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Races in Michigan Classrooms

Posted by Zuma in Race Coverage, Zuma Date: April 30, 2008 at 2:48 am

Hello Boys and Girls,

Wow! What interesting comments on the blog and email we got this year! We are always glad to hear from you and are now enjoying your letters and comments even more because it is so much fun to hear about the awesome projects that classrooms were involved in during the race. This email came to us from Michigan and we wanted to share it with all of our readers!

Hi Zuma,

We are the first graders at Pathfinder School and we are studying about Alaska and the Iditarod race and sled dogs. We ran our own Iditarod race around our school campus in the woods. We tied the race. Today we are having our musher’s and dog banquet. What is it like in Alaska when you are not at the Iditarod? Have you ever seen a moose? How many dog friends do you have? How did you get started being a reporter and why did it interest you? We wish you a Happy Spring!!!!

Love and Paw Prints to you,

From the Pathfinder School 1st Grade in Traverse City, Michigan

Katia Arieanna Kathrine Cecilia Noah Isabella Madeline Lillian Jessica

Thanks for the letter, students!

I am sure your race was AWESOME and that you had a SLED BAG full of fun!

To answer your questions, when the race isn’t on, Alaska is as beautiful as during the race. There isn’t always snow, of course. In the spring and summer, our flowers are beautiful. I see moose often but I am always careful to stay far away from them. I have many, many, many, many fur friends. I’ve never counted how many but perhaps when I can’t fall asleep sometime, I’ll count my friends instead of sheep! Just like sled dogs are born runners, I think I was just born a reporter. I was always interested in writing and sharing thoughts and information with others.

I hope you have a great rest of the school year— boys and girls in Michigan and around the world!

Drop us ‘a line’ sometime and tell us about your end of the year Iditarod projects.

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

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Students ask: What do dogs wear?

Posted by Zuma in K-9 Reporter Libby, Race Coverage Date: April 15, 2008 at 2:29 am

Libby Here!

Lots of the email that boys and girls sent us this year asked about what the dogs wore during the race. Here is a sample of one of our letters:

Dear K-9 Reporters,

Our class is following the race. We saw on the Insider Video that the mushers wear winter gear that keeps them very warm. We know that the dogs wear booties to protect their feet from getting cuts, but do the dogs wear any protective clothing?

Thanks,

Students in Mrs. Lockhart’s class
4th Grade, Florida

Thanks for the question, students!

We all know that the dogs have natural coats that keep them warm. The dogs are used to the climate and weather conditions. Dogs that race in Iditarod are a northern breed, born and raised to be able to race in Alaska’s weather conditions.

But, sometimes, the dogs do wear coats to help keep a healthy body temperature. Sometimes at checkpoints when the dogs are resting on the straw, the musher cover them up with blankets, too.

Think about this, why would some dogs wear white coats and some dogs wear dark coats when they run? This would be a great question for a class discussion in science class.

Just spinning some de’tails’!

Libby

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Dogs in Nome

Posted by Zuma in Race Coverage, Zuma Date: April 4, 2008 at 2:07 am

Hello Boys and Girls!

The race went so fast, didn’t it? It seems like it just gets started and suddenly it is all over!

Are you wondering what the dogs do once they get to Nome?

First, it is very exciting when a musher arrives in Nome. Fans line the street and take pictures of the musher and the team as they finish the race. There is a lot of cheering going on because everyone who finishes the race is a part of the race’s history and has met many important goals during the journey. In my book, any musher and team that finish the race is a ‘winner’!

Usually the musher’s family and the musher’s dog handlers meet the musher beneath the arch. All of the dogs get special pets and hugs. Usually, the dogs get special snacks, too. Sometimes, when the musher takes the dog’s booties off, the booties get tossed to the children who are standing along the fence and watching the finish of the race. The booties are great souvenirs from the race.

The officials who are in Nome greet the mushers and a required sled bag inspection is made while the media continues to take pictures. During this time, the dogs wag their tails and enjoy all of the attention.

Did you know that there are certain items that each musher has to carry in the sled bag? You can read about the list of required items by going to the For Musher’s link at www.iditarod.com and then, clicking on the ‘rules’ of the race.

