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K-9 Reporter: Zuma

I am the BEST K-9 Journalist ever! I appreciate the hard work that Gypsy, Sanka, and Libby to to help this website be awesome!

What’cha Snacking On?

Posted in: Explore Alaska, Race Coverage Date: February 16, 2008

Libby here!

“When do the dogs get fed?” asked Ms. Thompson’s students.

I’m glad Zuma sent me that question to answer.

Sled dogs get fed when they are hungry!

Sled dogs eat and they eat nutritious meals and snacks so that they have the energy to run the race. Eating nutritious meals also helps the dogs stay healthy.

Not only do the dogs get fed a hearty breakfast and other larger meals, but when they are training and racing, they get fed snacks in between the meal. Snacks help provide the dogs with the energy they need between their meals, to be the best athlete ever!

To do this, during training and racing, the mushers stop along the trail or while they are in checkpoints to feed their dogs. During the race, if you see on the Internet that a musher doesn’t stay long at a checkpoint, you know that the musher either stopped the team to feed and rest before they got to the checkpoint, or that they will stop somewhere after leaving a checkpoint. The dogs need healthy meals and snacks to maintain their weight and to be healthy. They need water to drink, too!

It is the same with you, boys and girls. You have to have healthy meals in order to have your energy. You snack between meals, too, and I hope that your snacks are healthy snacks.

I love my meals and I love the snacks my human gives me. Yum, yum, yummy!

Think about this, when you are busy with activities, do you work up a good case of the ‘hunger -ies?” Do you think the canine athletes get hungry after they’ve been running? What kind of snack gives you energy and power to keep staying active? Are there snacks that aren’t very good for you to eat? These are good things for you to write about in a journal! You could also make a list of your favorite snacks or your classmate’s favorite snacks. Make charts and graphs to show what information you learned about popular or healthy snacks.

All this talk about food has made my tummy growl! I’m off to find my human. I think I will sit, stay, and roll over to see if I can get a delicious healthy snack!

Just spinning some de’tails’!

Libby

Comments: 11

Count Down to the Race!

Posted in: Race Coverage Date: February 14, 2008

Hello Boys and Girls,

It is hard to believe that it is almost time for another LAST GREAT RACE, IDITAROD! What fun it is to sit at Headquarters and see all the people working on a variety of projects. Everyone is busy and the phones are always ringing.

I wanted to take time to remind everyone of a couple of things.

First, Iditarod starts on the first Saturday in March each year. An easy way to know how many days until the race starts is by watching the top right hand corner of the www.iditarod.com website. Everyday, it will tell you how many days until the start of the race. Try using a calendar to see if our ticker is correct. Don’t count ‘today’ and don’t count the day the race starts. Count all of the days in between. What do you get? Do you agree with the ticker? You can also use this method to count the number of days to all kinds of things going on in your own lives.

You can also learn about the weather by clicking on Storm Ready® Weather Center which is at the top of the page next to the number of days until the race. I hope you take time to make comparisons between the information there and where you live. It is so much fun to learn about the weather.

Second, as you can see in this blog, K-9 reporters Sanka, Gypsy, and Libby have been posting articles. All 4 of us will be busy writing for you from now on so you have lots to think about and read. We are planning some great stories, so keep reading. Keep this in mind: Libby likes to write about little details. She will usually write little articles that are easy to read. Sanka W. Dog is a genius and has been getting an “A+ grade” in all classes at dog school, so Sanka will be writing longer articles or more detailed articles, designed for older readers. Gypsy and I will be writing our articles sort of in the middle of those two levels. Boys and Girls, we are writing this way because lots of students from preschool – university level —- and even adult race fans like to read our articles. We are going to try and write for everyone. So, remember, sometimes, the articles will be easier to read and sometimes they will be more difficult to read or have more details. No matter what, read, read, read!

Third, a “big thanks” goes to everyone who has been leaving comments for us on this blog. You are doing a great job of making comments. Please remember a few things:

1. Your teacher might sign his/her name, or give the school you go to, but Boys and Girls, don’t use your last name or give out any personal information if you leave a comment on the blog.

2. Try to put your comments beneath the articles that match what your comment is about or think of new questions that come from what you read. From your comments, we may respond at the blog if we have comments or answers to your questions, we might email you, or we might write a whole article about your comment.

3. What you type, everyone else can see so you should try to write with your best spelling and use your best writing. Then everyone can read your question or your comment and learn from what you have to say or from what we respond to your comments.

4. We’ll try to post most comments but we might put your comment in an area where it fits better, so you might have to look around for it. (We’ll call this, comment hide and seek!) Also, we can’t post comments that use words not allowed in school. So think before you type. Use your best manners, use your thinking skills, and plan to learn a lot from what we all type.

5. Go back to the past articles and read comments so that you can learn from what others say or from our responses because that might give you answers to a question you have and help you think of new questions. We might not print repeated questions.

