocking story...

 

[Tonichelle]

starts in about 40 minutes, I better get my booty out the door!

 

[Tonichelle]

just incase anyone cares - the restart (or official start) went off without a hitch this morning and now the race has begun in earnest...

which is great because for the next two weeks I get to sit and watch the standings like the obsessive little fan I am...

As of 10:55pm AKST (so that's 11:55 PST) here are the top ten standings
1 Aaron Burmeister OUT OF Skwentna
2 Robert Sorlie OUT OF Skwentna *
3 Jason Barron OUT OF Skwentna
4 Jim Lanier IN TO Skwentna
5 Zack Steer IN TO Skwentna
6 Martin Buser IN TO Skwentna
7 Cim Smyth IN TO Skwentna
8 DeeDee Jonrowe IN TO Skwentna
9 Ramey Smyth IN TO Skwentna
10 Randy Cummins IN TO Skwentna

those in Bold are past champions
* - denotes the reigning champ

for complete standings, click here

 

[Julia]

It fits my belief that treating a dog like a dog is better for the dog then treating them like a child. Loving and caring for an animal like a child is one thing, but dogs aren't humans.

My dogs would disagree but that's another topic.

Anyway, I heard you folks were talking Iditarod here so I came to share what I know. Of course living in the Southeast all my life means everything I know would fit on a Post-It.

Robert Sorlies posted videos of each of his dogs on Youtube. Each dog has his own movie there. He could have just said here's my dogs and pointed at a bunch of dogs, but each one got a moment of fame. I just find that so endearing. Here's a link to the one named Rolex- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty8a3oossHA

 

[Tonichelle]

Sorlie seems like quite a character... I enjoy his interviews on TV every night (hey he's the reigning champ, so they have to interview him, even if he isn't Alaskan lol)

Martin Buser and the Happy Trails Dogsled Team are the ones I'm rooting for this year (see siggy to get an idea lol) he rocks my socks... http://www.buserdogs.com <--his youngest son is the JR Iditarod champ this year! WOOT!

 

[Tonichelle]

This just in - Doug Swingley 4 time champ of the Last Great Race scratched this afternoon after suffering broken ribs and a sprained thumb
http://www.iditarod.com/2007/dailyarchives/story_250.html

I don't know for sure but I think the trail from Finger Lake to Rainy Pass must be pretty bad as Martin Buser went from having a huge lead in first to dropping all the way back to 9th. Which says a lot, as he has one of the fastest teams out there, so hoping everyone else makes it (looks like a couple of people scratched after coming into Rainy Pass)...

Swingly isn't an Alaskan favorite only because he's an 'outsider' and some say he has a bad rep with 'fans' but I wouldn't know. Growing up I never cheered for him (but then I never cheered for Buser either, but he was recently 'adopted' by Alaskans... well not recently probably 10 years ago now... still this is a big bummer as he always is a front runner. Get well soon, Doug!

 

[Tonichelle]

Fan favorite, and trail vet, DeeDee Jonrowe was forced to scratch after battling the same patch of trail as Doug Swingly this morning.

She's never won the race but has always been a major contender...

From what I've been told the trail has been the worst it's been in a long while due to the icy conditions of the trail after the wind storms at the end of February.

Here's hoping those that are already past the most trecherous (it's always a rough go from Finger Lake to Rainy Pass) portion of the trail have easy sailing from here on out, and those that have yet to cross it hopefully they make it through in one piece!

ETA: Other's have scratched, but were not contenders for the title (either Rookies, or just have never made top 15)

ETA2: More info is coming through - she actually scratched fairly early on yesterday evening but the Iditarod officials did not announce it until this morning. She had a nasty fall in the same spot Doug Swingly did and broke her 'little finger' as well as possibly other injuries to her hand. The press release was vague on details.

 

[Julia]

Iditarod for Dummies- http://www.ultimateiditarod.com/dummies.htm

This was exactly what I needed.
I kept wondering why people kept talking about the 'restart'. Why did they have to restart the race? I'm getting questions like this answered. Learning the lingo certainly does help.
Must go check on any news now...

 

[Tonichelle]

if you have any questions throw them my way! I've grown up with the race!

 

[Tonichelle]

We're at the point in the race where the big 'layovers' happen... where the mushers/teams take the manditory 24 hour break at one of the check points... there's no set part of the race where they have to take it (though they have to have taken at least one of the breaks 8 or 24 hour by Iditarod or they stay in Iditarod until they take a break lol)

Iditarod is also where the first cash prize is awarded to the first musher in...

Lance Mackey is still in first, but has yet to take the manditory breaks... Jeff King and Martin Buser have fallen to 8th and 9th respectively, but it looks like they may be taking their second break (or first in King's case, but it looks like Buser already took his 8 hour, though it's not showing up that way on the site)

anyway, I'm rambling now... day 4 is almost over and they're just about half way there

 

[Julia]

if you have any questions throw them my way! I've grown up with the race!

Ok I will.
One obvious thing I totally forgot was the time difference. I was clicking on Alaska webcams around 7AM EST but everything was dark. Duh - it was 3AM there.
Anyway, here's a link to a bunch of Alaska webcams - http://www.akmining.com/webcams.htm

Here's a neat article talking about the terrible conditions- http://www.adn.com/iditarod/race_2007/features/story/8690219p-8588389c.html
It talked about somebody who was missing (he showed up) but do the mushers have radios or phones or something to call for help?

 

[Tonichelle]

I wouldn't doubt it if some do, but where they run through the reception for cell phones may or may not work (I don't care what ACS says their cell phones NEVER work in the mountains!) and Alaska is so big that even if they CAN get someone, it isn't easy to find them! LOL

I'll have to look into the communication systems - if any - that are used...