where does the iditarod national historic trail start
Iditarod Trail


route of the Iditarod National Historic Trail, with a segment alternating north or south, depending on the year. (These segments are also part of the Iditarod National Historic Trail). Every odd year (i.e., 2011), the race travels the south route from Ophir to Kaltag through the ghost town of Iditarod. On even years, the race travels north from Ophir through Ruby and Galena to Kaltag. The 1925 Serum Run followed of trail (now designated as the Iditarod National Historic Trail system) between Ruby and Nome
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Iditarod Trail


Across America, only 16 trails have been honored as National Historic Trails. The Iditarod is the only Alaskan trail in the national system, and the only Historic Trail celebrating the indispensable role played by "man's best friend" in America's last great gold rush. One hundred years after its heyday, some variation of the entire Historic Iditarod Trail from Seward to Nome is still open to the public. One can explore the Historic Trail year-round on foot, by auto, or by rail between Seward and Knik,
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Iditarod Trail


management of the trail and is the primary point of contact for matters involving the entire trail. Every year local groups, community clubs and individuals contribute time and money to maintain and improve the Iditarod Trail. The statewide non-profit Iditarod National Historic Trail Inc. helps protect and improve the trail and keep the "lore of the trail" alive. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, named after the now-abandoned town of Iditarod, commemorates the last great gold rush in America to the Iditarod gold fields and the critical role
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Iditarod Trail


Redington, Sr., reopened the routes. To draw attention to the role dogs played in Alaska's history, Redington and his friends created an epic sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ultimately revived dog mushing in Alaska and around the world. After years of effort by Redington and the Alaska Congressional delegation, the Iditarod was designated as a National Historic Trail in 1978. National Historic Trails commemorate major routes of exploration, migration, trade, communications, and military actions that formed America.
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


a long-shot who became the first woman to win the race. The next year, Susan Butcher became the second woman to win the race and went on to win three more years. Print and television journalists and crowds of spectators attend the ceremonial start at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and D Street in Anchorage and in smaller numbers at the checkpoints along the trail. The race's namesake is the Iditarod Trail, which was designated as one of the first four US National Historic Trails in 1978. The trail in turn
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Iditarod Trail


Alaska, especially in the Chugach National Forest on the Kenai Peninsula and Chugach State Park outside of Anchorage. Winter overland travel by snowmobile, ski or dogsled is still a way to explore the remote northern sections of the Iditarod Trail. Many community museums along the Iditarod Trail display historic photography, equipment and artifacts that depict the toils and rewards of life on the historic trail. For summer recreationists proficient in remote water travel, the rivers used by early gold seekers offer access to miles of sandbars, lonely hills, and bug-
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Iditarod Trail


that dogs played in the settlement and development of Alaska. It is a common myth that the race commemorates the dogsled relay known as the 1925 "Serum Run" from Nenana to Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was first established by Joe Redington, Sr. in the early 1973 to encourage the designation of the Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail, bring the dying tradition of dog sledding back to the villages of Alaska, and promote the sport of competitive dogsled racing. Today the race follows much of the primary
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


, where the trail balances on the side of a heavily forested incline. Rainy Pass is the most dangerous check point in the Iditarod. In 1985, Jerry Austin broke a hand and two of his dogs were injured when the sled went out of control and hit a stand of trees. Many others have suffered from this dangerous checkpoint. Rainy Pass is part of the Historic Iditarod Trail, but until 1976 the pass was inaccessible and route detoured through Ptarmigan Pass, also known as Hellsgate, because of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


