Iditarod 2009!!! About This Page:

[Tonichelle]

The race starts this Saturday. With my working all day with no 'net access I guess my updates will be daily... not hourly .

There were a couple of articles in the Anchorage Daily News today. One about the Iditarod Royalty (Families Mackey, Reddington, and Seavey) and another (an Op-Ed) about who is capable of winning (which I disagreed a lot with).

Royal families of the Last Great Race: 2009 Iditarod 37 | adn.com

Not all top mushers have a shot at winning the race: Craig Medred Columns | adn.com

Mushers to watch this year:

Lance Mackey - Will this be a three-peat for the current reigning champ? He's changed up his training habits this year, and bowwed out of the Yukon Quest citing timing issues. He's training new dogs and a new handler. Is this the distraction he needs or will it bite him in the butt? He was the underdog story, now he's an overnight success.

Jeff King - The fourtime champ made a name for himself as Susan Butcher's rival in the 90s, and he's the class clown. The innovator has created the old man's sled (seat on the back of the sled so he doesn't have to stand all day and night), handle bar warmers (which on the first Iditarod trial run set the sled on fire), and has been known to put a dog in the sled in a crate to give it a rest. He always has an interesting soundbite, and his 'war stories' on the trail are second to none. He's been on Mackey's heels the last two years, and a bonehead mistake (falling asleep) cost him last year's race.

Martin Buser - Another four time champion, he's been critisized for babying his team and making it more about fun than competition. Still, he's always willing to change his styles and breeding in order to stay in the mix. Last year he jumped a huge number of places to come in fourth. This year he ran the Yukon Quest as a rookie to give his dogs more conditioning. We'll see if it pays off. His dogs are known to run better in bad weather years.

Mitch Seavey - the 2004 Iditarod Champion has a strategy of numbers. He counts hours like a CoP judge counts revolutions (only he's better at counting!). His dogs are from the original Iditarod dog line, and his family's been in this race from he beginning. He's quiet and keeps to himself, which makes him seem aloof and not that entertaining, but he's not in it for the entertainment. It's serious business. His team won the Alaska Sweepstakes last year, and they were still newbies... now they're seasoned competitors and he considers them the best team he's ever had - including the 2004 championship team.

DeeDee Jonrowe - She has yet to win in all of the years she's run this thing, but she's always in the mix. She's also the token big name female musher. She loves her dogs, and she loves the race and she's one tough cookie. She is a breast cancer survivor.

Other Mushers of Intrest:

Rachel Scdoris - she's back. She'll most likely never win this thing, but you can't help but cheer on the legally blind musher from Oregon. Tim Osmar will, once again, be her guide along the trail.

Dallas Seavey - The youngest musher ever to finish the race, he was 18 the day the race started in 2005. He will most likely hold the title of youngest forever (he says his parents planned it that way :laugh: ). Dallas will be entering his third Iditarod with his own team of dogs - most of which were bought out of his dad's (Mitch Seavey) kennel. He is also a World Class Wrestler and was on his way to the 2008 Olympics when illness and injury sidelined him in 2006/07. In the summer Dallas runs the Wildride Sled Dog Rodeo here in Anchorage, and just happens to be my boss (or was, not sure I'll be back for a third summer : )

Jen Seavey - Three years ago Jen Podzemny came to Alaska looking for a dog team, and she found a musher instead. Jen met and fell hard for Dallas, and they married in early 2008. I have to say they are a perfect fit, but don't think he'll be showing his wife the ropes. She already knows her way around a dog team, and this Iditarod Rookie won't be babied by her hubby or her father in law. She's been quite competitive in the mid-distance races she's entered this season, and I wouldn't put it past her to stay one step ahead of Dallas in the race.

Sites worth checking out (will add more later):
The Official Site of the Iditarod® - the Official Home of the Iditarod on the Web.
IditaProject Forum • Index page - message board run by the Barrow School District. It's a GREAT place for teachers with students following the race, as well as fans.
2009 Iditarod sled dog race | adn.com - Anchorage Daily News' Iditarod Site
Seavey's Iditarod Race Team/ Ididaride Sled Dog Tours - Mitch Seavey's Official Site
...as I said, more to come lol

Ceremonial Start - Saturday, March 7, 10:00am - Anchorage, AK
Official Start - Sunday, March 8, 1:45pm - Willow, AK

[lauren-roxy]

Thanks for all the interesting info!!

[jenifermg0]

Toni -
I'm looking forward to your updates - since I'll be in Hawaii, I won't be keeping track myself as I normally would. Thanks for everything!!!!!!!

[lukeandbrookesmom]

OK, I was hoping for the hourly updates, but I'll settle for daily Still not sure who I'll be rooting for.......