6. Remember, leaving comments and questions at the blog is the best way to contact us now, during the race, and after the race. Sending an email might take a few days before you get a response. We know that some schools block sending comments on blogs, so we understand that a few of you will send email messages. But remember, leaving comments is faster and it is a good way for everyone who reads Zuma’s Paw Prints to learn together. Zuma’s Paw Prints is a learning environment!

Thanks again, Teachers, Boys, and Girls! You are doing an awesome job on the comment boards. Keep up the good work and we will all learn a lot during the race. Your K-9 reporters will be “on the trail” getting as many stories as possible. Check the website often!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

For awesome lesson ideas about the weather, click here!

Comments: 74

Eating & Drinking for Iditarod Dogs

Posted in: Off-Season News Date: February 11, 2008

Eating & Drinking for Iditarod Dogs

By Sanka W. Dog

Canine athletes in the Iditarod need to consume enormous amounts of food and drink plenty of water. During the race each dog will need to ingest roughly 12,000 calories per day. A human would have to down 50 Big Macs to equal that many calories! Just as important as food is water consumption. Food and water go hand in hand for optimal athletic performance.

During the summer when the dogs aren’t in training, a 50-pound dog requires about 1,500 calories and 1-½ quarts of water each day. During this time known as maintenance, adult dogs are fed once a day. But as temperatures drop and the dog’s workload increases, so do their calorie and hydration requirements. At the peak of its performance season in cold temperatures, a dog may need up to six times its off-season calorie requirement and up to six quarts of water. This is accomplished in multiple feedings each day.

Mushers must see to it that their dogs get a balanced diet with the proper amounts of vitamins, minerals, protein and fat along with adequate water. Problems associated with improper diet become noticeable over time while deficiencies in hydration affect a dog’s health immediately. Dry dog foods provide a balanced diet but a dog can’t eat enough “kibble” to consume the number of calories necessary for long distance training and racing.

According to the Sled Dog Care Guidelines published by Mush with P.R.I.D.E., “The relative caloric density of fat and its superiority as a fuel for dogs is why many mushers supplement their dogs’ basic ration with extra fat during periods of cold weather and/or heavy work.” So while on the trail, mushers supplement the dry dog food or kibble with high calorie meat and fat. Very different from humans, sled dogs during peak season actually require and perform very well on a diet that consists of 60% fat!

Sled dogs on the Iditarod trail can expect a feeding and hydration regimen similar to what is described here. As soon as a team comes into a checkpoint a snow hook is set ahead of the leaders and another behind the sled. Once the team is secure, the dog’s booties are removed, the tug lines unhooked and straw is spread out. Now it’s time to eat and drink – the dogs are given a bowl of water and a bowl of kibble. The musher then cooks the team a warm meal consisting of more kibble and lots of meat mixed in water. When a team stays in a checkpoint for 6 hours, as is most often the case if a musher chooses to follow a 6-hour run rest schedule, the dogs will receive another brothy meal about an hour and a half before leaving. Typically this brothy concoction is a sloppy combination of meat scraps cooked in a lot of water. Some mushers refer to this as slurry or baited water. Baiting warm water with dry food, cooked fish, meat or garlic powder is a great way to encourage dogs to drink.

Just like students, dogs enjoy and look forward to snacks! Mushers like Martin Buser divide the 6 hour run time in half and stop to snack the dogs 3 hours into the run. Other mushers go heavier on the snacks, snacking after 2-½ hours and every hour there after until reaching the next checkpoint. Most often the snacks are frozen fish (salmon & smelt) or frozen meat (beaver, mink, venison or other ground game). These frozen snacks are a source of both calories and water. Snacking depends on the weather, the colder it is the more snacks the dogs receive.

Mushers are continually monitoring the weight of their dogs during the race. A well-conditioned sled dog should be lean and muscular but NOT skinny. The Mush with P.R.I.D.E. Guidelines indicate that the ribs, spine and hip bones of a dog should not be buried under an inch of fat, nor should they protrude but they should be easy to feel. Over weight athletes get hurt from the strain of carrying “extra” weight. Underweight athletes will perform adequately early in the race but will decline in performance as the miles add up. Mushers will drop dogs that are getting too thin during the race. Whole teams have “scratched” because the dogs haven’t been able to maintain a healthy weight on their trail diet.

Because hydration is critically important, not only for sled dogs but humans too, here is a little more information. The Mush with P.R.I.D.E. Guidelines tell us that dogs get water in 3 ways – drinking it directly, eating foods that contain water and through metabolism. Water is lost through water vapor in the breath, feces and urine. Activity increases water loss for athletes. When a dog runs, it exhales more air than when at rest resulting in greater water loss. Increased food intake during racing and training results in increased fecal output and metabolic waste that has to be filtered through the kidneys creating more water loss. Increase in water loss during activity increases water requirements for both dogs and mushers.

Veterinarians use two tests to check dogs for proper hydration. The first test evaluates hydration by using the skin. When pinched and lifted, the skin between the shoulders of a well hydrated dog, will “snap” back within 1 or 2 seconds. The second test is a gum test. The white spot made by pressing on a pink area of a dog’s gums should disappear in one second or less. As mentioned before, dehydration can be serious and is monitored closely.