Iditarod trail extends from Seward in the south to Nome in the northwest, and was first surveyed by Walter Goodwin in 1908, and then cleared and marked by the Alaska Road Commission in 1911 and 1912. The entire network of branching paths covers a total of . Except for the start in Anchorage, the modern race follows parts of the historic trail. The trail is composed of two routes: a northern route, which is run on even-numbered years, and a southern route, which is run on odd-numbered
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Joe Redington


trail was overgrown, and he learned of Alaska's history of dog mushing from local "Sourdoughs". On February 18, 1953 he married Violet Redington, and they moved to a new homestead on Flat Horn Lake, Alaska and worked from 1954 to 1958 as hunting guides along the Iditarod trail. He and his wife also helped clear the overgrown trail, and lobbied to make it a National Historic Trail. Redington met Dorothy Page, the future "Mother of the Iditarod", at the Willow Winter Carnival in 1966.
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


banquet held two days prior by the mushers drawing their numbers for starting position. Selections are made in the order of musher registrations. This is an exciting portion of the race for dogs and musher, as it is one of the few portions of the race where there are spectators, and the only spot where the trail winds through an urban environment. However, in "Iditarod Dreams", DeeDee Jonrowe wrote, "A lot of mushers hate the Anchorage start. They don't like crowds. They worry that their dogs
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Iditarod Trail


direct routes to Nome, and World War I drew young miners and workers away from the gold fields. The Cape Nome Roadhouse is the last remaining historical roadhouse on the Iditarod Trail and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the winter of 1925, a deadly outbreak of diphtheria struck fear in the hearts of Nome residents. Winter ice had closed the port city from the outside world without enough serum to inoculate its residents. Serum from Anchorage was rushed by train to Nenana and picked up by a sled dog
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


rejoin at Kaltag. In "even"-numbered years ("e.g." 2016, 2018) the "northern" route is used; in "odd"-numbered years ("e.g." 2017, 2019) the "southern" route is used. During the first few Iditarods only the northern trail was used. In the late 1970s, the southern leg of the route was added. It gave the southern villages a chance to host the Iditarod race and also allowed the route to pass through the trail's namesake, the historical town of Iditarod
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Iditarod Trail


The Iditarod Trail, also known historically as the Seward-to-Nome Trail, refers to a thousand-plus mile (1,600 km) historic and contemporary trail system in the US state of Alaska. The trail began as a composite of trails established by Alaskan native peoples. Its route crossed several mountain ranges and valleys and passed through numerous historical settlements en route to Nome. The discovery of gold brought thousands of people over this route beginning in 1910. Roadhouses for people and dog barns sprang up every 20 or so miles
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Joe Redington


care requirements, and a corporate sponsor raised the purse back to $50,000. Despite more negative publicity and funding problems in 1976, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has since grown into the premiere sporting event in the state, and the largest dog sled race in the world. This popularity also caused dog mushing to revive in the 1970s as a recreational sport. Largely due to Redington's efforts, the Iditarod was designated one of the first four National Historic Trails in 1978, and the first official trail marker was put up
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Dorothy G. Page


, and owned a large kennel. He also had been lobbying to make the Iditarod Trail a National Historic Trail since the 1950s. Redington agreed to lend his support to the event, on the condition that a purse of USD $25,000 be divided among the winners. The money was raised. In February 1967, 58 dog mushers competed in two heats along a 25-mile (40 km) stretch of the old Iditarod Trail between Wasilla and Knik. The race was modeled after the first large dog sled race in the state,
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


years. Both follow the same trail , from Anchorage to Ophir, where they diverge and then rejoin at Kaltag, from Nome. The race used the northern route until 1977, when the southern route was added to distribute the impact of the event on the small villages in the area, none of which have more than a few hundred inhabitants. Passing through the historic town of Iditarod was a secondary benefit. Aside from the addition of the southern route, the route has remained relatively constant. The largest changes were the addition
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Iditarod Trail


Alaska, where a forerunner of the Alaska Railroad ended, through Iditarod, Alaska and then to Nome. The trail was about long. The Iditarod Trail's antecedents were the native trails of the Dena'ina and Deg Hit'an Athabaskan Indians and the Inupiaq and Yup'ik Eskimos. From its beginning, the trail wound along Turnagain Arm, over Crow Pass, down the Eagle River Valley and northward to the trading post of Knik, Alaska, the largest town on the Upper Cook Inlet until the railroad town of Anchorage was founded in 1915.
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Iditarod Trail