Once the musher is declared as being an official finisher in the race, the press often interviews the musher. When all of the formality is over, the musher and the team are allowed to leave the area. The dogs go to the Nome dog lot, where veterinarians and dog handlers help the musher park the team. Before long, the dogs are having a delicious snack and resting comfortably at the dog lot. The veterinarians are always busy, examining the dogs and talking with the mushers.

When it is time to leave Nome, the dogs become passengers on airplanes. The musher makes the arrangements for his or her team to fly and off they go! Before long, the dogs are back at the musher’s kennel.

Just because Iditarod is over, doesn’t mean the race season is over. Some of the mushers enter other races. When the race season is over, the next training season will soon begin. The Iditarod dogs enjoy year round exercise to stay physically fit. My K-9 fur friends love to run!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

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Writing to Mushers

Posted by Gypsy in K-9 Reporter Gypsy Date: March 30, 2008 at 2:45 pm

Hi Boys and Girls,

Now that the race is over- what’s next??? Many of you are busy writing the musher you followed in the race. I know you are really excited about that and many of you are hoping for a return letter and maybe even some goodies. Since the request for musher addresses has increased during the past week, I thought this would be a good time to go over some rules for writing.

First, if you ask for musher addresses, you will be emailed a form to fill out. This is fairly new. It will ask your name, school name (if your affiliated with a school), and email address. Please request the addresses by going to: djohnson@iditarod.com
You will not receive the addresses until you return the form.

There is not an address for every musher. Not all mushers are able to receive mail and/or are able to respond to mail. Please respect this. You can still write these mushers by sending their letters to Iditarod Headquarters at Letters for Mushers, Iditarod Trail Committee, PO BOX 870800, Wasilla, AK 99687-0800. Only send letters to Headquarters of the mushers who DO NOT have their addresses listed.  Each letter to a musher must be in an envelope with the musher’s name on it and postage on that envelope.  Send the envelopes in a larger envelope to the address above so that the letters can be mailed to mushers.  Mushers do not go to HQ for their mail, so if you do not follow those directions, letters will not be sent to mushers in a timely fashion.  The below tips should still be followed for these letters.

Here are a few tips when writing your letters.

  • Make sure your letters are friendly and supportive.
  • Don’t ask too many questions. First read the mushers bio on the Iditarod website and if the musher has a website, go there to see if you can find the answers to your questions. If you can’t, pick only one or two questions to ask.
  • If you hope for a response you MUST send a self addressed stamped envelope with your letter. If your musher lives in another country (ie Canada, Norway etc), you must have the correct postage for that country.
  • Don’t ask for booties, autographs, pictures or anything else. All these things cost the musher money to buy and send. It is unreasonable to expect the musher to send out these items. Some of them do, but don’t expect it.

Please remember that mushers receive hundreds of letters every year. It takes time for them to go through them and answer. Please be patient and realize the response may come during the summer.

I hope that helps everyone. Have fun writing to your favorite musher.

Gypsy

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Answers to Questions Part 3

Posted by Gypsy in K-9 Reporter Gypsy Date: March 26, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Hello again,

Section C Fifth Graders from Walker, Louisiana also wrote questions for Zuma to answer.  I’m still filling for Zuma.  It’s been a lot of responsibility but I have enjoyed reading and answering your questions.  If I can’t answer a particular question, I will leave it for Zuma to answer when she returns. 

 

Taylor: What are the mushers like?  Mushers are like any other person. They have families, and houses.  Some have regular jobs along with the job of taking care of their kennels. They love their dogs and spend lots of time with them. They all have set goals and work hard to met those goals.
Constance: What is your favorite bootie and why?  I don’t really like booties but know I have to wear them to keep my feet safe. 

Jaylee: Where did you get your name from?  I can’t answer for Zuma but my litter was named after rocks.  My real name is Gypsum.  Gypsy is my nickname. 


Breann: Why did you choose a job on the website instead of being a sled dog?  I’m lucky to be both.  I run on a recreational team.

