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The Iditarod

The Iditarod. “Last Great Race on Earth”. The Last Great Race on Earth. 1150 Miles (length from Eau Claire to Florida) of rough terrain, mountain ranges, frozen rivers, forests and tundra Race lasts 10-17 days. What were the reasons the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was started?.

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The Iditarod

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  1. The Iditarod “Last Great Race on Earth”

  2. The Last Great Race on Earth • 1150 Miles (length from Eau Claire to Florida) of rough terrain, mountain ranges, frozen rivers, forests and tundra • Race lasts 10-17 days

  3. What were the reasons the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was started? For six thousand years, sled dogs have served as the main form of transportation for the native peoples of the north.  As white settlers, gold miners, and fur trappers moved into Alaska and northern Canada, they used the dog team for winter transportation.  The dogs and mushers delivered mail and supplies when the gold camps needed deliveries during the winter months.  One of the major routes followed by the teams was the Iditarod Trail. 

  4. What were the reasons the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was started? (continued) In the winter of 1925, a diphtheria epidemic struck Nome.  The anti-serum required to stop the epidemic needed get to Nome quickly, but no roads to Nome existed, ships could not sail through the packed ice, and air travel was too dangerous.  The Iditarod Trail was the only answer, and a group of 18 dog teams and mushers moved the serum 674 miles from Nenana to Nome.  This is the well-known story of Balto.

  5. What were the reasons the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was started? (continued) Sled dogs began to disappear as snowmobiles, airplanes, and roads arrived in Alaska during the middle 20th century.  Then Joe Redington Sr. and a group of mushers worked together to start a race across Alaska that followed the old Iditarod Trail.  This race was the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and it has become the world's most famous sled dog race since its first running in 1973. 

  6. What does the word Iditarod mean? Iditarod is believed to come from an Athabaskan Indian word pronounced "Hi-dit-a-rod."  There are many translations for this word, but the most widely accepted meaning is "a distant or far off place."  The town of Iditarod was built on the banks of the Iditarod River, and the trails leading to Iditarod from Seward and Nome were collectively known as the Iditarod Trail.

  7. Do the dogs like pulling? Absolutely!  The dogs have been born and bred to pull for thousands of years.  Sled dogs don't know how to catch a Frisbee or fetch a stick like labs and retrievers.  Their play time is when they are running.  Working together in the teams is an instinct believed to be related to the instinct that wolves have to hunt and travel together in packs. 

  8. What do the dogs eat? The first answer is: a lot!  Each dog consumes 10-14,000 calories every day during the Iditarod.  Protein is essential to help the dogs maintain strong, firm muscles and a good coat.

  9. What do the dogs eat? (continued) Most mushers feed a combination of high fat, high protein dry dog food plus raw meats and fats from sources including beef, horse, lamb, fish, seal, moose, and other wild game.    A typical meal for a sled dog is about 2/3 of a pound of dry dog food, a pound of meat, up to a half a pound of fat, and about a quart of water.

  10. Dog Sled Team How many dogs are used in an Iditarod Team? The race rules require that teams begin the race with between 12 and 16 dogs.  Remember, a dog can be sent home from the trail if needs be, but it can not be put back in the team later on in the race or replaced with another dog.  Most teams finish with between 8 and 12 dogs.  The mandatory minimum in the race rules is 5 dogs.

  11. Dog Sled Team(continued) Do the dogs always run in the same position in the team? No, most dogs are very flexible, and, in fact, mushers want their dogs to be as versatile as possible.  This versatility allows mushers to switch the dogs in and out of different positions.  Rotating dogs through these positions spreads this additional duty across all the dogs.  Not every dog wants to run in front.  Some dogs prefer to follow the tail of the dog in front of them, but other dogs don't mind the mental challenge of being a lead dog.

  12. Dog Sled Team (continued) What do Swing Dogs and Team Dogs do? Swing dogs help the leaders set the pace and help in turning the team.  If only the leaders wanted to turn in the direction of the musher's commands, the team may not turn, so the swing dogs back the leaders up in these cases.  The job of team dogs is to follow the dog in front of them and steadily pull.  They provide the "horsepower.“

  13. What kind of dogs are used in the Iditarod? The most commonly used dog in the Iditarod is the Alaskan Husky which is actually a mixed breed, or mutt, dog that is born and bred to love to pull.        Beginning 150 years ago, white settlers, gold miners, and fur trappers moved into the northland and brought their own dogs with them.  These dogs were a hodge-podge mix of larger breed dogs that were not raised and bred for pulling.  As a result, these dogs didn't do very well, but as these dogs interbred with the native sled dogs, the resulting dogs were excellent sled dogs, and the original "mutt" Alaskan Husky was born. 