Now you should have a good idea of how dogs eat and drink while on the Iditarod Trail. Being that I’m such a young dog, only 9 months old, I had to ask several of my friends (vets, mushers, handlers & dogs) for their best practices to give you accurate information. My friends who contributed their knowledge for this story are Sue Allen (No Snow Kennel) of Houston, AK; Martin Buser (Happy Trails Kennel) of Houston, AK; Ron Cortte (Quietwood Kennel) of Tomahawk, WI; Tim Calhoun (Seek Adventure Kennel) of Tomahawk, WI; Seek Adventure dogs – Willie, Opal, Jimmy, Lil Mac, Coffee & Judo; Dr. Sonny King of Spartanburg, SC; Jeff King (Husky Homestead) of Denali, AK; and the authors of Mush with P.R.I.D.E. Sled Dog Care Guidelines.

Stay tuned for more stories about puppies, dogs and Iditarod. I hope you’ll watch Sue Allen as she runs Iditarod with Martin Buser’s puppy team – that’s the team I’m going to be watching. I want to see how those puppies do. Sue says the major goal for a puppy team is to have fun on the trail and get to know the trail. Sue is a veteran of the 2004 Iditarod. For sure, those young dogs will have fun with her on the trail.

I have to tell you, I’ve started in harness a couple of months ago and I LOVE TO PULL!

Sanka W. Dog

Comments: 8

It is Iditarod Season!

Posted in: Explore Alaska, Race Coverage Date: January 30, 2008

Hello Boys and Girls,

It is hard to believe that the 2008 Iditarod race will soon begin. The race always begins on the first Saturday in March and it ends when the last musher reaches Nome. This year, the race starts on March 1. The restart is the following day, March 2. As you might guess, it is getting very busy at Iditarod Headquarters. The Iditarod staff and many volunteers are working on every detail so this will be the best race ever!

The mushers are very busy, too. They are making their strategy, (a plan or guide to how the musher has decided to run the race) organizing their supplies that will be sent out on the trail to checkpoints, planning what to pack in their sled, making sure their winter gear will keep them warm, repairing equipment, buying supplies, training their team, and some mushers are even entering sled dog races.

There are many races going on in Alaska and other parts of the world. Some of these races are called ‘qualifiers’ for Iditarod. In mushing, a qualifier is a racing event that counts towards a musher’s eligibility to be able to run in Iditarod. Rookie mushers must qualify for Iditarod. If the rookie doesn’t complete the qualifiers, the rookie can not race in Iditarod. Veterans don’t have to qualify because they have already finished the race in a previous year. (A year before this year, previous.)

If you have picked a favorite musher to follow this year, you might want to read about the other races that are going on and see if your musher has been racing. You can read more about other races by visiting our links. To get back to the Iditarod website from my article, click on the ‘I DOG’ logo that is at the top right of this page. Then click the tab, Learn About. From the menu items, choose the word—Other Links. I know you will find many interesting races and lots of information to read about at our links section. Just don’t forget to come back and read more of Zuma’s Paw Prints when you are done!

I am certain, Boys and Girls, you are thinking of lots of questions that you would like to ask. I hope you use the comment section to ask or give us your thoughts. With my busy schedule at school and the articles and interviews I will be working on for the race, the fastest way for you to get answers will be by leaving comments for the other K-9 reporters and for me. Leave a comment and then check back the next day to see your answer from us.

Don’t forget to click on the comments section of the articles so you can read what other boys and girls have said or asked. Doing that is a great way for you to learn more about the race. I am really happy about all of the great comments that have been left for us already. Every comment and every answer helps everyone enjoy the Last Great Race, Iditarod.

What are you waiting for? Get reading!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 49

What is a Snowhook?

Posted in: Race Coverage Date: December 21, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

It is hard to believe that December is almost over! This is a very busy time of year. Not only is it a holiday season, but it is mushing season. Many sled dog races take place over the next few months. Some of the Iditarod mushers, both rookie and veterans enter those races to give them practice in racing their team. Some of the races are considered ‘qualifiers’ for Iditarod.

In order to race in Iditarod, mushers have to have met certain standards or qualifications. You can learn more about that at the website by going to the menu tab, For Mushers, and clicking on “Iditarod Rules”. Important information about the rules and the race can be found at that section of the website and every race fan should take a look at that section of the site to learn about the checkpoints, the gear, and everything mushers need to know.

Speaking of gear, have you ever heard of a snowhook? K-9 Journalist, Libby filed a report that I know you’ll find interesting.

Happy Holidays!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Libby Here!

Running is something that sled dogs, as well as a lot of other kinds of dogs, love to do. I’ve heard mushers say that ‘starting’ the team on a run is easy, but stopping them is not always so easy! Have you wondered how a musher gets the dog team to stay put once the team is stopped?