Steven: What was the most challenging Iditarod race? Explain.  I think each race is challenging in it’s own way.  Also some parts of each race may be challenging while the other parts are easy.  Let me research this a little more and see if I can find a better answer for you.


Andrew: How long has your human had you? What is your relationship like?  My owner has had me since the day I was born.  Our relationship is pretty special.  She says it’s because my litter was the first litter born here and we are very special to her.  She is also the first human that touched me and held me.  I feel really lucky that I got to stay here when I grew up.

Kody: Under what conditions is it easier to run in the Iditarod race?  Colder weather is better for the dogs than warmer conditions.  Warmer conditions make for a slower race as the dogs need to rest a little more.  Snow packed trails make for better runs. 

Tristan: What is the hardest part about pulling the sled?  The sled is pretty easy to pull especially when there are 10-16 dogs on the team.  The harderst part for me since I’m new to sledding is that I can’t chase squirrels or stop and smell all the good smells along the trail.

Colby: Which lead dog has won the most races and what characteristics make him a winner?  This question is asked a lot and I don’t have an answer to it.  We’ll have to see if Zuma knows.


Josh: Why do some mushers drop early in the race?
(We were disappointed when ours dropped and wondered what caused them to stop the race)  Mushers drop out for a variety of reasons but mostly it’s for the health of the dogs on the team or their own health.  You can find out why your musher dropped out by going to www.iditarod.com and going to the “media and press” section.  There is a press release listed for each scratch.


Hunter: If you were to be in a sled dog team, which position would you like to be in and why?  I want to be a lead dog.  Right now I have been running in the swing or team postion because of my age.  I’m hoping next year when I’m 2, I’ll get to try lead.

Victoria: Do you think you would have been friends with Balto? What do the others dogs think about the legend of Balto?  I think Balto is a very brave dog.  I try to be friends with all the dogs I meet so hopefully we would have been friends. 


Patrick: Who is your favorite dog friend and why?  My brother Slate.  We have been together since the day we were born and we have been the best of friends ever since.

Conner: What do your family members think about your profession? Who are your family members?  My family is very supportive of my journalism career.  My family consists of my humans and the other dogs that I live with.  They include my Grandma Lyra, Mommy Paige, my brother Slate, and 5 other Siberians.

Braxton: Where on the trail do teams get attacked by moose? What do the other dogs fear while on the trail? Has anyone been killed?  I think moose can appear anywhere on the trail.  Usually they do not bother a team.  Just like people, dogs fear different things. 

Sara: How many times has your musher won?  Explain why your musher does or does not race.   All of the K-9 journalist follow all the mushers.  While we may have a personal favorite, we as journalist need to be fair to all the teams out on the trail.

Sarah: Who are your friends and enemies? What makes them your friend or enemy?  My friends are the dogs at my kennel.  I try not to have enemies although sometimes I get into little fights with the other dogs.  They are nothing major just little “don’t do that” arguments.  My closest dog friends play nice with me, share their toys (and I share mine with them) and we all play chase together. 

Seth: What do you and your other dog friends play when you are at home?  Playing chase out in the dog run is one of our favorite things to do.  We like to dig holes big enough to lay in also. 


Emily: We ate GORP after testing. What is your favorite candy?  I never get to eat candy although one time I grabbed a jelly bean that fell on the floor.  It was so good but my human won’t give me any more.  Occasionally,  my human will buy special dog biscuits that are dipped in carob.  They are pretty good also but not as good as jelly beans.

One of our classmates brought a half wolf/half Siberian Husky (Sie) to school. We LOVED his ice blue eyes. If you’re ever down in South Louisiana maybe we can arrange a get-together. We can serve crawfish, strawberries, and a sweet confection of pecans and brown sugar called pralines.  That sure sounds good. My humans says I can’t have the pralines because it would be too much like candy.  I think she just wants them all to herself!

 

I hope I answered your questions.  I really enjoyed reading your letters.  Zuma should be adding to these posts soon so check back in a few days. 

