Happy Trails,
Gypsy

Salem & Jeff King 2006 Champions

Jeff King spoke at the Iditarod Winter Teacher’s Conference on Friday. He’s the winningest musher of all times and has four Iditarod victories to his credit. He shared stories about his rookie trip from Anchorage to Nome in 1981. It took him 15 days to cover the route and he finished in 28 place. He didn’t run Iditarod again until 1991 when he finished in 13 days, taking 12th place. Jeff has made the trip from Anchorage to Nome 20 times, has won 4 and placed in the top ten all but 4 times. What a record that is! It was a surprise to everyone in the room when he announced that this Iditarod would more than likely be his last. He plans to run other races but wants to retire from the Iditarod at the top of his game rather than run his final race knowing that he had run one to many.

Salem in lead for the 2010 Ceremonial Start

Jeff has a very famous lead dog named Salem. Had it not been for Salem, Jeff’s 4th victory in 2006 might not have been. One of his wheel dogs came loose from the gangline and was running out in front of the team. King stopped the team and stomped the snow hook into the trial. He took treats and walked out toward the lose dog. This dog had a playful streak and as soon as King would get close, he’d run off a few yards. All the time, King is saying, “Come boy, come, here boy, come on…” Well the team thought Jeff was calling them so leaning into their tugs, they pulled the hook and trotted toward Jeff who had just caught the loose dog. When they reached King who was holding the captured wheel dog, they trotted right on by expecting him to jump on the runners. With the dog in his arms, Jeff stood helplessly as the team continued down the trail and disappeared over the crest of a hill. Jeff was calling, “SALEM STOP! SALEM WHOA!” Carrying the captured dog, King made his way to the crest of the hill to find his team waiting on the other side. Now there’s a lead dog that listens to and follows commands. If Salem hadn’t stopped the team, Jeff would have had a long walk to the next checkpoint and quite likely would not have won the race. Salem hasn’t run Iditarod since 2006 but has been training puppies. Jeff ran Salem in lead for today’s ceremonial start.

Jeff King steers the sled with a gee-pole

King used a gee-pole set up to guide his team 11 miles from 4th & D in downtown Anchorage to the Campbell Airstrip. There’s a long sturdy pole lashed to the side of the sled which the musher uses for steering and support. Two sturdy skis are attached to the gangling behind the wheel dogs. The musher is pulled along by the team while standing in bindings on the skies behind the wheel dogs but in front of the sled. One of Jeff’s daughter’s was riding the runners of the sled. It’s a most unusual set up that originated from the gold rush when dogs were scarce and miners had to propel their loaded sleds themselves. Jeff used this old method of steering the sled in the 2009 ceremonial start also.

Well there you have it, the latest scoop on Jeff King and his Iditarod Career. Will Jeff earn another Iditarod victory and join Rick Swenson as the winningest Iditarod mushers. Only time will tell.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Learn more at this link!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

2010 Iditarod Musher Listing – Click Headers to Sort Columns

Bosca - once a bully, now a friend

Now days, there is much concern about bullying in schools, on the play ground, in Physical Education class and even in the dog yard. All age groups can be the target of a bully – puppies, yearlings, two-year-olds, adults and seniors. I want to share a story about bullying in the Just Guts Dog Yard.

When I was a little puppy, just off the plane from Alaska to Wisconsin, most of the dogs were wondering who this tiny little dog was who now lived in the puppy pen and was getting so much love and attention from the humans. I sized up the other dogs that were close to the puppy pen. There was Blackjack – BIG, Black and seemed pretty nice. There was Bootleg – BIG, Black and seemed friendly. There was Bosca – BIG, Wolf-like and barked even when I looked at him. On my first venture out of the puppy pen under the watchful eye of Handler, I trotted on over to Blackjack who flopped over on the ground and let me bite his ears and his tail. Ditto with Bootleg. Those guys were so friendly – I like them right away. I loped over toward Bosca where I was greeted by vicious growling, lunging and barking. I hightailed it out of there! Gee, what did I ever do to him? Then I heard Handler scold Bosca for bullying. What?