infested swamps. Every February and March, professional and recreational racers put their minds, muscles and machines to work in epic long-distance winter races that link Alaska's largest and smallest communities. Most of the historic Iditarod Trail is located on public lands managed by the State of Alaska or federal agencies, although some segments pass over private lands. No one entity manages the entire historic trail—management is guided by a cooperative plan adopted by state and federal agencies in the mid-1980s. The federal Bureau of Land Management coordinates cooperative
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2005 Iditarod


scratched at Ophir on March 12, citing concerns for his team which only had nine dogs left. The trail between Ophir and Iditarod was in poor shape, and efforts to improve it were too late for the front runners. The checkpoint closest to the middle of the race on odd-numbered years is the trail's namesake, the historic gold rush ghost town of Iditarod (meaning "far distant place"). Cliff Wang from Montana scratched at Takotna on March 11, citing concerns for his team after unseasonably warm weather
19279610
Junior Iditarod


Bay for 69 miles (111 km) along the Iditarod Trail to the Yetna Station Roadhouse. Trail location may vary year to year depending on trail conditions and due to poor conditions locally has started and finished in the Willow as well as the Lake Louise areas. At the half way point mushers must care for their sled dogs and camp overnight for either 8 or 12 hours, before returning the following day. The first Jr. Iditarod had junior, kids 11 through 13 years of age and running 4 to six dogs, and
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Mitch Seavey


since 1995. In the 1995 race, he started in Seward, and completed the entire length of the Iditarod Trail. He won the 2004 Iditarod in 9 days, 12 hours, 20 minutes, and 22 seconds. He has also won the Copper Basin 300 twice, the Klondike 300, the Kusko 300, and the Grand Portage Passage race in the state of Minnesota once. In 2008 he won the historic All Alaska Sweepstakes race with a record-breaking time of 74 hours, 14 minutes and 37 seconds. .
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


into the checkpoint. The traditional restart location was the headquarters of the Iditarod Trail Committee, in Wasilla, but in 2008 the official restart was pushed further north to Willow Lake. In 2003, dwindling snow and poor trail conditions due to a warming climate forced organizers to move the start north to Fairbanks. Originally, the race had its start in Wasilla from 1973 to 2002, the year when reduced snow cover forced a "temporary" change to Willow. The mushers depart separated by the same intervals as their arrival at the
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


a portion of the trail. The first race, known as the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race in honor of Leonhard Seppala, was held in 1967. The purse of US$25,000 attracted a field of 58 racers, and the winner was Isaac Okleasik. The next race, in 1968, was canceled for lack of snow, and 1969's small $1,000 purse only drew in 12 mushers. Redington along with two school teachers, Gleo Huyck and Tom Johnson, was the impetus behind extending the race more than along the historic
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Sled dog


reached Nome in six days. The Iditarod Trail was established on the path between these two towns. It was known as the Iditarod Trail because, at the time, Iditarod was the largest town on the trail. During the 1940s, the trail fell into disuse. However, in 1967, Dorothy Page, who was conducting Alaska's centennial celebration, ordered of the trail to be cleared for a dog sled race. In 1972, the US Army performed a survey of the trail, and in 1973 the Iditarod was established
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Iron Dog


race in Alaska from Big Lake near Wasilla to Nome. It was approximately doubled to at the 10th annual race in 1994. The race route now follows parts of the Iditarod Trail, the route of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. It starts at Big Lake and follows the main trail and its connecting trails until it hits to the Yukon River at Ruby. It follows the river to Kaltag before it heads to the Norton Sound on the Bering Sea at Unalakleet and it follows the coast to Nome. Then it returns along
4973048
Tustumena 200


