Iditarod 2005

[Bassy]

Just amazing! Find a link to more information and a picture gallery at the end of this excerpt from the website www.iditarod.com<br /><br />You can't compare it to any other competitive event in the world! A race over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast at the mushers and their dog teams. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod. A RACE EXTRAORDINAIRE, a race only possible in Alaska.<br /><br />From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days.<br /> Iditarod 2005

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: Iditarod 2005

Yep.And this year there is a blind woman entered.

 

[Bassy]

Re: Iditarod 2005

Originally posted by Bart Sr.:<br /> Yep.And this year there is a blind woman entered.

I saw that Bart. Very cool! Go girl is what I say!

 

[Stumpknocker]

Re: Iditarod 2005

Why do we glorify people that intentionally put their lives at risk causing others to be put in harms way? What possible reason is there for this madness? I applaud the winner, but what is it about the human condition that pushes us to do such stupid things? Do we have a death wish? I suppose that the Greek philosopher who penned the phrase....Man is the measure of all things.... understood. Or thought he did.

 

[JB]

Re: Iditarod 2005

We put our lives at risk every time we drive a car or truck onto a freeway, Gil.<br /><br />The Iditarod is a commemorative event, commemorating the people and dogs who put their lives on the line to save Nome from a deadly diphtheria epidemic. I think that happened in the late 1920s.<br /><br />In New York City there is a statue honoring Balto, the lead dog of one of the relay teams that carried vaccine from Anchorage to Nome to interrupt the epidemic. It grabbed the attention and earned the praise of the world.<br /><br />I can think of a few thousand ways to defy death that have less meaning to Alaska history.

 

[neumanns]

Re: Iditarod 2005

Don't get mad at me, it is just a fact...<br /><br />Wassilla...That is where the race starts, it is slightly north of anchorage therby making for less automobile/sleddog accidents. Be toufgh getting around anchorage with a team of dogs!<br />

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Iditarod 2005

If you want be really impressive, leave the dogs home go it on cross country skis. Why spend 10+ days tortouring pupies to "commemorate" this event? Counldn't they just light a freaking candle?

 

[JasonB]

Re: Iditarod 2005

SW, as the caretaker (you don't own a Husky, it owns you) of a Husky, I can tell you that torture to a Husky is to keep it kenneled. Those dogs love to run. Ours gets depressed when she is inside too long or we have to tie her out.<br /><br />No offence intended, just think the dogs probably tend to love what they do. Keep in mind, at least by my understanding, that someone considered to be a truly good musher feeds and cares for their dogs before themselves at the end of the day.

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Iditarod 2005

Hey JasonB! I guess I am making a judgment based on my dogs. If I hitched them up to anything and tried to get them to pull it, they would freak out thinking they were in trouble. Of course, a 100 Pound Rotty and a 7 pound Mini- Manchester would make an odd looking mushing team! Their place is on the couch, and they know it. And that is perfect for me.

 

[JasonB]

Re: Iditarod 2005

Yeah, a Husky is a strange animal. They are brilliant creatures and have so much energy to burn off. If they can't run, they dig, and dig, and dig. At our old house, our Husky got bored and dug a hole big enough she could crawl in it. Only problem was, it was under the pool....<br /><br />My brother tried to play tug with her while he was sitting on the couch. Bad idea. he's 240 and fairly strong. Fancy dug her claws in the carpet and puled him over on his face. We often joke about hooking Fancy up to our daughter's wagon to pull her around the yard. If she decides she wants to go somewhere while on a leash, you better have a good grip and have your feet planted when she hits the end of that leash and digs in!<br /><br />Some friends of ours found out very quickly that they couldn't handle a Husky when it hit them how much energy these dogs have.

 

[JB]

Re: Iditarod 2005

Some dogs have to run. It is cruel not to let them run. Other dogs have to hunt or to herd critters. There are many breeds that are born to do some kind of work and will be depressed if they can't.<br /><br />Thinking of the Iditarod as being cruel to the dogs is like saying the Super Bowl is cruel to the players.<br /><br />By the way, 10 days is slow. Balto and his team did over 200 miles in one day.

 

[jimalsk]

Re: Iditarod 2005

Now lets set the record straight <br />1- The cerimonial start is in Anchorage.<br />2-The next day they have the offical start in Wasilla if they have enough snow to do it. If not it is started as in this year and the past few years in Willow. <br />3- The only start you will see on a road is the run through Anchorage other then that the offical start was on Willow Lake in Willow there for there is no danger of automobile dog sled accidents.<br />4- The dogs are breed for this activity there not your run of the mill mutt.<br />5- Alaskan natives have been using dog sleds long before Christ was a corpral.<br />If you ever look at a dog team at work the smile on there faces isn't painted on they love what they do. I get very uptight when I hear the PETA people bad mouth the mushers and how hard they are on the dogs. They treat there dogs at times better then two legged family members. Sorry for the rant