Did you know that mushers have already signed up to run the 2010 Iditarod?  That is right!  As of today, 63 mushers have signed up.

While I was spending my summer days taking boat rides on the lake with my human and k9 friends, mushers were making their plans for the next racing season.

The mushers started to sign up last June.  You can see who has signed up by looking at the musher listing on the website.

Some of the mushers are veterans.  Some of the mushers are rookies.

A veteran is a musher who has completed at least one Iditarod.

A rookie is a musher who has not finished the race.  The rookie might be racing in Iditarod for the first time or the rookie could have been signed up before but for some reason, didn’t make it to Nome.

Not every rookie musher gets to Nome on the first try.

Getting to Nome and finishing the race is not easy.  Rookies and veterans train all year long and make lots of goals.  Their dogs don’t get to lounge around like me.  I am a reporter.  They are athletes.  I write.  They train.  I can’t wait to read all about them during the next several months.  On the first Saturday in March, the rookies and the veterans will have their 16 member dog team ready to leave the starting line in Anchorage, Alaska.  What an exciting race to Nome it will be!`

I hope you look at the musher listing.  Count the rookies.  Count the veterans.  Check back every month.  Keep watching the list of rookies and veterans to see how many of each will start this year’s race.

Be sure to check back at Zuma’s Paw Prints, too.  Zuma, Gypsy, Sanka, and I will be putting lots of stories on the website to help you learn more about the rookies, the veterans, and lots of other Iditarod information.

Just Spinning D’Tails!

Libby

PS.  In the picture, my fur friend, Wicket and I are shown enjoying a boat ride on a bright and sunny summer day.  I love summer boat rides!  They are almost as much fun as riding in a dogsled!

OH, and if you want to learn more about why some mushers don’t finish Iditarod,  read this article by Gypsy.  I know you’ll enjoy it.

Hello.

This is Miss Evans class and we are writing to find out more about you and the Iditarod. We are in first grade. We are at Agnes Irwin School which is an all-girls private school. We are learning about the Iditarod.

Are you good reporting the Iditarod? How many of the lead dogs are females? Do you think any more people will scratch? How did Nancy Yoshida scratch?  Have you ever been at the start or finish line or have you been on the trail? How many dogs do you need to finish the race?

We hope you get your career started soon!

Please answer soon.

Love,

Miss Evans

Thank you so much for writing to me.  I am a VERY good reporter, haven’t you noticed?  Lead dogs can be males or females, but I think females make the best leaders.  I think so because I am a female and I know I am a great leader.  Besides, females are just sweet looking, don’t you agree?

It is always sad to see a musher scratch, but mushers make that decision for good reasons.  Nancy made that decision because Nigel ran off and he did not come back.  A musher can’t continue if they are missing a dog.  Silly Nigel!  (Did you see that cute coat he sometimes wears?  I think he is SO cute!  Howl!!!)

I have been to the start, to the restart, and a few places on the trail.  Traveling helps me learn and be able to write stories.  Thanks for your questions.  You’ve helped me… 

Spin some ‘de tales’.  Libby

Dear Libby,

We are sorry you did not make it as a show dog but we are sure you are going to be a great reporter.  Keep us updated on special things that are happening.  Your friends at Chapin Schoo.

Thanks students!  Even though I didn’t make it as a show dog, I am happy with my very important job.  Thanks for cheering me on!

Just spinning some ‘de-tales’,

Libby

Boys and Girls, I think you should create your own Iditarod license plates.  Think about what you can put on the license plate to help others learn about the race.  Then make a license plate about your own state or an event held in your event.

Have fun!

Just Spinning Some ‘De-Tales’

Libby

Every year, tucked deep inside a musher’s sled bag is a special packet of promotional materials.  Included in the packet are letters from students around the world.

This year, a record 631 letters arrived in Nome.  These letters/projects were brought to Anchorage.  They were placed into envelopes and placed with the other promotional materials that are required to be carried in a musher’s sled bag during the race.  (See FOR MUSHERS for details about required items in the sled.)

After the race, the letters/projects will be sent back to the schools and home school families that participated in the project.

*Please note, Leo did attempt to contact all of the participants in this project.  Some of the email address that were sent to him bounced.  If you did not hear from him, your project may still have been in a musher’s sled.  So, please be patient with Leo.  He does most of this project by himself.  A list of participants IS NOT available to me nor is it placed on the website.  Leo has the only list and he will be in touch.  You can also try contacting Leo in Nome using contact information you got when you began this project.  Be sure to send Leo a big thank you for his time, effort, and energy!

It will take some time for the projects to reach the participants after the race.  Remember to be patient!

You can learn more about this project by clicking the following link.  Start thinking now about getting on board a musher’s sled for the 2010 Iditarod.

Just ‘Spinning some D’tails”

Libby

Watch this slide show to see more pictures of the project.

I know some of you are following the race using the map on the front page of the site, the GPS Tracker map.  If you haven’t seen it, go to www.iditarod.com and click on the box that invites you to view the Free Preview for 6 Mushers!  It is really neat to see the mushers moving along the trail.  When you click at a checkpoint, you can also read all about the checkpoint.  It is so much fun!

