A Little History
The word "Iditarod" means "distant" or "distant place" in the languages of Ingalik and Holikachu, which are spoken by indigenous Athabaskan peoples of northwestern Alaska. It's also the name of a city, a river, and a trail in the same area.
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race first ran to Nome in 1973, after two short races on part of the Iditarod Trail in 1967 and 1969. The idea of having a race over the Iditarod Trail was conceived by the late Dorothy G. Page. In 1964, Page was chairman of the Wasilla-Knik Centennial and was working on projects to celebrate Alaska’s Centennial Year in 1967.
She was intrigued that dog teams could travel over land that was not accessible by automobile. In the early 1920’s, settlers had come to Alaska following a gold strike. They traveled by boat to the coastal towns of Seward and Knik and from there, by land into the gold fields. The trail they used is today known as The Iditarod Trail, one of the National Historic Trails as so designated by the Congress of the United States. In the winter, their only means of travel was by dog team.
The Iditarod Trail soon became the major “thoroughfare” through Alaska. Mail was carried across this trail, people used the trail to get from place to place and supplies were transported via the Iditarod Trail. Priests, ministers and judges traveled between villages via dog team.
As modern methods of transportation took over, the Iditarod trail became obsolete, and in order to preserve this historical trail, the race was born.
(Source iditarod.com)
The Iditarod Re-Start
The Iditarod has two starts - the ceremonial start in Anchorage as part of the Fur Rendezvous festival, and the true start at Willow Lake in Willow, AK, and this is where my story begins.
A Shared Experience
Race-start day is colloquially known as the "quintessential Alaskan event," the event that defines being an Alaskan. Hundreds, or even thousands of spectators come from all over the vast state to watch the start. Knowing this, I left my home in Eagle River, AK around11:30am to make sure I got a good spot to watch the takeoff at 2pm. I drove 40 minutes to Wasilla, AK, where a school bus acting as a shuttle took myself and many others another 40 minutes to the starting line in Willow, AK.
By the time we got there, there were already so many people gathered, that I had to walk another thirty minutes through the food trucks and merchandise stands, across the lake to find a spot where I could get close to the track! It was well worth the trek.
Start Your Engines
The soonest return shuttle was scheduled at 4pm and I was worried I would grow tired standing out there for so many hours. I was wrong. Teams were released in intervals, and the excitement continued for hours, and by the time it was over I was surprised so much time had passed. Groups of spectators gathered around with fire pits, snow mobiles, and tents, and the energy of camaraderie was delightful. There were even para-gliders and small planes flying over! The joy on the dogs and the mushers' faces was inspiring, and standing there capturing the jubilation on my camera was well worth the sacrifice.
Don't they look absolutely PSYCHED??
Totally Worth It
This is what being an Alaskan is all about! I sure am glad I was able to witness this event, and will be riding the high for days to come. Count me in for next year! Maybe next year I'll gather some friends, get there early, and set up camp to enjoy the festivities to the fullest extent.
