Icewind's Ramblings

Iditarod 36 is running through the interior of Alaska with a few teams at the halfway point while many teams are still working their way along the trail. The weather has been warmer than normal forcing many teams to travel in the colder night hours using the midday times to break or rest the dogs. High winds and blowing snow kept teams that were in the back of the pack hunkered down at Rainy Pass waiting for conditions to improve. One of the camera helicopters flying over Dalzell Gorge while filming mushers Rachael Scdoris and Joe Runyon for a feature film crashed when gusty winds caused the aircraft to spin and impact the canyon walls. Luckily no one was killed and there were only minor injuries to the pilot (the father of a friend of mine) and his cameraman. During this time in the race with the mandatory stops (a 24 hour & 8 hour somewhere along the trail) being played out it is hard to know exactly who is in the lead until everyone is on the move again. ...

This last week has been like one of those “E” ticket rides at the fair. Long hours at work and my daughter has been wiped out by some stomach virus to the point of being in and out of the hospital trying to get re-hydrated with IV’s and medication to help with the nausea. It’s been a tough time for her with trying to get better and keep up with an almost one year old . . . an almost impossible task. Having my grandson while she is ill has been a fun challenge in helping him learn balance and trying to take those first unassisted first steps. I need to find time to upload some pictures of the Iditarod but here is an update . . . Postcards from the trail this week as Iditarod 36 began over the weekend and now teams make their way across the interior and the Alaska Range . Several teams out of the 96 that started have scratched along the way withdrawing as the first 350 miles of trail provide great challenges. The mushers leave the land of highways and bustling activity of An...

It’s that time again that I still love each year when men and women with their beloved dogs take to the trail in “The Last Great Race”. Thing have been totally crazy at work lately biding on the project for the coming construction season. It has been a grueling time of deadlines, planning, schedules, and getting it done. I need a break and Iditarod weekend came at a much needed time. The first Saturday in March each year is the ceremonial start and this year is the 36th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. My Saturday started off much like most other weekends with our group breakfast at a local eatery. I tired getting my friend Scott to go see the start of the race again this year but to no avail. He has lived in Alaska all his life and does not view the annual running of the dogs with the same enthusiasm that I do. I still marvel that those who choose to runs dogs eleven hundred miles across the untamed landscape that is Interior Alaska in conditions that most of u...