Date: March 22, 2007 at 9:00 am
Halverson overcomes anxiety, claims 2007 Red Lantern Award
KASILOF, Alaska — Like most Iditarod mushers who wind up with the “honor” of claiming the infamous Red Lantern Award, Ellen Halverson never set out to be dead last. “My goal was to finish,” the Wasilla, Alaska, psychiatrist said.
Halverson, 46, was among a small pack of three rookies struggling for one reason or another to keep a pace that would prevent them from being disqualified for being too slow. They teamed up, looked after each other and kept each other moving. The others included Donald Smidt, 39, who piloted a team of 16 slow-moving registered Siberian huskies all the way to Nome. He didn’t drop a single dog. And there was also Heather Siirtola, nicknamed “hard-core Heather” by her friends in Talkeetna.
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Date: March 21, 2007 at 4:49 pm
The 2007 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race officially ended at 2:56 this morning (Alaska Time) when Wasilla Alaska musher Ellen Halverson (Bib #41) ended her journey under the Burled Arch in Nome Alaska. The 46 year old musher made the trek from Wasilla to Nome in 16 days, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 26 seconds.
Halverson was greeted by well wishers at the finish line including Loren Prosser Wells Fargo Bering Sea Community Bank President who awarded Halverson the coveted Wells Fargo Red Lantern Award.
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Date: March 20, 2007 at 4:54 pm
AAFES, a dog that was in the team of G.B. Jones was found at Rohn Roadhouse late yesterday afternoon. AFEES slipped from her harness on March 8th in Ptarmigan Pass. Jones scratched from the Race on March 9th in order to begin searching for AFEES.
Yesterday Jones posted an email message stating “AAFES has been found alive and is doing well! She was airlifted off the Alaska Range and is currently being flown to Anchorage. The story will be told here within a couple of days. My thanks to everyone for your prayers and concern.” G.B. Jones.
Date: March 20, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Drawn March 18, 2007 Nome, AK
1 #1965
Janice Laverdure, Unalaska, AK
-2007 Dodge Ram Laramie “HEMI” 4×4 Quad Cab Pickup with Leather Package, 20″ Alloy Wheels & Tow Package-Anchorage Chrysler Dodge
2–#3500
Julie Barajas, Anchorage, AK
-2007 Ski-Doo Summit “Rev Chasis” 550F Snowmobile-AK Mining & Diving Supply
3–#2958
Stephen Hill, Anvik, AK
-Caribbean Cruise for Two (12 days/11 nights)-Holland America
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Date: March 19, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Mushers tell yarns, get trophies at finishers’ banquet
NOME, Alaska, — The Iditarod’s awards banquet is never complete without a song from Jim Lanier, the race’s “oldest” participant, as Lanier’s son, Jimmy, noted from the podium at this city’s civic center, which was packed with a boisterous crowd.
Lanier, 66, and his son, 9, sang a duet this year, a lullaby about falling asleep by not counting sheep but by counting your sled dogs’ feet. Other mushers told stories and jokes at the expense of competitors from the trail, and they thanked their sponsors.
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Date: March 18, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Tekla Monson, age 11, the daughter of Dave Monson and the late Iditarod legend Susan Butcher, arrived unpresumptiously at 6PM under the burled arch finish in Nome with her eight dog team Saturday afternoon-after a 700 mile trip on the historical Serum Run Trail. Long sentence, but Tekla deserves it.
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Date: March 18, 2007 at 5:05 pm
The IDITAROD XXXV Wells Fargo Awards Banquet was filled to the brim at Nome’s Recreation Center this evening. Hundreds of mushers, supporters, and volunteers were on hand to celebrate the finish of an historical race with a celebration that lasted hours.
49 mushers were recognized for making the trek to Nome and crossing the finish line. Two mushers, Jeff Wells and Dan Carter, were able to attend the Awards Ceremony after arriving in Nome this evening at 5:40 and 6:36 respectively. Nine mushers remain on the trail.
Lance Mackey, the 2007 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion was on hand receiving a number of awards including the Chevron Most Inspirational Musher Award, and the GCI Dorothy Page Halfway Award.
Date: March 18, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Cabelas Outfitter Award:
Bruce Milne/Bryan Mills
Penn Air Spirit Of Alaska Award:
Martin Buser
GCI Dorothy Page Halfway Award:
Lance Mackey
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Date: March 18, 2007 at 3:59 pm
NOME, Alaska — If Bryan Mills were a lead dog, he might be related to Lance Mackey’s go-to guy, Larry. Mills has what mushers call a “tough head,” the ability to keep his attitude and drive on, no matter what. The proof: He ran 75 percent of the Iditarod with a broken leg.
He described the jarring, teeth-clattering rides through snowless tundra as extremely painful on the stress-fractured fibula, which is the smaller of the two bones below the knee. But frankly, he added, there were so many other pain issues that it all just became a dull roar of sensory information. Frosty-cold ears and exposed facial skin took all his concentration as he drove up the windy Yukon River.
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Date: March 17, 2007 at 5:06 pm
The Following is a letter of thanks from Iditarod XXXV Musher Karen Ramstead;
Just a short note to let you all know that the team and I accompanied Snickers body back to Anchorage on Monday evening. She was in a lovely little casket that Skip in Grayling made for her. It was lined with straw and handlettered on the top was her name, with a heart above the ‘i’. I was deeply moved by the thoughtfulness.
I have actually been very moved by the huge outpouring of sympathy that Mark and I have received through phone calls and emails. Although the burden of this loss is great, it is helped when you know you do not carry it alone.
The loss of Snickers was unexpected and shocking. My heart aches so deeply that I’m still not prepared to sit down and put the story on ‘paper’. I do wish however, for everyone to know that it seems Snickers died from a bleeding ulcer. A team of 4 incredible vets (Dr. Justine Lee, Dr. Turner Lewis, and the Dr. Mikes) worked for hours on her. The lengths they went to in the middle of the wilds of Alaska were simply amazing and included a dog to dog blood transfusion off of her brother, Crunchie (who was so cooperative and calm it was spooky).
I know that everything possible was done to try and save our little lead dog – and we will forever be grateful for that.
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