When mushing in snow and ice conditions, mushers use ‘snow hooks’ to hold a team in place. A snow hook, sometimes called an ice hook, is like an anchor because once it is stuck in the snow or ice, it anchors or keeps the sled in place, kind of like a boat is kept in place by an anchor. The snow hook is designed to dig into the snow, ice, or sometimes even a tree stump. The hook is used to holds the team in a parked position for a short amount of time. Snow hooks are made of metal and are of different weights. The ‘hooks’ which are sometimes called claws, come in different designs. The angle of the hook helps the hook dig deeper into the snow or ice when a team pulls on it, keeping the sled and team parked. To set the snow hook deeper, a musher can step on the snow hook, pushing it down further. When the musher is ready to leave, pulling the snow hook up is a clue to the dogs that the musher is ready to leave. The dogs are eager to leave so they don’t usually need to hear much from the musher. Off the team goes!

The snow hook is connected to the sled by a line and is stored on the sled. Sometimes the hook is in a holder or ‘holster’ on the handle bar of the sled. There are many kinds of holders and many kinds of snow hooks. If you are interested in learning about snow hooks, tell your teacher to help you find out more information about snow hooks. Sometime, if I have nothing to do, I am going to make a chart that shows different kinds of hooks, what they are made of, and how much they cost. That would be so interesting. If you make a chart, you should send me a copy so I can see what you learned! Better yet, when you are done doing some research, you should try and design a better snow hook. What fun!

Snow hooks are important ‘details’ that mushers have to know about in order to run and hold a team in a parked position.

Oh, by the way, I went on a holiday of my own not long ago and my trip to Jamaica was so incredible! I had so much fun running on the beach and enjoying the weather that by the time I remembered to track down the Jamaican sled dogs, the team was out on a training run. So, I didn’t get an interview with the team, but next time I’m there, I’ll track them down!

Running on the beach made me think about what it would be like to try and park a dog team in all that deep sand. I bet the Jamaican musher needs a ‘sandhook’ to stop the team!

Just spinning some details!

Libby Littles

Comments: 2

Rookies at School!

Posted in: Explore Alaska, Race Coverage Date: December 9, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

Did you know that rookie mushers have to go to Iditarod School?

Each year, rookie mushers have to attend special meetings and classes in Alaska so that they learn all they need to know to be ready to start the race in downtown Anchorage on the first Saturday in March. Dog care, training tips, supplies they need to send to checkpoints, gear, and information about the trail are some of the topics that the rookie mushers learn about during their two day December rookie musher ’school’.

A rookie musher is a musher who is running in his or her first Iditarod or a musher who hasn’t finished the race. A rookie musher may have signed up before and even started the race.

Sometimes a musher withdraws before the race. This means that the musher makes a decision before the start of the race to take this or her name off the list and not race. There are many reasons why a musher might do that. First, mushers have to be qualified to run a race like Iditarod. So, if they haven’t met those qualifications by the time the race starts, they have to withdraw. February 14 is the last day to withdraw from the race. Keep your eye on the musher list from now until then to see how many rookie mushers will be racing to Nome.

Some of the mushers have started to race in Iditarod before but scratched from the race. There are many reasons why a musher might scratch. A broken sled, a team that just isn’t running the way it did in training, or an injury to the musher are some of the reasons why a musher scratches. When the musher signs up to run Iditarod again, they are still a rookie musher because they didn’t finish the full race.

The rookie musher’s ’school’ is a mandatory meeting. That means that all rookies must be at the meeting, even if they don’t live in Alaska. The rookies have the chance to hear veteran mushers, those that have finished the race and champion mushers, those that have won the race, speak about experiences give them first hand information and advice. This year, the mushers went to Iditarod Champion Martin Buser’s kennel and home to learn details from Martin. Rookie mushers find this meeting very important and a chance to ask questions.

As of this writing, there are 39 rookie mushers who have signed up to run this year’s race. That means 39 rookies have the same goal or dream, starting the race and finishing it. It is fun to guess or predict how many rookies and veterans will start the race and how many will finish the race. The same challenges and obstacles are there for all of the mushers no matter if they are rookies or veterans who have experienced finishing the race in Nome. Weather conditions, trail conditions, the training of the dog team, the experiences the musher and dogs have had, what the musher has learned, and decisions each musher makes, all play important roles in the outcome of the race.

One thing is certain, a musher will be first and a musher will be last. The rest of the mushers will finish some where in between those two mushers. Many dreams and goals will be chased along the trail as the mushers travel with dog teams from Anchorage to Nome.

Read about the mushers and make your predictions. Think about what the mushers and the dogs are doing to get ready for the race. Think about your own goals. Are there things that are mandatory for you to attend? Have you ever withdrawn or scratched from something? What does thinking about these questions make you wonder about?

While you do all of that thinking, I’ll go out and track down a rookie or two this week. I’ll find out more information for you! What do you want to know?

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

PS What did Iditarod Champion Jeff King tell the rookie mushers when he spoke to them at ’school’? You can view a free video clip on the front page of the website at Iditarod’s website to find out. Consider subscribing to Iditarod Insider so you get video from the trail during the race. Your teachers will love Iditarod Insider because there are lots of lesson ideas for aweseome activities to use in the classroom. Check out the free video clips on the website and check out Iditarod Insider.

