by Kim Slade

Huskies won’t be the only dogs out on the trail – Jack; Wells Fargo’s Lead Dog will be traveling along the trail too!

In the days of the Gold Rush, dogs like Jack helped Wells Fargo agents guard gold and treasure shipments as they moved from mining camps to WF offices. These dogs became symbols of security and faithful service in the express business.

Since these security dogs played a role in transportation, I felt it only fitting that Jack travel along the Historic Iditarod Trail. He will be my companion and will show up in my journaling, “Where is Jack?” Look for him along the 2007 Iditarod Trail!

Vet Checks Take Place Today:

Final pre-race check-ups took place today at the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla. All Iditarod dogs go through a variety of tests in order to run the race. Electrocardiograms (ECG), blood work, and overall checks for general well-being had to be done by 5 p.m. today, Wednesday, February 28, 2007. The dogs also underwent the essential “HAWL” examination. The “H” stands for heart & hydration, the “A” is for attitude & appetite, the “W” stands for weight, and the “L” is for lungs.

Right now mushers are carrying 20 dogs, but each musher will soon have to declare his or her team. They will have until Sunday to make a final decision which sixteen dogs will leave the chute.

by Kim Slade

Out on the Trail:

Rohn Buser was the first to pull into Yentna Station and the team looked strong. First-time Jr. Iditarod musher, Megan Hedgecoke arrived shortly after, followed by Jessica Klejka and Ava Lindner. Checkers, runners, and race volunteers jumped into action checking required musher gear, providing straw and Heet, and then helping park teams throughout the small wooded trails at Yentna. For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, teams continued to file into the checkpoint.

The Jr. Iditarod is in essence a training ground for young mushers providing them with the experience in trail reading, decision making, and it helps them establish a rhythm when working with their teams. The joy of working with their dogs was evident as the mushers set out to bed down, feed, and check their teams. They worked diligently attending to the needs of each and every dog. After the dogs were attended, some mushers rested for a bit then moved to the bonfire, which seemed to be the hot spot for catching up with fellow comrades.

The halfway point at Yentna is a mandatory 10-hour stop, so mushers were off in the early hours of the morning after the time expired and their start differential was calculated (because mushers leave every 2 minutes at the start, that time difference is figured with their arrival and departure time at the stop). Still dark, mushers were led to the main trail where they set off on their 75-mile journey to Willow Lake.

Rohn Buser maintained his lead and finished first, coming under the finish line in just over 11 hours. Megan Hedgcoke came in second for her first finish in the Jr. Iditarod, followed by Jessica Klejka, Melissa Owens, and Ellen King. Although temperatures were below freezing, it didn’t seem to bother the mushers or the dogs.

The Jr. Iditarod banquet, at Willow Community Center, brought the weekend race to an end. Mushers were high spirited and joking with each other as they shared the spotlight at tonight’s event. Many family members, friends, and volunteers were in attendance as Master of Ceremonies Chas St. George, of ITC, and Ellie Claus, Race Marshall, directed the evening. Guess speaker, Ramy Brooks spoke about making choices in life and on the trail. Special awards, voted on by their peers, went to Quinn Iten who received the Sportsmanship Award, Chrystiene Salesky won this year’s Red Lantern Award, and Megan Hedgecoke cleaned up by receiving the Rookie of the Year, the Blue Harness Lead Dog Award, as well as the Humanitarian Award – which is voted on by race veterinarians. The top five place finishers received trophies, prizes, and scholarship awards ranging from $500 to $5000.

Congratulations to all of the mushers who started the 2007 Jr. Iditarod – Way to go!

by Kim Slade
School News:

Students at Larson Elementary are kicking off the start to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race by racking up points with the school’s Idita-Math program. In order to move along the trail (which is found in the main hallway at the school) students must spend a minimum of 10 minutes per night working on math. One class I spoke to had over 2,000 minutes this week, which allowed them to move to the next checkpoint along the trail. Way to Go!

Jr. Iditarod Info:

Twenty-six Jr. Iditarod mushers met tonight at the Iditarod Headquarters to sign in, pick their starting order, and review the rules of the race – which begins tomorrow at Knik Lake. Mushers will travel the trail to Yentna Station, the halfway checkpoint – the route to Yentna is approximately 75 miles and will bring them to the mandatory 10-hour stop. The race then will continue back, changing course, to finish at Willow Lake sometime on Sunday.

Race Marshall, and past 2003 Jr. Iditarod winner, Ellie Claus reiterated that the number one concern was to “run a safe race” “taking extra care of the dogs out there.”

The mood in the room, where parents and young mushers met, was mixed; many mushers had smiles on their faces, while some had creases of apprehension. The field consists of 17 rookies and 9 veterans.

Find out more about the Jr. Iditarod on the website under the ‘Jr. Iditarod’ link.

It’s All About the Dogs:

The dogs of the Jr. Iditarod meet with veterinarians today at race headquarters for their Pre-Race Vet Check. Undergoing more stringent testing than any other major athlete, Iditarod dogs have to get a clean bill of heath before heading out on the trail.

Pictures: Students at Larson Elementary move along the Trail; Jr. Iditarod musher MacKenzie Davis, bib#2, poses for a picture; Dogs waiting to get checked; We got the okay to race!

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