At start time it was 43° with wind and rain showers. Very strange weather for early March.
The 10.5-mile track through Anchorage was created overnight with stockpiled snow from up in the mountains, and poured/shaped in the rain.
It was melting and slushy before the first teams ever came down the hill.
The conditions were frankly horrible. And that was before the winds kicked up.
But the dogs live to run, and they were having fun despite the weather.
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| The Wells Fargo Gold Line commemorative gold-carrying sled, which was used in the mining towns from 1911-1918. |
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| The winner of the Jr. Iditarod, who serves as the pace car (so to speak), just ahead of the mushers. |
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| And again |
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| The first musher, Rob Cooke from Whitehorse, YT |
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| Jessie Royer from Darby, MT in her sixth race |
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| Marty Buser, a four-time champion, from Big Lake, AK |
But my mom and niece had a great time seeing this in person for the first time. Then we came back home and watched the launch from the starting line, downtown, which I'd recorded while we were along the trail.
9 comments:
Weather patterns are strange. Next year may see a blizzard. This year blame Al Gore.
Agreed, sir. Everything's in flux, all the time.
It's Mother Nature... We DON'T have any control... :-)
That's very true, NFO. I wish the idiots in gummint could understand that simple truth.
Is that why they shout "Mush!"
It's not supposed to be, Ed, but it was, this time.
Have to admit . . . Ed's comment is sadly appropriate.
What happens if they hit patches where there's NO snow?
Put wheels on the sleds?
It certainly is this year, Cathy.
Jim, they just keep going. And occasionally stop to replace a sled runner or two.
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