We’ve had a rather warm winter in Alaska, and there wasn’t enough snow in Anchorage for dog mushing. So they moved the start of the iconic Iditarod sled dog race up to Fairbanks again — second time ever. The last was in 2003. It is a big event, and it was a beautiful March day to be out and watch as the teams began the long run for Nome. We had a nice weekend of new snow, and it was 2 above, with lots of light. Here are some shots of what it was like down on the Tanana River as the teams headed from Fairbanks to Nenana. Wonderful morning. Great weather. Sunglasses. The smell of wood smoke. Clapping muffled by mittens and gloves. Shouts of encouragement. Good looking dog teams. And happy people enjoying life in the Far North.
Traffic was much greater than usual as folks jockeyed for viewing spots
An Iditarod team on the trail leaving Fairbanks
A team races by
A happy dog looks at me as I click away
Off to Nome!
So, the dogs wear slippers? Jack London never mentioned those…
Certainly for long runs. Can you imagine keeping track of that many booties over a thousand miles? I wonder if there’s a bootie elf stowed away in the sled!