Greetings Race Fans! Welcome to Seeing Double's annual coverage of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. For any newcomers, my name is Kat, and I am Kristy and Anna's not-a-twin sister and self-proclaimed Mad Blogger extraordinaire. While the twins are out on the trail, I'll be providing general race updates, the inside scoop on Anna, Kristy, and their dogs, some gold nuggets of random information, inevitably a few questionable dog puns, and - with any luck - some laughs.
So without further ado, let's get this Iditarod Party started and let the dogs out with the EARLY LOOK. In true Mad Blogger fashion, my early look starts by taking us back.
In 1973, twenty-two men finally succeeded in something Joe Redington Sr. and Dorothy G. Page had been crafting and fighting for for years - a competitive sled dog race across Alaska. A race that would preserve the historic trail, commemorate the 1925 Diptheria run to Nome that saved so may lives, and celebrate the culture of mushing and amazing Alaskan huskies that for generations enriched so many others.
It took every single one of those twenty-two men over twenty days to reach Nome in March '73. And I say "men" because it was only men - but not for long. The following year, Mary Shields became the first woman to complete the Iditarod. The year after that, the winner came in under 20 days. In 1981, Rick Swenson was the first champion to break out of the teens, finishing the race inside of twelve and a half days. 1985 brought the first female champion with Libby Riddles, and the next half decade was dominated by Susan Butcher. She not only won the race in 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990 but was the first person to break the 12-day barrier and finish with an 11-day handle.
Of course, the Iditarod has continued to evolve and change over the years. Now the record for fastest finish (excluding the shortened 2021 Gold Trail Loop) is 8 days, 3 hours and change. Fans from all over the world can follow the race online, right down to GPS trackers in individual musher sleds. You can get a drone's eye view of the start. For mushers, gear is lighter, warmer, and more durable. Same is true for the dogs' gear. In addition, advances in dog care, nutrition, breeding, and training have allowed Iditarod's canine athletes to do what they love, faster and healthier.
In the not too distant future, we may have self-driving snow machines to go out and break trail and 10-day weather forecasts with guaranteed accuracy. Until then, and perhaps even then, Iditarod remains an endurance event of epic proportions and multiple variables.
For the 50th Iditarod, 49 people are currently scheduled to leave the start. Regardless of gender or experience level, each individual musher and his/her dedicated dog team will follow the same 975 miles of the northern trail route and abide by the same rules.
Breakdown on the overall stats:
Iditarod veterans: 36
Rookies: 13
Total: 49
Men: 32 (25 vets / 7 rookies)
Women: 17 (11 vets / 6 rookies)
Where are the mushers from?
US: Alaska & Michigan
Canada: Yukon, Quebec, Alberta
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, & France
Assuming each musher leaves the start with a full compliment of 14 dogs, there will be 686 dogs descending on Willow Lake for the official restart Sunday.
For the twins, this year brings Kristy's 13th career start in Iditarod, and Anna's 11th. They have 20 successful Iditarod finishes between them as they start down this year's trail. Although they live and do the majority of their training together, as per Iditarod rules each twin will have 14 dogs dedicated to her team. The twins have promised to get me the full biographies on their dog teams before they leave, so stay tuned for more there. They also have their bib numbers already. As mushers are not attending the opening banquet this year, where numbers would normally be drawn, as a Covid precaution, they were assigned randomly and released early. Anna will be the first of the two off the line in Bib 9, Kristy will follow 30 minutes later in Bib 24.
As to the rest of the pre-race preparations... drop bags were packed and delivered to Iditarod by Feb. 17. That's a huge task and a serious one, as the food and supplies a musher sends out to each checkpoint are a key component to the race. EKGs and blood draws for labs on the dogs were completed recently. The twins are also fully vaccinated per Iditarod Covid protocols.
The rest of the twins' week will be filled with local training runs for the dogs, some meetings, preparing for the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage Saturday morning, checking dog coats, collars, gear and gang lines, and making piles of stuff to repack Saturday night before (gasp!) the official restart Sunday afternoon. Oh, and hopefully a few emails and phone calls with this Mad Blogger so I'll have all the info I possibly can to guide us down the trail.
Well, my lovelies - here we go again! Gear Up, armchair mushers. I'll be back with dog team biographies and details from the starts this weekend (although, alas ~ I couldn't swing in-person attendance again this year). I typically provide daily updates once Kristy and Anna are running down the trail, and you can look forward to at least a couple special editions. I may even hear from one or both of the twins during the race! If I do, you will, too.