Comments: 5

Gypsy Meets Lance Mackey!

Posted in: Off-Season News Date: November 28, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

Gypsy sent me this letter telling about her interview with Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey. She was so lucky to get to meet him. I know you’ll enjoy reading this!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

lance-1.jpg

Hi Boys and Girls,

What a treat I had a few weekends back! My humans took me to the New Hampshire Sled Dog Trade Show. A trade show is where mushers, sled makers, harness and bootie makers, and special guests go to learn more about mushing, tell good stories, and listen to the guest speakers talk about Sledding.

I had a great time. First, I saw my daddy Skor who lives here in New Hampshire. He is so handsome and such a big, strong dog. He was howling Iditarod stories to a group of younger dogs. I loved hearing about his tales on the trail. Then I went shopping with my human. I didn’t have enough allowance saved to buy too much. There was so much to look at and buy. There were people who made sleds there. There was also a person who made the prettiest harnesses. I really wanted one but my human said I already had a nice harness and since I was still growing, I would have to wait for a new one. Maybe next year I can get the pretty blue one with designs on it.

Next came the highlight of my day. Lance Mackey was the guest speaker. That didn’t mean a lot to me at first. My human explained that Lance has won both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest this past year. Now that is impressive. It was such an honor to have him as my first interview. I was so nervous but he was such a nice human and so easy to talk to. My goal is to learn what it takes to be a lead dog. Lance’s lead dog Larry was not able to make the long trip to NH so I was unable to interview him but I was able to ask Lance what he looks for in a lead dog.

First a little about Lance. He grew up in a sled dog family. His dad ran in the first Iditarod and won the 6th Iditarod he was in. Lance’s brother Rick, also has run the Iditarod and also won the 6th Iditarod he was in. Guess what, last year was Lance’s 6th Iditarod and he won it. All 3 Mackeys were wearing bib #13 when they won the race. Now that’s some family tradition. Last year, Lance also won the Yukon Quest sled dog race for the 3rd time. This is really special because the Yukon Quest is also a 1000 mile race that ends approximately 3 weeks before the Iditarod begins. That sure is a lot of racing. Lance describes himself as very laid back, easy going but very serious when he’s on the runners. He feels that the sport of dog sledding is perfect for him. His ultimate goal is to have fun, to do the best he can with what he has, and to finish with the best team in front of him. He said he is always looking for ways to improve both his team and himself.

Lance then told me about his dogs. There are 52 dogs in the training pool this year. 28 of these dogs are veterans of at least one 1000 mile race. Many of the dogs are able to run lead but there are a few very accomplished leaders: Larry, Hobby, and Lippy and the handsome Rev. The things that Lance looks for in a good sled dog are a dog that is steady and consistent in speed and has a good appetite and good attitude. Most of Lance’s dogs are bigger dogs. They train in the hills and the dogs need to have a steady speed when going up and down the hills. He feels a bigger dog allows for that. I could tell that Lance really cares for his dogs. He had a big smile on his face the whole time he was talking about his kennel.

I asked Lance what his advice to students would be. He said to pick a goal, make sure it’s something you enjoy and do it the best you can. So, I want all of you to think of something you enjoy doing. It could be your school work, a sport, dance, etc. Make a goal and work very hard to accomplish that goal. I’ve made a goal and that’s to be a leader on a dog team. I’ll let you know how well I’m doing accomplishing my goal. Let me know what your goals are and what you are doing to accomplish your goal.

Next time- My cousin Irving is going to tell us what he is doing to become a great sled dog. He’s a rookie trying for a position on Karen Ramstead’s team. We’re going to follow his training this year and see if he accomplishes his goal of making Karen’s Iditarod team.

Until our trails meet again,

Gypsy

Comments: 7

Time for Questions!

Posted in: Off-Season News Date: November 26, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

I can hardly believe that race time is a bit over 90 days away! I can’t help but wonder what questions you are starting to think of and so I decided it was time to jot you a note and remind you to send me your questions! I want you to know everything you can about the race before it starts!

One thing you can do is click the article on the side menu called, “Who am I? Zuma!” and read all about me. I think you will like my puppy pictures that I have there for you to see. What information you don’t find and need to know, ask! You can find my email address there or you can leave a comment for me at the comment section at the end of the article.

You can also leave your questions in the comment section of this message. I’ll answer them by approving your comment and answering your question right there where everyone else can learn the answer, too. Sometimes I might even send you an email. If your question is really awesome, I might write a whole article about your question!

Questions are so important. Ask away! I’m waiting to hear from you!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 10

The Deadline for Musher Sign Up!

Posted in: Off-Season News Date: November 25, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls!

I wanted to give you a quick update about the musher sign ups. The last day that mushers can sign up for the race is 5:00 P.M on November 30, 2007. That is in just a few days! I like to predict how many mushers will sign up and then predict how many mushers will be at the start of the race. A predication is sort of like a guess. Usually the guess is based on facts and information. Information could be the number of mushers that signed up last year. What are your predictions?

