Some of my best friends are on the Iditarod Dog Sled Trail right now. I am so proud of them. My human sees my feet moving in rhythmic harmony as I dream of running next to a famous lead dog like Lance Mackey’s Larry or Jeff King’s Salem. We really love to run and get so excited at the thought of putting on a harness and licking the wind. But we have a really important job to do when we are on the trail: we have to guide our musher all the way to Nome!Luckily, there are trail markers along the route that make it a little easier to stay on the right path. We look forward to each of these signs because we know we have made the right choice. Dogs on the trail have to make a lot of good choices if we are going to responsibly bring our musher to the finish line. One of the choices we sled dogs have to make is to get enough rest while on the trail. This means that we shouldn’t waste too much time worrying about what other dog teams are doing when we should be sleeping. This is a good lesson for some of the young humans who would rather stay up late watching television or playing video games. It is hard to pay attention in school if you are not getting enough sleep. We also need to eat right while on the run. The right amount of fat and calories is so important to keep us healthy. The type of exercise we do means that we use up a lot of our body’s energy and fluids. I hope that you are drinking lots of clean fresh water and eating healthy foods to keep your body strong too. We sled dogs need to keep our humans in great shape!
Keeping our musher on the right path is a big job for dogs like us. Trail markers may point out that we are heading in the right direction, but there are many conditions that could make it hard to find our way. This is when it is so important that we trust our musher. Sometimes we have to work together and trust one another. It is also important for you to trust who is leading you on your path. Are you making good choices? Is the decision you make today going to help you reach your goal? Is someone or something leading you down the right path? When you run with the right team, you can make it all the way to the burled arch in Nome!
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
PS A special hello and thanks to teacher Linda Kal Sanders for sharing ideas with me!
41 Comments
Are all the mushers required to take a 8 and 24 hour rest?
Yes, all mushers must take the mandatory rests. You can read more about this in the musher rules found on the website at the For Musher tab.
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
We’re tracking the mushers’ progress on a huge trail map at our school and keeping records of the ones who are out of the race. We’re curious about why mushers scratch, but don’t see the usual postings about scratched mushers that appeared in the past. Can we get updates on that information?
Hello Mrs. Dobson’s students.
Yes, the information you are looking for is found in the Press and Media tab at http://www.iditarod.com.
Thanks for cheering the mushers on from your school!
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
Do bad weather conditions change what happens in the Iditarod? Mariana
Any weather conditions affect how the mushers run the race. Brainstorm your ideas about that. What if it snows? What if it is very cold or quite warm. How might that help a musher to make decisions. THEN, how does the weather in your own community change your decisions and affect your life?
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
Our group of fourth and fifth graders have been following the race with great interest. We have our own Idita-Read so we’re mushing our teams across Alaska converting our reading points into miles. We have a team, Prince Mutt, who entered Cripple just slightly behind the race leader and they will be getting Gold Nugget Bubble Gum sacks! We also do a daily Idita-gram for the school every morning, updating the school on the race and telling intersting facts about the race, its history, mushing and Alaska. Well, so long Zuma! Mush! Mr. C and Mrs D
Hey iditarod people!!! I love the iditarod program! I think the iditarod is a great idea for the dogs and the fans!!! My dog watches the iditarod all the time and he barks at the dogs when they are pulling the sled and runs up to the tv and licks the tv. Its my new favorite show!!! Thanks for lsiting to what i have to say! Daniella
Hi we really wan to see a good finish between Jeff King and Lance Mackey. Hope to talk again soon bye Zuma!
Our fourth grade class with Mrs. Anderson is following along. They are in groups and each group is following one team. I am the Computer Resource Teacher, and I too have chosen a team to follow. We also have started our own blog to discuss the Iditarod and we mark our progress on a large classroom map. My students would like to know if there is a place on the Iditarod site or the Internet where they can find out why a musher has released or left a dog at a checkpoint. Kids worry, but so do adults.
Thank you,
Ms. Fesser and Mrs. Anderson, Virginia
Don’t worry about the dogs. They are under the best of care and with veterinarians who are at every single checkpoint. Most dogs left behind are left behind due to very minor reasons and they are healthy, happy, and probably disappointed that they don’t get to keep racing. Keep your eye on this website as we’ll soon tell you more about dropped dogs.
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
thats cool that you keeping track of the race. the class is veriy happy
lots of tail wags!
kaitlyn
Our class has been following the race daily. We are rooting for Hugh Neff. My kids are curious to know when Hugh eats during the day while the dogs are running.
Mrs. Boles’ 2nd grade class
Memphis, Texas
Hi Zuma,
Our reading class is conducting a fantasy league for the Iditarod. Because we recognize the importance of team work, we created a “team” of mushers as the mushers create teams of dogs. Each of us chose a team name and our team colors. Some of us named the teams after our own family pets. Others used our school sports teams when creating a team name. We have 4 “groupings” to pick from which we labeled Front Runners, Chance To Win, Red Lantern, and Rookies. After researching on Iditarod.com, we voted to see which mushers would appear in each grouping. Since this is our first year to try a fantasy league, we ended up changing our own rules. We changed our minds about the Red Lantern Grouping and put in mushers that we had wanted to pick but who did not make the cut in the first two groupings. Consequently that grouping is not really expected to capture the Red Lantern award. We also chose alternates in each grouping before the race started, so that if our mushers scratched, we had one chance to put in an alternate from each grouping. Our choices were set before the mushers left Anchorage. Every day, on our spreadsheet, we type in the place of our select mushers and Microsoft Office Excel calculates our position in the League. It’s interesting to see how our team positions change!