Until my next post ~ thanks for joining me for Iditarod 2022!
So without further ado, let's get this Iditarod Party started and let the dogs out with the EARLY LOOK. In true Mad Blogger fashion, my early look starts by taking us back.
In 1973, twenty-two men finally succeeded in something Joe Redington Sr. and Dorothy G. Page had been crafting and fighting for for years - a competitive sled dog race across Alaska. A race that would preserve the historic trail, commemorate the 1925 Diptheria run to Nome that saved so may lives, and celebrate the culture of mushing and amazing Alaskan huskies that for generations enriched so many others.
It took every single one of those twenty-two men over twenty days to reach Nome in March '73. And I say "men" because it was only men - but not for long. The following year, Mary Shields became the first woman to complete the Iditarod. The year after that, the winner came in under 20 days. In 1981, Rick Swenson was the first champion to break out of the teens, finishing the race inside of twelve and a half days. 1985 brought the first female champion with Libby Riddles, and the next half decade was dominated by Susan Butcher. She not only won the race in 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990 but was the first person to break the 12-day barrier and finish with an 11-day handle.
Of course, the Iditarod has continued to evolve and change over the years. Now the record for fastest finish (excluding the shortened 2021 Gold Trail Loop) is 8 days, 3 hours and change. Fans from all over the world can follow the race online, right down to GPS trackers in individual musher sleds. You can get a drone's eye view of the start. For mushers, gear is lighter, warmer, and more durable. Same is true for the dogs' gear. In addition, advances in dog care, nutrition, breeding, and training have allowed Iditarod's canine athletes to do what they love, faster and healthier.
In the not too distant future, we may have self-driving snow machines to go out and break trail and 10-day weather forecasts with guaranteed accuracy. Until then, and perhaps even then, Iditarod remains an endurance event of epic proportions and multiple variables.
For the 50th Iditarod, 49 people are currently scheduled to leave the start. Regardless of gender or experience level, each individual musher and his/her dedicated dog team will follow the same 975 miles of the northern trail route and abide by the same rules.
Breakdown on the overall stats:
Iditarod veterans: 36
Rookies: 13
Total: 49
Men: 32 (25 vets / 7 rookies)
Women: 17 (11 vets / 6 rookies)
Where are the mushers from?
US: Alaska & Michigan
Canada: Yukon, Quebec, Alberta
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, & France
Assuming each musher leaves the start with a full compliment of 14 dogs, there will be 686 dogs descending on Willow Lake for the official restart Sunday.
For the twins, this year brings Kristy's 13th career start in Iditarod, and Anna's 11th. They have 20 successful Iditarod finishes between them as they start down this year's trail. Although they live and do the majority of their training together, as per Iditarod rules each twin will have 14 dogs dedicated to her team. The twins have promised to get me the full biographies on their dog teams before they leave, so stay tuned for more there. They also have their bib numbers already. As mushers are not attending the opening banquet this year, where numbers would normally be drawn, as a Covid precaution, they were assigned randomly and released early. Anna will be the first of the two off the line in Bib 9, Kristy will follow 30 minutes later in Bib 24.
As to the rest of the pre-race preparations... drop bags were packed and delivered to Iditarod by Feb. 17. That's a huge task and a serious one, as the food and supplies a musher sends out to each checkpoint are a key component to the race. EKGs and blood draws for labs on the dogs were completed recently. The twins are also fully vaccinated per Iditarod Covid protocols.
The rest of the twins' week will be filled with local training runs for the dogs, some meetings, preparing for the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage Saturday morning, checking dog coats, collars, gear and gang lines, and making piles of stuff to repack Saturday night before (gasp!) the official restart Sunday afternoon. Oh, and hopefully a few emails and phone calls with this Mad Blogger so I'll have all the info I possibly can to guide us down the trail.
Well, my lovelies - here we go again! Gear Up, armchair mushers. I'll be back with dog team biographies and details from the starts this weekend (although, alas ~ I couldn't swing in-person attendance again this year). I typically provide daily updates once Kristy and Anna are running down the trail, and you can look forward to at least a couple special editions. I may even hear from one or both of the twins during the race! If I do, you will, too.
Until my next post ~ thanks for joining me for Iditarod 2022!
 | Putting a face on your Mad Blogger... With my Dog Handler badges (in-person 2010 thru 2019). With my 80+ pound adopted Great Dobernees - the reason I can't travel right now.  |