1,150 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, they must first finish qualifying events such as the Tustumena 200. The T-200 is sanctioned by the Iditarod Trail Committee as the only official qualifying event on the Kenai Peninsula. A ceremonial start is held on the Saturday morning of the race weekend in Kenai. Children recommended by the United Way and Make a Wish Foundation ride with mushers entered in the race. The official start of the race is on the Sterling Highway in Kasilof. Mushers leave the starting line with between 12 and 14 dogs
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


is named for the town of Iditarod, which was an Athabaskan village before becoming the center of the Inland Empire's Iditarod Mining District in 1910, and then becoming a ghost town at the end of the local gold rush. The name "Iditarod" may be derived from the Athabaskan "iditarod", meaning "far distant place". Portions of the Iditarod Trail were used by the Native Alaskan Eskimo Inupiaq and Athabaskan peoples hundreds of years before the arrival of Russian fur traders in the 1800s, but the trail reached its
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Eagle River (Cook Inlet)


The Eagle River is a stream, long, in the Municipality of Anchorage in the state of Alaska. Heading at Eagle Glacier in Chugach State Park, it flows northwest into Eagle Bay on the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet, northeast of downtown Anchorage. Beginning at Eagle Glacier in Chugach State Park, the river soon intersects the Iditarod National Historic Trail, which follows the Eagle River Valley from near Crow Pass in Chugach National Forest to the community of Eagle River. Downstream of the trail crossing, the river flows by, but
15901942
Seward, Alaska


Peninsula Borough, behind Kenai, Homer, and the borough seat of Soldotna. The city is named for former U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, who orchestrated the United States' purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 while serving in this position as part of President Andrew Johnson's administration. Seward is the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad and the historic starting point of the original Iditarod Trail to the Alaskan interior, with Mile 0 of the trail marked on the shoreline at the southern end of town. In
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


they race or canine first aid. If a musher has been convicted of a charge of animal neglect, or if the Iditarod Trail Committee determines the musher is unfit, they are not allowed to compete. The Iditarod Trail Committee once disqualified musher Jerry Riley for alleged dog abuse and Rick Swenson after one of his dogs expired after running through overflow. The Iditarod later reinstated both men and allowed them to race. Rick Swenson is now on the Iditarod's board of directors. Rookie mushers must pre-qualify by finishing an assortment
9606217
2008 Iditarod


The 2008 Iditarod featured 95 mushers and dog teams. The 36th Annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ceremonially began on Saturday March 1, 2008. The competitive start was the next day. The 1,161 mile (1,868 km) dogsled race ran through the American state of Alaska. The Iditarod course extends from just north of Anchorage to Nome. The majority of competing teams hailed from the United States, while notable other teams from Norway, Germany, and Canada were in the running. The competition was one of the closest in recent
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


in Nome. Mushers keep a veterinary diary on the trail and are required to have it signed by a veterinarian at each checkpoint. Dogs that become exhausted or injured may be carried in the sled's "basket" to the next "dog-drop" site, where they are transported by the volunteer Iditarod Air Force to the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center at Eagle River where they are taken care of by prison inmates until picked up by handlers or family members, or they are flown to Nome for transport home. According to
9606224
Ophir, Alaska


unmaintained. There are a number of creeks near Ophir, all on the west bank of the Innoko, where gold placers were located starting about 1906. Yankee Creek is the closest to the source of the river, then , Little and Spruce Creeks, all above Ophir Creek. The original Iditarod trail ran above Ganes Creek in the summer, down the Innoko valley in the winter; the current race trail goes through the old townsite, which was destroyed in a brush fire started by a camper in the 1970s, and is
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Iditarod Trail


. By 1918 World War I and the lack of 'gold fever' resulted in far less travel. The trail might have been forgotten except for the 1925 diphtheria outbreak in Nome. In one of the final great feats of dog sleds, twenty drivers and teams carried the life-saving serum in 127 hours. Today, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race serves to commemorate the part the trail and its dog sleds played in the development of Alaska. The Iditarod Trail was a trail that connected a point north of Seward,
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Iditarod Trail