  14. What is a Musher? • A person who travels with dogs over a trail. • They can ride on the dogsled or sometimes they can run along side of the dogsled • Mushers come from all walks of life • #1 rule for mushers: DO NOT LET GO! 

  15. … On the trail … • Every musher is different – some run their dogs during the day, some run them at night • Each musher has their own idea on how to train, feed and motivate their dogs so they can succeed in the race • Mushers must follow specific rules about the race • Each team must have : an arctic parka, a heavy sleeping bag, an ax, snowshoes, musher food, dog food and boots for each dog’s feet to protect against cutting ice and hard packed snow injuries

  16. Mushing Terms Booties - A type of sock that is made to protect the dog’s feet from small cuts and sores Gee - Command for right turn Haw - Command for left turn Mush - Command to start the team or tell the team to go faster Pedaling - Pushing the sled with one foot while the other remains on the runner Swing Dog - Dog that runs directly behind the leader Wheelers - Dogs placed directly in front of the sled. Their job is to pull the sled out and around corners or trees. They are usually the strongest dogs on the team

  17. Equipment Cargo Bed--the portion of the sled designed for carrying the load.  Brushbow--the "bumper" of the sled that deflects trees and brush and takes hits in collisions.  Footboards--the narrow boards mounted on the ends of the runners where the musher stands. Brake--The brake is an aluminum or steel bar in a U-shape.  Two metal claws hang down from the bar.  When the bar is stepped on, the claws dig into the snow to slow and stop the team. Runners--the skis that slide along the snow and support the rest of the sled.

  18. Equipment, continued Axe--Not only can it be used to cut wood to make a fire, the axe can also be used to cut holes in ice to get water, fix broken sleds, splint broken sled stanchions, cut frozen dog food, and more. Snowshoes w/ Bindings--allows a person to walk on top of lots of deep, powdery snow and pack down a trail.  Cold Weather Sleeping Bag--mushers make good use of their sleeping bags whenever the chance for a few minutes' sleep arises. Stove and Water Pot (cooker)--the dogs require a lot of water, and the primary source of this water is the snow.  These "cookers" can melt up to 4 gallons of snow and heat it to boiling water in just over 30 minutes. 

  19. Past Winners Year Musher City, State, Country 2000 Doug Swingley Lincoln, Montana, USA 2001 Doug Swingley Lincoln, Montana, USA 2002 Martin Buser Big Lake, AK, USA 2003 Robert Sorlie Hurdal, Norway 2004 Mitch Seavey Seward, AK, USA 2005 Robert Sorlie Hurdal, Norway 2006 Jeff King Denali, AK, USA 2007 Lance Mackey Fairbanks, AK, USA 2008 Lance Mackey Fairbanks, AK, USA 2009 Lance Mackey Fairbanks, AK, USA

  20. Iditarod Records MusherYear(s)Record Martin Buser 2002 Fastest Winning Time Rick Swenson 77-79-81-82-91 Most Times Won - Five (5) Mary Shields 1974 First Woman to Finish Libby Riddles 1985 First Woman to Win Doug Swingley 1995 First Musher from Outside of Alaska to Win Robert Sorlie 2003 First Musher from Overseas to Win

  21. 2005 Iditarod Prizes 1st$72,066.67 9th$32,377.78 2nd$65,800.00 10th$29,244.44 3rd$59,533.33 11th$26,111.11 4th$52,222.22 12th$22,977.78 5th$45,955.56 13th$20,888.89 6th$41,777.78 14th$18,800.00 7th$38,644.44 15th$17,755.56 8th$35,511.11 16th$16,711.11 Total Top Thirty $705,000.00 Remaining Finishers $45,107.00 Total Purse $750,107.00

  22. Websites http://www.adn.com/iditarod/ http://www.iditarod.com/ http://www.ultimateiditarod.com/iditarodadultsF.htm

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