Buddy Blackjack

What is a bully? A bully is somebody or somedog who leaves others out on purpose. A bully wants to harm others. A bully says unkind things to others. Bullying often involves lopsided power and strength along with abuse or negative actions. Ask yourself these 3 questions to make sure your behavior isn’t bully like, 1) Do I hurt others by what I say, 2) Do I make others feel afraid and 3) Do I leave others out of games, sled pulling and other activities? If you answer yes to any of those questions, then your name could be Bosca and you should change your ways.

What should you do if somebody or somedog is hounding you or making you feel afraid? Do what I did – walk or trot away and don’t look back. Tell an adult, a bigger dog or your handler or your musher. And just like Blackjack and Bootleg were to me, be a friend to others. A really good strategy is to avoid the bully – I can tell you, when I was socializing in the dog yard, I just avoided Bosca. I never went over to visit him unless Handler or Musher took me there. It took a while but finally Bosca realized I was nothing to be afraid of – there was no reason for him to be insecure because of little Sanka. By the time we were pulling the sled just a few months later, Bosca and I were good friends.

New puppy Smoke

Bullying is not okay! From this story, you know what bullying is and what to do to stop bullying. I was so thankful that Blackjack and Bootleg were friendly toward me, I made sure that I returned the kindness when little Smoke joined our kennel. I hope you’ll do the same!

Born to Run,
Sanka

Marissa Osmar wins Junior 2010

After reading my last story about differential time for the Junior Iditarod, you may be wondering about bib number one. The first Junior to leave the start line at Willow was wearing bib number 2. The final musher to leave the start for Yentna Station was bib number 14. Of the 13 mushers who ran the Junior Iditarod, why wasn’t one of them wearing bib number one?

It’s a long-standing tradition that bib number “1” is reserved for the “Honorary” musher. So the Junior Iditarod and Iditarod races start with bib number two. EXCEPT for the Iditarod Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage where the winner of the Junior wears bib number one and carries the honorary musher through Anchorage.

Al and Bev Marple were honored by the Junior Iditarod as Honorary Mushers for 2010. Al, a former Iditarod musher, was instrumental in organizing the Junior Iditarod back in the early 80’s. As a carpenter, Al handcrafted and donated many famous Marple Sleds as prizes to Junior Iditarod Champions. Al has served as a race judge and marshal, insuring the Junior Iditarod went well for the young mushers. He’s also served

Osmar approaches the Finish Line

on the Board of Directors for the Junior race and has filled numerous other volunteer positions. Al is credited with knowing how to make things work, keep the race going and he knows how to be fair without causing problems and he can stand outside in the worst weather and call it fun. Al has shared his racing expertise outside of Alaska by serving as a race official for the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in northern Minnesota. Bev, Al’s wife, has over the years been an important contributor to the banquet, a vital volunteer at Headquarters and has spent countless hours gathering prizes for the junior mushers. Together the Marples have contributed toward making Iditarod what it is today.

Here are the answers for the differential problems from the Junior Iditarod. Keep in mind that the required layover is 10 hours. Bib #4 who came in at 17:29 would have a 20-minute differential and be able to leave Yentna at 03:49. Bib #5 who cam in at 17:46 would have an 18-minute differential and be allowed to leave Yentna at 04:04. Bib #10 who came in at 18:27 would have an 8-minute differential and could leave at 04:35. Finally, bib #3 came in at 19:15 and would have a 22-minute differential and be allowed to leave at 05:37. How’d you do on your computations?

With so few days left before the race starts, Handler says things are really getting exciting in Iditarod Land. Stay tuned for my next story.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Have you picked your musher yet?  If you have, I bet your wondering what to do next.  If you’re doing this in your class, your teacher will be planning activities for you to do.  If you are doing this on your own, here are a few suggestions to help you.

Get map of trail (  http://www.iditarod.com/learn/iditarodtrail.html ),   and mark where your musher is.   Every day, or couple of times during the day go to:  www.Iditarod.com  and see where your musher is.  You will be able to find out if they are in a checkpoint or what was the last checkpoint they were in.  It will also give you the time your musher came and and then left.  The site will give you information as to the number of dogs still traveling with the musher, if they have taken their mandatory layoffs, and how fast they have been traveling.

While at the Iditarod site, you can download a map, information about the trail and checkpoints and mileage (see above website). This will help you to calculate how many miles your musher travels each day.  Look at what checkpoint they were at yesterday and where they are today.  Subtract the mileage of yesterdays checkpoint from todays.  That should give you the approximate mileage traveled.