The trail then passed west through the valleys of the Susitna River and Yentna River and over the Alaska Range and Rainy Pass. West of the Alaska Range, the trail crossed the Kuskokwim River Valley to the hills west of McGrath and entered the Innoko River mining district and the town of Ophir. After Ophir, the trail went southwest through the Kuskokwim Mountains to Iditarod. The trail went north from Iditarod through the now abandoned towns of Dikeman and Dishkaket and then northwest to the village of Kaltag. The trail then followed the long
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Libby Riddles


first place. After finishing 18th and 20th in the 1980 and 1981 Iditarod races, she decided to breed her own sled dogs in order to advance. She moved to Shaktoolik, Alaska and worked as a fish seller for a short period while training her dogs, then moved to Teller, Alaska where she met Joe Garnie; they became partners and started breeding and training dogs together. On March 20, 1985 Riddles won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, becoming the first woman to do so. She wrote three books about
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


shore of the Bering Sea, finally reaching Nome in western Alaska. The trail is through a harsh landscape of tundra and spruce forests, over hills and mountain passes, and across rivers. While the start in Anchorage is in the middle of a large urban center, most of the route passes through widely separated towns and villages, and small Athabaskan and Iñupiat settlements. The Iditarod is regarded as a symbolic link to the early history of the state and is connected to many traditions commemorating the legacy of dog mushing. The race
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


husky in the Iditarod will burn about 9,666 calories each day; on a body-weight basis this rate of caloric burn is 3.5 times that of a human Tour de France cyclist. Similarly the VO2 max (aerobic capacity) of a typical Iditarod dog is about 240 milligrams of oxygen per kilogram of body weight, which is about three times that of a human Olympic marathon runner. Animal protection activists say that the Iditarod is not a commemoration of the 1925 serum delivery, and that race was originally called the Iditarod Trail Seppala
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2005 Iditarod


to-itiveness". Morgan is a 737-200 pilot. Trailing the pack, Morgan became the only musher to blizzard en route from White Mountain. Three of his dogs were in heat at the start of the race, and he had to drop his lead dogs at Iditarod. Morgan has been a volunteer with the Iditarod Airforce since 1995. According to Morgan, "we lived through some crazy experiences". According to Nome Mayor Leo Rasmussen, the race brought a total of US$23 million in business to the
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


southern route. There are currently 26 checkpoints on the northern route and 27 on the southern route where mushers must sign in. Some mushers prefer to camp on the trail and immediately press on, but others stay and rest. Mushers prepare "drop bags" of supplies which are flown ahead to each checkpoint by the Iditarod Air Force. The gear includes food for the musher and the dogs, extra booties for the dogs, headlamps for night travel, batteries (for the lamps, music, or radios), tools and
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


, the village of Unalakleet has a population of 712, making it the largest Alaska Native town along the Iditarod Trail. The majority of the residents are Iñupiat. The town's name means the "place where the east wind blows". Racers are met by church bells, sirens, and crowds. From Unalakleet, the route passes through the hills to the Iñupiat village of Shaktoolik. The route then passes across the frozen Norton Bay to Koyuk; the markers on the bay are young spruce trees frozen into holes in the
9606210
2010 Iditarod


The 38th Annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race saw 71 participating teams from the United States, Jamaica, Canada and United Kingdom. The ceremonial start was held in Anchorage on March 6. The official restart was held one day later in Willow. On March 16, 2:59 pm, Lance Mackey arrived at the burled arch in Nome, taking the championship with a time of 8 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 9 seconds. He became the first musher to achieve four consecutive Iditarod victories, and the second musher to complete
17881377
National Trails System


authorized under the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-625), amending the National Trails System Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-543) The act also established a category of trails known as connecting and side trails. To date, only two national side trails have been designated, both in 1990: The Timms Hill Trail, which connects the Ice Age Trail to Wisconsin's highest point, Timms Hill, and the 86-mile Anvik Connector, which joins the Iditarod Trail to the village of Anvik
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John Baker (musher)