Zuma, we worry when mushers drop off dogs. We know those dogs are being taken care of, but doesn’t that make it hard on the remaining dogs to pull the sled?
Go teams!
6th grade Reading/VGSD/Franklin,PA
Hello class! It sounds like you are having a great time following the race. Your project sounds awesome. To answer your question about the dogs that remain on the trail after some fur friends are left in checkpoints, take a look at the Alaska map and talk about how the trail is different at the start of the race and at the end of the race. Do you think you need as much energy and power at both ends of the race? Why or why not? I’ll also add that the dogs are all powerful athletes. They are strong and well trained. Most importantly, they love to pull the sled.
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
I’ve been learning about the Iditarod race and I want to know how many breaks you get?
Claire
Grade 2
Weston, Conneticut
Hello Claire,
Mushers take breaks according to the needs of their dogs and the race rules. Just like when you run and play, you need to take breaks. It is the same with the dogs. The number of breaks will be different with each musher, as will where they stop and rest. Mushers have trained their dogs and they have a plan or strategy about running the race.
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
This is the 7th year second graders in Mrs. Kohl’s class at Coralville Central in Iowa have followed the Iditarod and read Paw Prints. Mrs. Hauser is our special volunteer who shares this with us. It has been fun getting to know the new K9 reporters. Tail wags from Iowa where is is colder than up in Anchorage.
I wondered if the mushers sleep during the day or at night or they just go as long as they can without any sleep? Ryan
Mushers do take naps or sleep when they can. When they are in checkpoints for longer rest stops, they have time for longer naps. Sometimes they take naps when they rest between the checkpoints. The dogs get lots of naps, too.
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
Dear Zuma,
The race is getting more exciting by the day! Each student in my class has picked a musher to cheer for, but two we picked (Jason Barron and Jessica Hendricks) have had to scratch. So we are wondering - can we get more information on why each person chose to scratch? Also, what is the difference between “scratched” and “withdrawn” listings in the Current Musher Standings table? Can you help us out Zuma? We know huskies are very intelligent dogs, so were hoping you and the other K-9 reporters could help us understand :0 Thanks Zuma!
Ms. King’s 9th and 10th grade students
Madison, Wisconsin
Hello Class! You can get more information about why mushers scratch. That information is at the Press and Media tab that is found at the front page of the website. The information isn’t always on right away, but it does get posted when the information becomes available. The difference between a scratch and being withdrawn is explained more in the race rules, found at For Mushers. A scratch is a decision the musher makes and a withdrawn is a decision race officials make. Some broken rules have the consequence of being withdrawn. Hope this helps. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Noah asks:
how DO THE MUSHERS STAY ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
Hello Noah,
Mushers follow the trail that is marked for them. Our trail blazers, volunteers on snowmobiles or snowmachines put trail markers along the way so the mushers can find the trail. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
I like all the articles you right. I was wondering if you could tell me some stuff about Karen Ramestad. Dia
Hello! thanks for your comments. I’m glad you like the articles. Karen and her dogs are really doing good, aren’t they? She is a great musher and her dogs are awesome, too. You can read more about Karen at the musher bio section . Go to http://www.iditarod.com and click on the 2008 Iditarod tab. Then click on Musher Listings.
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
hi i’m sydney i;m 8 and in Mrs.Digacomo class.
Hi, my name is Steffen and yours is not.I am in Mrs.Gordon’s class and I am following a veteran and a rookie.My veteran is Bruce Linton, And my rookie is Dries Jacobs.I’m prety confedent in Bruce But I’m not so sure about Dries!
Hi Zuma, We are following the race. We were sad to hear that Jessica Hendericks scratched. We are hoping that all our teams make it to Nome.Is it true that there is no #1 bib?if so why?
Hello!
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you are folowing the race. To help you with your question, yes, it is true, bib #1 is saved for the honorary musher each year. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
I’m Shyam (sham) I hope all of the people and dogs stay safe in Alaska. I hope that nobody gets hurt.
HI ZUMA YOU ARE SO CUTIE LOVE,MAYA
I love Zuma. And the ididerod.
Zuma I wanted to ask you a qustin . I want to know what your owners name is.