On the Restart day, this trailer was pulled around from dog team to dog team before the teams went to the starting line.  Every musher got a tracker this year. The GPS Tracking devices were put on each sled.  Some mushers had the device put on the front of the sled and others had the device stored inside their sled bag.   It was a big job to put these trackers on every sled.

These trackers make following the race a lot of fun!

Classrooms and schools wanting to follow all of the mushers using GPS can subscribe to the GPS Tracker.  Learn more by clicking here!

Just Spinning D’ tails,

Libby

Oh, can you believe it?  The race is only a few short hours from starting!  Gypsy, Sanka, Zuma, and I have been thinking of great ideas to write stories about! I hope you check Zuma’s Paw Prints every day and read, read, read.

The race start is tomorrow. The race start is a time of celebration.  Musher’s will carry Idita-Riders in their sleds.  Idita-Riders have won bids to ride an 11 mile run.  People will line the streets of Anchorage and cheer on the mushers, Idita-Riders,  and sled dogs.

The restart is on Sunday.  The clock starts on Sunday when the mushers leave from Willow and head to Nome!

Just spinning some ‘Details’!

Libby

The other day I got an email from a classroom in Texas.  They wondered how dogs can keep warm while running in Iditarod.

My human likes to dress me up.  I have lots of coats and jackets.  The coats just make me look  so much cuter!  Don’t you agree?

Try this.  Stand up.   Look at the clock.  Run in place as fast as you can for one minute.  Did you warm up?  I am guessing you felt a little warmer after running fast for a minute.  That shows us that when we exercise, we are burning calories.  We are ‘warming up’.  I am sure you can think of many examples that show moving warms you up.

Our fur friends who are running the Iditarod have their own special ‘natural’ coat.  They stay nice and warm.  Sometimes mushers do put coats on their dogs.  Sometimes when it is very cold and windy, the mushers cover my fur friends with nice warm blankets.  With straw for a bed and the cuddly blanket, I am sure the doggies get a good sleep.

Sled dogs stay warm because of their own coat and because their mushers take good care of them.

I hope you like the pictures I’m showing you today.  During the race this year, I’ll take some pictures of dogs in their jackets.  I will post them on this website just for you!

Just Spinning Some ‘De-tails’!

Libby

 

“The Last Great Race on Earth®” —  Iditarod.

You have seen those words before but are you wondering why Iditarod is called, “The Last Great Race® on Earth”?

The answer is pretty simple.  It is called “The Last Great Race on Earth®” because in 1978, a reporter for the London …..  Ian Woolridge, wrote an article about the race.  In the article, along with lots of other information, the reporter used the words, “The Last Great Race on Earth” to explain his thoughts and observations about the race.  What the reporter meant by those words was that the Iditarod was ‘the only really great race left.

A few years later, the Iditarod contacted the reporter and got permission to use the phrase.   ”The Last Great Race on Earth” was trademarked and is a phrase still used today.  (The emphasis is on GREAT RACE!)

Now think about the words ‘last’ and ‘great’.  Talk about the meaning of those words and use a dictionary to help you.   Make a list of things that you would describe as ‘last’ or ‘great’. Think about other words that could be used instead of those words that would mean the same thing.  Make posters or TV commercials about “The Last Great Race on Earth®” or something you think is REALLY GREAT!

BUT most of all — enjoy the Last Great Race® Iditarod!

Just spinning some de’tails,

Libby

Did you know that teachers can go to summer camp? They can! Iditarod Summer Camp! There is a camp every summer! Tell your teacher about it!

This year, teachers from the lower 48 and Alaska spent June 22 – 28 at camp in Wasilla, Alaska. The teachers slept on the floor, learned how to put booties on dogs, learned about feeding and caring for sled dogs, met lots of interesting mushers and race volunteers, and learned ways to teach using the race for math and reading ideas. The teachers were very busy.

But can you believe it, they slept on the floor! I’ve got pictures to prove it! It just makes me spin in circles and giggle! Teachers sleeping on the floor!

The teachers did lots of things during camp. They visited museums and did some sightseeing after their daily sessions. On Monday, June 30, there was even a special session for teachers at the Fort Richardson Army Base. Teachers learned about the ‘Stay on Track’ program. It is a program to help students make good choices and live healthy lives. Tell your teacher to read more about that at the For Teacher’s News section of the website.

Well, I’m off for a run on the beach today. I think I’ll take a puppy nap after my run. Summer is such fun!

Just spinning some De’Tails’!

Libby

 

I can’t wait for Saturday! Tons of people are going to be at Iditarod Headquarters because there is going to be a huge picnic. Many volunteers and mushers will be at the picnic so this is a time of Iditarod celebration!

Saturday also marks the start of the ‘next’ Iditarod season. Mushers who are at the picnic will be turning in their paper work and signing up for the next race.

Check back at the www.iditarod.com website soon and learn all about the picnic and the mushers who will be in the next race.

Just spinning some De’tails’!

Libby