John Quniaq Baker (born 1962 or 1963 in Kotzebue, Alaska) is self-employed American dog musher, pilot and motivational speaker of Inupiat descent who consistently places in the top 10 during the long distance Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Baker won the 2011 Iditarod with a finish time of 8 Days 19 Hours 46 Minutes 39 Seconds. Baker started mushing at age 14. He raced in his first Iditarod in 1996, placing 22nd. By his third race he placed in the top 10, and he sustained that position for
18022219
Brent Sass


acts of heroism on the trail. In 2012, Sass participated in his first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and earned Rookie of the Year honors. In 2015, Sass won the Yukon Quest in nine days, 12 hours, and 49 minutes. He also competed in the 2015 Iditarod, but his quest to become the second musher to win both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year fell short as he was disqualified from the Iditarod for possessing an iPod Touch during the race; the iPod Touch was deemed a
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2006 Iditarod


The ceremonial start of the 34th annual (XXXIV) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska began amidst the crowds of Anchorage on March 4, 2006, and the start of the competitive race, or "restart", began the next day in Willow. The race followed a modified version of the northern route for 1,151 mi (1,852 km) across the Alaska Range, through the sparsely inhabited Interior, along the Yukon River, and then up the coast of the Bering Sea to the city of Nome
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2007 Iditarod


The ceremonial start of the 35th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska began amidst the crowds of Anchorage at 10 am (AKST) on March 3, 2007, and the start of the competitive race, or "restart", began at 2 pm the next day in Willow. The race followed the southern route for 1,151 mi (1,852 km) across the Alaska Range, through the sparsely inhabited Interior, along the Yukon River, and then up the coast of the Bering Sea to the city
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


route to Nome. The three co-founders of the race started in October 1972 to plan the now famous race. A major fundraising campaign which raised a purse of $51,000 was also started at the same time. This race was the first true Iditarod Race and was held in 1973, and attracted a field of 34 mushers, 22 of whom completed the race. Dorothy Page had nothing to do with the 1973 race, stating that she "washes her hands of the event". The event was a success;
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Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area


the south to the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet in the north. It includes portions of Chugach National Forest, the Iditarod Trail network, the Alaska Railroad and the Seward Highway. Communities within KMTA include Seward, Moose Pass, Cooper Landing, Hope, Sunrise, Whittier, Portage, Girdwood and Bird Creek. The western portion of the area was extensively mined, and several mining districts and mining communities are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Kenai Lake is included within the KMTA's boundaries. Kenai Mountains-
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Iditarod Trail


relay. Twenty of Alaska's best mushers and their teams carried the serum from Nenana to Nome in just over 127 hours. This was to be one of the final great feats by sled dogs. Within a decade, air transport replaced the sled dog team as the preferred way to ship mail. With downturns in gold mining, most of the roadhouses closed, boom towns emptied, and the Iditarod Trail fell into disuse. Forest and tundra reclaimed the Iditarod Trail for almost a half a century until Alaskans, led by Joe
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


, "We're totally opposed to the race for the cruelty issues associated with it". The ASPCA said, "General concerns arise whenever intense competition results in dogs being pushed beyond their endurance or capabilities", according to Vice President Stephen Zawistowski. Iditarod Trail Committee monitors the dogs' health. On May 18, 2007, the Iditarod Trail Committee Board of Directors announced that they had suspended Ramy Brooks for abusing his sled dogs. The suspension was for the 2008 and 2009 races, to be followed by three years probation
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Joe Redington


named the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race, after the three-time champion Leonhard Seppala. The 1968 race was canceled due to lack of snow, and with a purse of just $1,000, only 12 mushers participated in the second event in 1969. While initially a success, enthusiasm had waned. Redington wanted to expand the race, from Knik to the historic gold rush town of Iditarod, but changed the end-point to the more-recognizable Nome, more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. In 1969
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List of trails in Grand Canyon National Park


environmental forces, or to prevent further trail erosion. Maintenance will also be done to protect historical features along a threshold trail. Cairns are permitted, but are to be placed discriminately. The following are designated as threshold trails: A primitive trail receives the least visitation of all trails. The National Park Service does not regularly maintain primitive trails, but reconstructs sections damaged by environmental forces only in cases where its existing condition creates a hazard. Multiple trail eradication is done to prevent accidental off-trail hiking. Cairns are permitted,
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Junior Iditarod