Now is also a good time to start reading the musher bios and learning all about each musher. You can find the information at the 2008 Iditarod menu tab on the home page of our website by clicking the menu item, “Musher Listing”. I know many of you will be picking your favorite mushers and following the mushers during the race so I suggest that you start reading about the mushers because they are interesting humans who all have something important in common. Canines! (K-9)

As I read about each musher, I like to list all the ‘other’ jobs that the mushers have or have had in past years. It is also fun to make lists of all the locations that are mentioned in the bios. There are so many interesting things to read about on the website that I get lost in reading for hours! Reading about the mushers is as good as reading a book! You should get started with the reading today. Maybe your teacher will even let you count it as a book for a book report or let you count the minutes you read for your daily reading totals. I know lots of boys and girls who have to keep tack of their reading. Reading is reading, books, magazines, newspapers, and the Iditarod website. Teachers love to hear that you are reading. Start reading!

By the way, there are lots of good books about Iditarod, Alaska, and mushing. What is your favorite book and why? Tell me about it in the comment section of this blog.

Have you ever read a book to your pet? Pets make good listeners. They love to listen to all kinds of books. You should try it sometime!

Well, I’m off to read a ‘good musher bio’ and then I’ll head to the library to check out some books!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 2

Our Blog! How Does it Work?

Posted in: Off-Season News Date: November 21, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

I wanted to take a couple moments to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and let you know what you can look for in the next couple of weeks. We have some great stories headed your way.

K-9 reporter, Gypsy, was lucky enough to have met up with the 2007 Iditarod Champion, Lance Mackey. She got a great story and is eager to share it with you. If you could interview Lance, what question would you ask? See if Gypsy asked what you wanted to know. Sanka has been hanging around a kennel in Wisconsin and will be sharing what it is like to train to be a part of a sled dog team. Libby has been doing some research on ‘little details’ and has dug up some interesting information. What do you think she’ll be writing about?

Watch for stories on these topics and more over the next few weeks. I’d also like to hear what kinds of things you’d like to read about, so please, leave me a comment in the comment section of this article to help us plan our articles. We want to write about what you want to read!

I hope you are figuring out how to find your way around our new website. Make sure you look at the menu on the left hand side of the page. You will see “Blog Categories” - My Pages” - and “Helpful Hints”. You can click on those areas and go different places on the website. You can travel back and forth on the website and explore pretty easily. So, give it a try!

Also, if you want to read past articles and it seems like part of the story is missing, you might have to click on the title of the story to read everything. You’ll get the hang of it quickly! You are smart! You go to school! You probably use the computer a lot!

Although you can email me, I’d like you to use the comment section found at the end of my articles. This is easy to do. After you read the article, click on the word ‘comment’ if you want to write to me. Type your message in the comment box. When a comment is made, it is just like sending me an email because I do get an email saying that you left me a comment. Then, I will read the comment and think about what you wrote. Here is where it gets fun!

Since I’ll get a ton of comments and email, I’ll handle things a couple of ways. I have to approve comments before they appear on the blog. That’s to keep everyone safe. Many of the comments will be approved and you will be able to read them on the website. Don’t expect to see your comment right away at that instant. I am busy with my classes at the university and out interviewing for stories, but I’ll check my email often.

If I get a lot of comments that are exactly the same, I’ll choose which comments to post. Sometimes the comments will give me ideas on what the K-9 reporters should write about and other times, I’ll send you an email answering your questions or making comments just for you. This new blog will be lots of fun and we’ll all make new friends. I can’t wait to get started!

Please remember, Boys and Girls, be safe on the Internet. Don’t ever post your last name, personal information, or your location when you leave comments or when you send email. Also, remember to use your best manners, your best writing skills, and have fun while you write and learn.

Check the website often because we will be sharing stories on a regular basis. We want to keep you up on all of the latest news. Sometimes you will find stories from just me, sometimes from the other K-9 reporters, Gypsy, Sanka, and Libby, and sometimes, articles from all of us! We plan to give you plenty to read each week. Check back soon!

Until later,

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 0

Tell Me!

Posted in: Off-Season News Date: November 21, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

I received an important email from one of my young ‘human’ friends. This friend told me about their pet. It got me to thinking. I know that lots of you have pets and that you love them very much. I also know you like to talk about your pets. I get lots of email all year long that mention pets. So this email from my human friend got me thinking. YOU should write about or describe your pet.

I am guessing you might have heard the old saying, ‘a picture is worth 1000 words’. Instead of sending me a picture though, leave a short paragraph in the comment box describing your pet. Try to ‘paints a picture’ of what your pet looks like. Use words that help me ‘see’ your pet.

Have you seen the comments section in my blog? Are you wondering how it works? When you type a comment, I get an email that says you have left a message. I go to the comments and read them. Then, I get to choose which comments I want everyone to read. I approve the comment before anyone gets to read it. Do a ‘best as you can’ job of writing so I let your teacher see what you have written. Sometimes, I’ll even email you about your comment. It is going to be fun, Boys and Girls, so get writing!