[Cam22]

for the updates even if we don't get them hourly! The official start is Stefanie's birthday.

[3dogknight]

Thanks for the updates. Dog sledding is a growing passion here in Michigan. Look forward to following the race.

[Tonichelle]

yeah, I'm bummed that I don't get to do hourly updates either! especially the closer they get to Nome!

16 hours till opening day! Here are some of the latest greatest articles for race 37!

First of all there is a great little poll on the Peninsula Clarion's website that has Jen Seavey beating her hubby as the highest placing musher.
Surprisingly, there are more people voting that Paul Gebhardt will finish highest than they are Mitch. Paul is a fierce competitor and holds his own. He's in the position now that Mitch was before his win... he's just the Peninsula favorite that everyone is rooting for. A few years ago he spread his favorite lead dog (best lead dog, Governor)'s ashes along the Iditarod trail... he still speaks fondly of that dog... and a little bit of Governor lives on in a lot of the dogs in his kennel - Peninsula Clarion

Yesterday news came that the Iditarod Trail has been lost due to heavy snow. This is the first time in a long time we've read a story like that! - Iditarod Trail missing under deep snow: 2009 Iditarod 37 | adn.com

Last night the mushers drew their bib numbers, you can see the list here - 2009 Iditarod Musher Listing

note that bibs start at #2, that is because #1 signifies all of the mushers who have since left us... in place of bib #1 they have the Jr. Iditarod Champion (this year it was Lance Mackey's stepson, Cain) and an honorary musher run ahead of the pack in the ceremonial start.
Another interesting fact - Dallas Seavey is the only musher who has run both the Jr. Iditarod (where he lost to a GIRL - BOTH years he was part of it!) and the Iditarod in the same year.

Signed my waiver and paid the [new] insurance fee ($10) today (via my wonderful grandfather). I have a hat that he bought me (he's afraid he won't have enough volunteer hats to go around again this year) and it's the limited edition one that I was wanting earlier this year (!!!) it was such a sweet surprise when he dropped it off at the office today. Yes, I am a spoiled grandchild! :laugh: I'll get my other official gear tomorrow apparently. And, of course there will be pictures coming soon after!

I cannot wait for it all to begin! It's a great day to be an Alaskan!

[lukeandbrookesmom]

Great update Toni - thanks for all the links, too!

[Tonichelle]

Today is the day! Cannot wait give the mushers a wonderful send off this afternoon!

Article for today is about a rookie that Lance Mackey has mentored for this year's race:
Iditarod rookie Alexie's mission is twofold: 2009 Iditarod 37 | adn.com



A little bit of trivia for today - the official milage of the Iditarod is 1,049... but the race miles actually vary from year to year as the trail is ever changing (And they have two routes that they alternate years running) so they came up with 1049 because Alaska is the 49th state... it's actually over 1100 miles most years.


Gotta put together my cold winter wear outfit... layers layers layers and head out!


I leave you with Hobo Jim's "Iditarod Trail" - http://www.huskyfan.de/iditarod.mp3

[claytrgtshooter]

Toni - thanks much for the updates. I'm looking forward to seeing your reports as often as you can get them in. Thanks again

[Tonichelle]

I will report more later, needless to say Jeff King totally stole the show... he came down the trail ON SKIS behind his team (but in front of his sled).

Insanity, that was the theme this year...

oh, and all but two of the Seaveys went down the trail today. Dan Seavey Sr. was the honorary musher this year and Conway Seavey (Mitch Seavey's youngest son), Danny Seavey was Mitch Seavey's "handler" (they ride two sleds through Anchorage so the team doesn't blow through the area)... and then Jen and Dallas are running as well... the only two not there were Tyrell (Mitch's second oldest) and Janine (Mitch's wife, who does not mush lol). They definitely took over as the Iditarod family this year, move over Reddingtons.

[Minnie Lor]

Thanks for all of the updates and links. I was trying to get as much info as I could this am. I've been checking out your KTUU tv station on line for videos. I would love to have all access to the videos on the Iditarod Insider.

BTW, we bought my in-laws the Hobo Jim's CD for Christmas.

[Minnie Lor]

Hey Toni ~

We signed up for the Insider coverage. Watched the start LIVE. Cheered for Mitch for you. I'm cheering for DeeDee this year. So cool! Would love to be there. What an opportunity!

[3dogknight]

Thanks for the updates

[Tonichelle]

DeeDee's parents are members of my church... just more random trivia. I don't know them, though. (it's a BIG church)

and yay for Mitch! oops! *grabs mouth* I'm not supposed to cheer for the Seaveys during the race as per Dallas' request. It seems whomever I cheer for in sports is doomed to lose!