My human’s name is Mr. Hooley. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
My class wonders why wild animals who are killed along the trail need to be gutted. Thanks! Dr. Patterson
Hello Dr. Patterson’s class. Gutting a wild animal that is killed is done partly as a safety measure to make sure other wild animals aren’t along the trail where the teams are running. Wolves for example might come along to clean up the remains of the animal. Also, a moose for example, is a food source for humans. Leaving it along the trail would be a waste of food. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
You are the coolest dog ever. How is the Iditarod Trail? Tell me sometine how it is! Jon
The Iditarod Trail is an adventurous trail. You can look at a map and see all the mountains, hills, and rivers that are along the trail. Parts of the trail are flat, too. I hope you have time to look at some of the pictures from the trail so you can get a good idea about the trail. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Maleigha asks:
Hey,
this is maleigha clark from michagin.
im just whatet to know if u get hurt what do u do
Hello Maleigh,
The answer to this question differs depending on where someone is. If someone is all by themself, they take care of their injury the best they can. When in villages or checkpoints, people can help take care of each other. Just like when students are on the playground at school, bumps and bruises can happen. Hopefully every musher remembers about first aid and knows what to do in an emergency. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Hey zuma!wouldn`t it be hard to see the other dogs that are with you in safety,because i mean there is a BIG no HUGE STORM there!
your friend,
maggie
(P.S.THIS IS MY FIRST TIME POSTING ON THIS SITE SO……..)
Hello Maggie. If you’ve been in fog or if you’ve been outside in a snowstorm, you know it could be hard to see what is in front of you. But remember, the dogs and mushers have trained for weather conditions like they may face. There are some great stories that you can read that tell about mushers traveling in storms. You can also watch some great Insider Video clips that help tell about the weather. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
HEY ZUMA if you were in the iditarod where would you like to be? which musher would you like to have? write back soon
your friend maggie
Hello Maggie. If I were in the Iditarod, I’d like to be in lead so that I could get the first look at the trail a head. I love to travel and would love to see beautiful Alaska this way! Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
I was wondering what other breed of dog besides huskies are good enough to be sled dogs? Ashley
Hello Ashley… Dogs that run in Iditarod have to be a northern breed so that they are naturally equipped with a winter coat and trained to travel in Alaska’s weather. You can read more about this at the Veterinarian’s Corner, found at the Learn About tab on the website.
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Hi I am in Mrs Johnsons 3rd grade class and we are learning about the race and i need to know how do you know about Jennifer Freking can you tell me about her! Kelsey
Hello Kelsey, I’m glad you are following the race. It is exciting. Jennifer is an awesome musher. Her husband, Blake, is racing, too. You can learn more about Jennifer by reading her bio at the Musher Listing chart at the 2008 Iditarod Link. Click on her name and you’ll find more information. Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Ray dont drop back. I know your taking a 24 hour brake. But tomrrow you have to hit the trail fast. COME ON!!! Dalton
Hi Zuma i would like to know how was the iditarod made who invented I?send me back with full information arf arf Krunal
Arf back to you, Krunal. Dorothy Page and Joe Redington, Sr. are remembered as the mother and father of the Iditarod. You can read more about the history of the race by clicking on the Learn About tab at http://www.iditarod.com.
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Hi from Memphis, Texas! We are wondering what it means to be a dropped dog. We know that some dogs don’t make it through the entire race. What happens to these dogs?
Thanks,
Mrs. Boles’ 2nd graders
Dogs that are ‘dropped’ or left at checkpoints become under the care of the veterinarians who are on the trail at each checkpoint. They take care of the dogs until the small planes arrive. Then the dogs go for a plane ride to either Nome or Anchorage.
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma
Hi Zuma -
I’m in Mrs. Kowal’s 1st grade class and I wanted to know if there are special dog treats that the dogs get while the are on the trails. From, Jeremy
Hello class. I’d say there are several great snacks, like fish and meat chunks. Yum, yum!
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
I have Fabrizio Lavoti. I am Emily In Mr. Gotsch’s 5th grade class. I like the name gypsy the best. She is my favorite.:*}
Dear Zuma,
Are you enjoying the big race? I am! Who are you rooting for? I am rooting for Rohn this year. I am so excited! Our class is going to watch the Iditarod on the computer.
Your Friend,
Kaelyn
Hey Zuma, we might have a winner of the Iditarod tonight. I can’t wait to see who it will be. I think it will be Lance Mackey or Jeff King, but that is my opinion. My class is following and studying the Iditarod and we wonder who is going to win also. I heard that it is DeeDee Jonrowe’s twenty fifth time trying to win, I also that the closes she has goten was second, I want her to win. I also heard that there is a blind girl in it, but I can’t think of her name, it’s on the tip of my tongue. Anyways I have to go, I have to finesh up my piano.Bye Bye.
March 11 -Grace
Hi Zuma!!!
Would vets rather the dogs run in the race or not in the race?
Julia and Gabby
Of course the veterinarians want the dogs running in the race! Although they love taking care of them at the checkpoints. These dogs are born, raised, and trained to race and pull sleds.
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
i love your work, how do you do it. I train 13 hours a day and i am still only 35 pounds. I love nachoes and i also love cheese. Nochoes and cheese are so good and i love your work. Teach me how to do it and i will help you how to play hockey. I live ct. thats n america. I also like a popsycle. and dogs. Zuma you are so coute. respond please
Thanks for your comments. We all read and write and keep on learning.
Lots of Tail Wags, Zuma
Dear Zuma,
What is it like to do all this stuff?
It must be amazing.
Right?
From,
Molly
Molly, it is AWESOME!
The K-9 Reporters