Make predictions- when will they take their 24 hours, where will they be tomorrow, when will they get to Nome.  Can you think of anything else.  I like to predict how long it will take for them to get from checkpoint to checkpoint.  It’s fun to see how close I get.  When you do this, you need to be aware of any weather difficulties they may encounter enroute that will slow them down.  Also if it’s a long distance between checkpoints, you need to allow for a rest/snack/food break.

Can you think of anything else to track?  I’d love to hear of your ideas about keeping up with your musher.  Please let me know if you or your class do something else.

Happy trails to you,

Gypsy

Wow, it’s almost race time.  Are you getting ready to follow the race?  Do you have a  favorite musher?  If you’re following the race in your classroom, you may be able to pick a musher to follow.  Some classes follow a couple of teams and in some classes each student picks a team to follow.  With 60+ mushers to pick from, how do you know who to pick?  Well, I’ve listed a few tips that may help you pick the right musher for you.

1. Look for similar interests- Read the musher bios on the Iditarod site.  Pick someone who has similar interests or hobbies that you do.  Find someone who’s from the same state you live in. Or maybe their non-mushing job is something you would like to do some day- teacher, be in the military, pilot, etc.  Really read the bios and find something that says “this person is for me”.
2. Look for something familiar- Pick someone with the same name as yours or who looks like a family member.
3. Take a chance on a rookie.  You never know which Rookie will be the “Rookie of the year” or a future top finisher.  Most rookies have been planning for years to run the Iditarod and have set goals for themselves.  Try to find out what their goal for the race is.
4. Pick for a musher with a website- If you are going to have to write a biography, or a report about your musher, this is a good way to make sure you have enough information to write a good report.  You will also be able to see pictures of your musher and the team.  Many times, someone will update the website during the race so you can get stories about your musher and how the race is going for them.
5. The middle and back of the pack- Some of the best stories along the trail come from the middle and the back of the pack.  Most of these mushers do not intend to win the race.  They have set finishing the race as one their goals.  If they have run the race before, their goal is probably to finish in a better position and time than before.  These are certainly mushers to look at when picking someone to follow.
6. Picking a winner-  Everyone loves a winner and loves to win.  You need to remember that just because someone has won or placed high in the race before doesn’t mean the same will happen this year.  This is a race where anything can happen and anyone can scratch- even the best.  A plus to picking a past winner or top placer, is that they probably have a website and/or there is lots of information about them that you can use for your any reports you might have to write.

I hope this helps you pick a musher that is right for you. Most important thing is to have fun.  Also, be positive about the race your musher is running.  He or she may not be winning but may be running the race to the plan or goal the made for themselves.

Once you pick a musher, write me and let me know who you picked.  I can’t wait to hear from you. Also, check back tomorrow for an article on how to track your musher.

Have fun,

Gypsy

Team 6 is ready for their Junior Start

One can’t help but compare the upcoming Iditarod Sled Dog Race and Olympic speed events – skating, skiing and sledding. One thing they share in common is that champions are determined by time. The first junior musher to cross the finish line in Willow and the first musher to cross under the Burled arch in Nome have the best times and are declared Iditarod champions. In some Olympic events, time is also used to determine champions

In Junior Iditarod and Iditarod, teams leave the starting chute in two-minute intervals. The first team leaves at 10:00 followed by the next team at 10:02, the next at 10:04 until all teams are on the trail. How can the first team to cross the finish line in the Iditarods actually be the winner when they don’t all start at the same time?

We're on our way to Yentna Station

It’s called “differential” and here’s how it works. Time is added to the required rest stop to equalize for the start time difference. There were 13 teams that started the Junior Iditarod from Willow. Bib number 2 went off at 10:00 and bib number 14 went off at 10:24. When the teams get to Yentna Station their arrival time is recorded. They are required to rest at Yentna for 10 hours plus the differential. So let’s just say that Bib 2 got to Yentna at 18:34.00. All the required information is in place for the starter at Yentna to determine the departure times for bib 2.

