Iditarod tests out tracking collars for dogs sent home from the trail
Iditarod officials are hopeful a new policy of affixing tracking collars to all dogs returned by mushers at checkpoints can avoid a repeat of an incident last year, in which a dog spent three months in the wild after escaping Iditarod care.
It’s eat, rest and repeat as Iditarod teams take their 24-hour stops
This article by Ben Matheson was originally published by Alaska Public Media. It was republished with permission through a partnership with KNOM. Iditarod musher Jason Mackey tore apart a straw bale Wednesday afternoon to use as dry bedding for his resting dog team here after rain soaked the area. “Nice dry bed here,” he said after […]
Iditarod rookie Gregg Vitello has had a heck of a ride
Gregg Vitello was tossed over his sled going through the twisty and steep Dalzell Gorge. And Greg, one of his two lead dogs, saved the team from going over a precipice.
After years of COVID restrictions, Nikolai meets Iditarod with cautious optimism
The Iditarod this year looks almost exactly as it did pre-pandemic. There’s no longer a vaccine requirement. No mandatory COVID-19 testing. And all the checkpoints like White Mountain and Takotna are hosting teams again.
How bad are the Iditarod trail moguls? Depends who you ask.
Leaving the prior checkpoint of Rohn, mushers steeled themselves for what Iditarod officials described as the worst moguls in the history of the race, comparing the stretch to a washboard with 4-foot-high bumps.
Triathletes, boxers and skiers: How different sports help these Iditarod mushers compete
Some mushers say the lessons they learned doing other sports have helped them harness the discipline needed to keep going, and to navigate the twists and turns of the trail.
Iditarod mushers cope with warm temperatures as they arrive at Alaska Range
Most sled dogs prefer racing in below-zero temperatures, and the 40 degrees and intense sun Monday afternoon — hot by Alaska winter standards — prompted many teams to stop and rest here through the heat of the day.
This year’s Iditarod field is the smallest in history. Could a bigger prize and more races boost interest?
CEO Rob Urbach said the low sign-up is partly driven by just coincidence in timing, as some mushers sit out because of injuries, retirement and mid-career breaks.
And they’re off: Iditarod teams start their 1,000-mile dash to Nome
Iditarod rookie Jed Stephensen said he was trying to have “only little thoughts” as he packed his final items in his sled in Willow.
The 2023 Iditarod starts this weekend. Here’s what to know.
The 2023 Iditarod kicks off Saturday with a ceremonial start in Anchorage followed by an official race start in Willow. From there, 33 mushers and dozens of sled dogs will make the 1,000-mile dash to Nome. It’s the smallest group of teams in the Iditarod’s history, but it’s a pretty competitive one.