, Rome Gilman, Karl Clausen, Kenny Pugh, and Clarence Shockley, who were unable to compete in the Iditarod because they were less than 18 years of age. In October 1987, the Jr. Iditarod officially became part of the Iditarod Trail Committee, which manages the senior race. The Jr. Iditarod race is designed as a long-distance race, as opposed to a "sprint, or speed race", and is intended to help prepare younger mushers for the even longer Iditarod. The race commonly runs from Settler's
309763
Unalakleet River


mushing, ice fishing, hunting, and trapping in winter. For part of its length, the Iditarod Trail runs along the Unalakleet. The river's name is Inupiat for "place where the east wind blows." Historically, the river provided a good connection between native coastal settlements and those in the interior along the Yukon River. The route, including what is called the "Kaltag Portage", was the shortest connection between the Yukon and Norton Sound. Eskimos have lived near the Unalakleet for many centuries. House pits
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Iditarod Trail


way to reliably move goods and people across the frozen landscape. Not by chance, the "Seward to Nome Trail" as the Iditarod was originally called, was first mapped and marked in 1908 by a four-person Alaska Road Commission crew supported by dog teams. Nine months after the route was surveyed, two prospectors made a 'Christmas Day Strike' in the Iditarod Mining District, and the last great gold rush was on. Between 1910 and 1912, 10,000 gold seekers came to Alaska's "Inland Empire".
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Dorothy G. Page


, the self-described "history buff" wanted "a spectacular dog race to wake Alaskans up to what mushers and their dogs had done for Alaska." Page saw her first dog sled race in 1960. At the time, nearly every household in the rural Alaska Bush and Interior had a team of sled dogs for transportation. During the 1960s snowmachines started to replace the dogs, which all but vanished. The historic Iditarod Trail that passed through both Wasilla and Knik was an ideal stage. Dog mushing had been the
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Nome-Council Highway


is disconnected from the rest of the Alaska Highway System. The route is unpaved for its entire length and becomes impassable for automobiles in the winter outside of a short portion immediately outside of Nome. The portion of the road between Nome and Solomon is part of the Iditarod Trail and the highway passes several historic sites associated with the trail and the area's gold mining history. The route began as a collection of informal trails connecting Nome with mining communities established on the peninsula at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1906,
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2006 Iditarod


dogs pulling a dogsled, left the starting chute at the corner of Fourth and D Streets, and followed the 11 mi (18 km) route through the urban center. The mushers were accompanied on the sled by "Idita-riders", the high bidders in a pre-race auction. Eagle River: After the mushers arrived at Eagle River, the dogs were transported by vehicle to the "restart" location. Normally this is at Wasilla, the headquarters of the Iditarod Trail Committee, and the race continues from
2688678
Joe Redington


, and was part of the Seabees, building runways and depots. He was discharged from Fort Dix, New Jersey after the war and returned to Pennsylvania. In 1948, Redington moved to Flat Horn Lake, Alaska community of Knik River and the ghost town of Knik, where Redington was known to hail from, are two entirely different places, and are about 45 miles apart by road to boot.}} where he filed a Homestead Act claim along the Iditarod Trail in Knik, and started the Knik Kennels. The
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


91 miles, the single farthest of any team. In 1964 the Wasilla-Knik Centennial Committee was created to honor the 100th anniversary of Alaska's induction into the United States of America from Russia. Dorothy G. Page, the chairman of the committee, had the original idea to race a portion of the Iditarod Trail. Joe Redington Sr. (named the "Father of the Iditarod" by one of the local newspapers), and his wife Vi were Page's first true support and, with volunteer support they cleared up
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Junior Iditarod