 

Happy trails,

Gypsy

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Answers to Questions Part 2

Posted by Gypsy in K-9 Reporter Gypsy Date: March 25, 2008 at 1:46 pm

Hi Boys and Girls,

Today I’m going to answer questions from the Section B 5th graders from Walker, Louisiana. This class has asked some very well thought out questions. I hope no one minds that I’m answering these instead of Zuma. Zuma is taking a much needed break after returning from reporting out on the trail. I’m sure we’ll hear from her in a few days.
Carly: Do you have sled dog friends? What was their opinion about the 2008 Iditarod? We meet up with other teams on the trail. All my sled dog friends enjoy hearing about the Iditarod. Several of us had relatives running in this years race so that made it very exciting for us.

TeWayne: What kind of toys do you play with? Why are they fun? I love to play with Kongs and sturdy plastic bones. I like anything I can chew on. I like stuffed toys but I don’t get too many of them because my humans says I rip them up too fast and she’s afraid I’ll eat something I shouldn’t.

Jordan: What experience have you had with racing in the Iditarod? None of us have ever raced in the Iditarod.

Molly: What kind of things do you type about after the Iditarod is over? All of us will continue posting. I will work on goal oriented articles, and general interest stories. Zuma will write about more Iditarod type activities. Look for articles about the Musher picnic in late June.

Kathryn: Have you ever eaten table food? If so, what is your favorite? I have had a liitle bit of table food. I have to say you humans eat pretty good. My favorite has to be any kind of fish or seafood. My human will mix any leftovers into my kibble for a special treat.

Victoria: What do you and your owner do after the Iditarod? My human and I still play outside and take walks. We talk about the stories I’m going to write. Life is pretty much the same but we spend more time on other fun things.

Tyler: (owner of a half wolf/half Siberian Husky named Si) Do you know how it feels to lead a dog sled team? What do the other lead dogs tell you about what it takes to be a sled dog? I’m hoping to find out next year what it’s like to be a lead dog because that’s my goal. The lead dogs at my house tell me that it’s lots of hard work because they know they are responsible for the team. They have to make some quick decisions on what the team should do. They said it’s hard sometimes to listen to our human tell them to go a direction they don’t want to go in. That doesn’t happen often.
Gretchen: What is your favorite part of the Iditarod? That’s a hard question to answer. I love the ceremonial start because you can see all the teams before things get serious. I love all the stories and pictures that come from the trail. Then the finish in Nome is pretty special. I watch until the red lantern winner comes in.

Anna: Why is your name Zuma? I don’t know the answer to this so we’ll have to wait for Zuma to return and answer.

Nikala: What is the best thing about the Iditarod? I like how the mushers will help each other on the trail. They occasionally share their supplies with each other and will help during a crisis. That just doesn’t happen in most sports.

EMily: How do your paws feel when you are on the ice, when you run on the snow,and how do the booties help? Sometimes I slip on ice and have to be careful just like you humans have to be. Booties help by protecting our paws from snow and ice pushing up in between the toes. When ice gets up there it can actually cut our feet.

Garrett: What was it like when you were a puppy? I just turned a year old so I’m still a puppy. I’m not sure what being an adult dog is like. My human says I’m a teenager now. I’m not always sure that’s a good thing.

Kaitlyn: What is your opinion about the other dogs who are helping to write “Paw Prints”? I’m sure this is a better question for Zuma to answer. My opinion is that we all try very hard to write articles that are interesting and that teach something. We’re all friends.

Payton: How did you learn to type? I think we all have taken typing classes.

Joshua: What do you do in your spare time during the Iditarod race? What spare time during the Iditarod J. I went to school and had my kennel work to complete. I kept up with the race and wrote articles and answered comments that came into the blog. I guess spare time was spent sleeping.

Cody: When did you first learn about the Iditarod? As a small puppy last year, I listened to my human tell me about the Iditarod. She told me that my daddy Skor ran in 2 Iditarods with Karen Ramsteads team. From that point, I tried to learn everything I could about the race. My daddy Skor has some great stories about his time on the trail and I learned a lot from him.

I hope I was able to answer most of your questions. I will be answering section C’s questions either tonight or tomorrow so stay tuned.

Till our trails meet again,

Gypsy

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