Now, I know from my teachers at school, that your teachers want you to use good writing skills when you write me. So, in your comments, do your best using the skills your teacher wants you to use. In your paragraph about your pet, choose words to paint a picture for my imagination so I can almost see your pet and be able to recognize, or pick out, that the pet belongs to you. My teacher at K-9 Journalism School tells us to use descriptive words or adjectives. Adjectives are words that tell how something looks, sounds, feels, or tastes. Adjectives can tell the reader about the size, the color, or even the shape something is, but you should try to use the best words for what you are talking about. If you tell me your dog is big, I don’t really know how big. Adjectives help the reader know exactly what something looks like. Adjectives are words teachers like to see you use when you write because the words you choose are important and make your writing more fun to read.

Maybe your whole class wants to describe a pet as a class project. Does your class have a classroom pet? If you don’t have a real pet to use, you could tell about a pet in a story your class is reading or even an animal you have read about in science class. You could even research about one of the Iditarod sled dogs and describe that dog. I bet you are getting some great ideas right now!

I can’t wait for you to get started on this assignment! Send me those comments! By the end of the school year, I want to see lots of descriptions of pets in this blog posting. Hey, I have an idea! Have your teacher email me a picture of your pet. I’ll pick some to post on the blog!

Why are you waiting? Get writing!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 4

Three New Reporters

Posted in: Off-Season News Date: October 26, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

Have I got something exciting to share with you!

As you know, when you headed back to school this year, so did I! I have been attending classes at the UAAK-9 Journalism School. With the help of GCI School Access, some of my classes are taken on the Internet. Distance Learning is a way that students can take classes by using the Internet so that the students don’t have to all be in the same building to take the class. My classmates are from all around the world! I have met a lot of new friends. I’ve been learning a lot about journalism, too. I am very busy with all of my assignments and projects. I love every minute of being back in school.

One of our Professors, Dr. Livingston, gave us a very exciting project to work on this year. She has assigned us to work in teams and create an on line blog. I knew that this was going to be a lot of fun and couldn’t wait to get started. I also knew that it was going to be a very important project that we’d be graded on, so I took this seriously, just like you should take all of your homework projects seriously. Since I’m employed as a K-9 reporter for Iditarod, I suggested to the group I was assigned, that we make our project all about the Iditarod.

I am very lucky to have the finest K-9 journalism students on my team. We have decided to each pick areas that we want to write about and combine our canine efforts to bring you the best Iditarod coverage ever! We’ve been busy planning our project. As you will soon see, our team members will be writing about different topics. Sometimes we’ll have guest reporters, too. We know you will love our project!

The blog will have different areas for you to click on to help you learn more about the race and Alaska. You will also be able to click on areas to read articles from each K-9 team member. Are you wondering who the team members are? Their names are Gypsy, Sanka, and Libby. Each has written to you so you can learn all about them!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 2

Alaska Day: North to the Future

Posted in: Explore Alaska Date: October 17, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

The Iditarod offices will be closed tomorrow, Thursday October 18. In Alaska, many businesses don’t close for Columbus Day so that they can celebrate Alaska Day instead. Alaska Day is the anniversary of the formal transfer of the territory and the raising of the U.S. flag at Sitka on October 18, in 1867.

The United States bought the Alaska territory from the Russian government in 1866, for $72,200,000. This is less than 2 cents per acre for about 600,000 square miles of land. William H. Seward was the United States Secretary of State at that time. Not everyone in government or in the public thought this land sale was a good idea, so it became known as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox”. When gold was discovered in Alaska, people changed their mind realizing that Alaska was very valuable for many reasons.

The name Alaska come from an Aleut word “Alyeska,” meaning “great land.” Alaska is nicknamed “The Last Frontier.”

Juneau became the capital city in 1906 when the government was transferred from Sitka.

The Alaska State flag has a blue field for the sky, the state’s flower, the forget-me-not, the dipper (Great Bear)for strength, and the North Star representing the state’s future and that it is the most northerly state of the Union. The dipper is for the Great Bear, symbolizing strength.

Boys and Girls, what does your state or country’s flag look like? Do you know what symbols are on your flag and why they are there? You should find this out before your teacher asks you about this!

Every state has symbols. Compare your symbols to these:

  • State Motto: “North to the Future”
  • State Flower: Forget-Me-Not
  • State Tree: Sitka Spruce
  • State Bird: Willow Ptarmigan (Tar-mi-gan)
  • State Fish: King Salmon
  • State Gem: Alaska Jade
  • State Mineral: Gold
  • State Sport: Dog Mushing

More information for you:

· Square miles: 586,412 square miles or about 365,000,000 acres, making it the largest state in the US.

· Shoreline: 33,904 miles

· Highest mountain: Mount Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley, often called The Mountain) 20, 320 feet. It is the highest mountain in North America.

· Largest city: Anchorage

· Second largest city: Fairbanks

· Most northern place in Alaska and the United States: Point Barrow

· Easternmost and westernmost spot in the USA: Alaska!