Handler has worked as the starter for the Junior Iditarod at Yentna and here’s the procedure for putting the kids back on the trail so the first team that crosses the finish line is the winner. Add the required rest time of 10 hours plus the starting differential to the arrival time to determine the out time. Bib 2 came in at 18:34.00; adding ten hours brings that to 04:34.00, now add the 24 differential minutes. Bib number 2 can leave Yentna at 04:58.00. Don’t forget this is recorded and reported in Military Time.

Can you figure the out times for these Junior Iditarod mushers? Bib 4 started at 10:04 and arrived at Yentna at 17:29.00. Bib 5 started at 10:06.00 and arrived at Yentna at 17:46.00. Bib 10 started at 10:16 and arrived at Yentna at 18:27.00. The last musher left the start at 10:24.00.

Well there you have it – some great real life math problems from the Junior Iditarod. Just so you know, for the race that goes to Nome, the differential is added to the required 24-hour rest. Check my next story for the answers to the problem. Go Juniors!

Born to Run,
Sanka

I'm crazy about running - all I want to do is run!

Quick-change Runner System appreciated by musher in Galena

Tim White is a Minnesota musher who some consider to be the “ultimate dog man.” Iditarod’s trail boss, Mark Nordman says, “Sleddog sports are his life. His every thought and action is somehow connected to dogs.” Besides being an international champion, Tim is an expert innovator and sled builder. He has designed the quick change runner (QRS) system. Different snow conditions require different runner plastic not to mention, runners become damaged on poor trail so it’s necessary to change the plastic periodically. With Tim’s QRS, an aluminum rail is screwed to the bottom of the runners then lengths of plastic can be easily slid into the rails. White has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Mush with P.R.I.D.E for his never-ending energy in being goodwill and promotional ambassador for sleddog sports worldwide. White is also known for his knowledge as a mushing historian.

Shorthaired Pointer

Egil Ellis was born in Sweden but now calls Willow, Alaska home. His father introduced him to sleddogs almost 30 years ago. Today he is known as an exceptional Scandinavian Hound sprint class racer with a long list of victories on both the European and North American circuit. With the Scandinavian Hound line, Ellis and other mushers are seeking to develop a faster sleddog by crossbreeding Alaskan Huskies with German and English Shorthaired Pointers. The outcome is a tough dog with enormous stamina and endurance that is eager to please and extremely friendly. When asked in an interview with writers from Sled Dog Central what advice he would give to beginning mushers, Egil replied, “You must LOVE dogs and ask experienced mushers a lot of questions – that way you will avoid many stupid mistakes.”

Hans Gatt grew up on a farm in Austria and now lives near Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Hans used to focus his energies on motocross racing but after attending a sleddog race, he parked the bike and devoted his life to sleddogs. Hans started raising dogs and amazingly, he won all eight races that he entered in his first year of competitive racing. Was his success due to the breeding of his dogs, his dog-driving abilities or the sled he built to race with? Hard to say for sure but many other mushers ordered sled from Hans. Hans is the current Yukon Quest Champion and has won the Quest 3 other times. He’s won on the Wyoming tour, is a 4-time winner of the European Championship and a long list of other accomplishments. His current goal is to improve his best finish of 6th place in Iditarod. Keep an eye on Hans in Iditarod this year.

Doug Swingley tends his dogs in White Mountain

Doug Swingley from Lincoln, Montana is a 4 time Iditarod Champion. He joins Susan Butcher and Lance Mackey in being the only mushers to have won Iditarod 3 consecutive years. In 1995, Doug became the first non-Alaskan to win Iditarod. From 1992 to 2001, Swingley finished every Iditarod in the top ten. He’s also a champion on the Montana race circuit. Because of eye problems experienced in Iditarod 2004, Doug has some difficulty with night vision so he prefers to race during daylight hours. Stage racing is a perfect fit. It’s like the Tour de France – there is a different distance to cover each day but then the athletes rest all night. Along with the stage racing dogs, Swingley still raises and trains Iditarod dogs that are known to be excellent marathon athletes and are renowned for their speed, endurance and durability on the trail. With his superior animal coaching skills, Swingley has now expanded to training horses for endurance racing.

Alan Stewart, John’s father, lifelong mentor and friend says, “My advice… which he does not need… would be – follow the game plan and the advice from those real close to you.” It will only be a few days and John will have the chance to put what he has learned from his mentors to use on a very tough Iditarod Trail. Good Luck John! Godspeed.

Born to Run,
Sanka