There is a lot more I could tell you about Alaska, but you should do some research on your own and learn more about Alaska and compare it with where you live. I really like my home state and I hope that you find it interesting too.

Until next time,

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Vocabulary words:

Vocabulary words:

Folly

Icebox

Symbol

Websites for additional information:

50 States

Official State of Alaska Information for Students

Comments: 1

Hatcher Pass (Part 2): Winter’s Coming!

Posted in: Explore Alaska Date: October 15, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

Here are some more pictures from Hatcher Pass and the Wasilla area showing how the snow is moving closer to us. Winter “walks” down the mountains over a period of a few weeks. On the upper peaks, it is quite thick already. Everyone is rushing to get winter tires on their cars, waxing their skis, doing one last hike or swim and putting away the summer yard furniture. Winter is coming and there is no stopping her so we have to prepare. I am getting my winter coat ready!

As you can see from the pictures, summer fun is about over. The last of the salmon have reached the spawning areas and my pal, Blue is taking the last swim of the season. The water is cold even in summer, but it is getting close to freezing now so this activity will end for the year. A lot of lakes in Alaska have leaches so they are not fun to swim in, but Wasilla Lake is clear of them so dogs and humans can swim in the summer.

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 0

Hatcher Pass (Part 1): History & Use

Posted in: Explore Alaska Date: October 1, 2007

Hello Boys and Girls,

I promised to tell you about Hatcher Pass which is near Wasilla. It is a place in the Talkeetna Mountains that a lot of locals and visitors go to explore, hike, and take pictures of some really neat views of the mountains. Hatcher Pass is also the location of the Independence Mine State Historical Park. You can enter the pass from Palmer, Wasilla or the Willow/Talkeetna area. In winter, when there is deep snow, the road is not open. It is a beautiful place to go for an overview of the Anchorage and Mat-Su Valley area. It is also a place for hiking and other outdoor recreational activities. I have often gone hiking with my human in the pass. I like to watch my human friends take pictures of the plant life. I have done a lot of research about the history of the area and will share some of that with you.

In 1886, southeast of Anchorage, gold was discovered. Prospectors found gold in the quartz veins in the granite of the Talkeetna Mountains. Prospectors became very busy looking for gold. This happened before Nome’s gold rush. Gold wasn’t discovered in Nome until 1898. That discovery sparked Alaska’s greatest gold rush. When gold was discovered, the population of the town or area grew very quickly because people had ‘gold fever’. Gold fever wasn’t like the flu, boys and girls, it was like a sense of need to find the gold. This was an interesting time in Alaska’s history and there are lots of stories that you could read about this.

In 1906, Robert Hatcher discovered and staked a claim for gold in the Willow Creek Valley. This was a ‘hard rock claim’. As you might guess, this area of Alaska, Hatcher Pass, was named for Robert L. Hatcher. When Hatcher discovered this gold, you can imagine the excitement and the number of prospectors who were eager to find gold, too.

Because of this discovery, two mines, The Alaska Free Gold (Martin) Mine and The Independence Mine became important mines in Alaska. In 1938, these mines were owned by one company.

In 1942, with the United States entering World War II, gold mining in the United States was stopped so that more efforts of what people did were focused on the war. Gold wasn’t an important or necessary item to be mined. Independence Mine continued operations to mine scheelite. In 1943, the mine was ordered to close because there wasn’t enough scheelite coming from the mine. After the war, the mine opened again. In 1951, the mine closed for good. In 1974, Independence Mine was listed as a Historical Place.

There are still some of the old mining camp buildings standing today. It is great fun to go on a tour there and learn about mining. The park has become a favorite attraction for locals and tourists because it is an area of recreation for those who like hiking, skiing, snow-boarding, or snow-machining.

I don’t do much snow-machining. I prefer to trot along beside the noisy thing. I tried snow-boarding, but could not figure out how to get all four of my feet on the board at one time. As soon as I pushed off and tried to put the fourth foot on the board, I went flying one way and the board went another! I don’t consider that fun. But hey, isn’t that kind of what mushers are doing when they drive a sled? Only they put their feet on the runners of the sled and runners are not as wide as snowboards.

Being involved in outdoor sports is good for canines and humans. I just want to remind my human friends to remember to stay safe and play safe. Staying safe means to dress appropriately for the weather and paying attention to your environment. Playing safe means to remember to use or wear safety equipment like helmets.

I have attached some pictures of our trip to Hatcher Pass for you. I hope you enjoyed learning about Hatcher Pass. Also, if you want to learn more about Hatcher Pass, ask your teacher to help find some website that will give you more information.

Until next time,

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

PS: Teachers: From time to time, I’ll try and give you some additional information and hints, like vocabulary words or websites to help your students. Here is information to get you started.

Vocabulary words:
Gold Rush
Hard rock mining
Environment
Timelines

· There are a lot of dates in this article. This might be a good time to help students understand sequence of events by making a timeline. You might also want to look at your own state or countries history and see what was going on at the same time that these things were going on in Alaska.

Websites:
Map of Independence Mine

Information about the state park

Comments: 0