The Junior Iditarod Sled Dog Race, or Jr. Iditarod, is a 148- to 158-mile (222 km) sled dog race for mushers between the ages of 14 through 17, which is patterned after the 1,150-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that is said to be 1,049 miles. The race is held outside Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska, and was the first long-distance race for juvenile mushers. With the encouragement of "Go for it" Joe Redington, Senior, the Jr. Iditarod was established 1977 by Eric Beeman
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Anchorage to Nome, entirely within the US state of Alaska. Mushers and a team of 14 dogs, of which at least 5 must be on the towline at the finish line, cover the distance in 8–15 days or more. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams but evolved into today's highly competitive race. Then a record, the second fastest winning time was
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Rachael Scdoris


youngest musher to complete an event of that distance. Rachael carried the Olympic Torch for the 2002 Winter Games. In 2003, the Iditarod Trail Committee approved her request under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 for special accommodations to compete in the much longer and more rigorous Iditarod. Scdoris completed the qualifying races in 2004, placing 11th in the 350-mile (563 km) Race to the Sky in Montana, and 6th in the 400-mile (644 km) John Beargrease Mid-Distance Marathon in Minnesota. On March 5 she started
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


Iditarod veterinarian Dr. Stuart Nelson, Jr., "Reasons for dropping dogs are numerous. Attitude problems, fatigue, illness, immaturity, injury, being “in heat,” lack of speed and musher strategy, are the more common ones." The dogs are well-conditioned athletes. Training starts in late summer or early fall and intensifies between November and March; competitive teams run before the race. When there is no snow, dog drivers train using wheeled carts or all-terrain vehicles set in neutral. An Alaskan
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Nome mining district


myriad of small hard-rock gold deposits were exploited near Nome, but production was very small, compared to the placer deposits, and none of the hard rock mines operated for more than a few years. In 1908, the Alaska Road Commission began constructing a trail from Seward to Nome, and in 1911, one year after the trail was completed, thousands of prospectors mushed or hiked to the Iditarod gold fields, a population boom that helped lead to Alaska becoming a territory. That trail is known as the Iditarod Trail
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Lance Mackey


out of the top ten in the 2011 race. Father Dick Mackey was one of the founders of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and won the event by one second over Rick Swenson in 1978. Lance's half-brother Rick Mackey also won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1983. All three of them won the race on their sixth attempt wearing bib number 13. Mackey was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2001 but continued sled dog racing entering the 2002 Iditarod race. After scratching from that race, he took
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Chugach State Park


. Visitors can rent yurts and cabins along the Eagle River in order to spend time out exploring the scenery and wildlife in the area. Camping is available at the Eagle River Campground. The Historic Iditarod Trail (or Crow Pass Trail) also passes by the nature center. This popular trail travels 28 miles (45 kilometers) through the park connecting Eagle River and Girdwood as it traverses the Chugach Mountains. It affords incredible views and wildlife viewing opportunities. Even along the first view miles, hikers often see hoary marmots ("
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Bering Strait School District


eye, most notably from Diomede School located on the island of Little Diomede, where it is only 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from the International Date Line. The route of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race runs through six district villages, where it is a major event. Many current and former Iditarod mushers live in the district, and participate in school activities focusing on the history and cultural traditions of mushing. "The Bering Strait School District will educate our children to become self-sufficient and responsible citizens through quality programs
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Freedom Frog


Freedom Frog is a frog mascot characted of Intervention Helpline, an Alaska counseling nonprofit organization. It is used in school animations and can be seen during Iditarod races. Intervention Helpline is an Alaska counseling nonprofit organization helping people to quit drugs and alcohol. The organization uses Freedom Frog for scholar and other organization animations. It's proposed than "free" could means "Family Recovery Educates Everyone" and "frog" "Family Recovery Ongoing Growth". During the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Freedom
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2005 Iditarod


The ceremonial start of the 33rd annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the US state of Alaska began in Anchorage on March 5, 2005 at 10 am AKST (19:00 UTC), and restarted in Willow the next day at 2 pm (23:00 UTC). After covering of wilderness, musher Robert Sørlie, an airport firefighter from Norway, crossed the finish line under the "burled arch" in Nome on March 16 at 8:39 am AKST (17:39 UTC). After taking care of his dogs, and an inspection to
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


old arch spelled out "End of Iditarod Dog Race", the new arch has an additional word: "End of Iditarod Sled Dog Race". A "Widow's Lamp" is lit and remains hanging on the arch until the last competitor crosses the finish line. The tradition is based on the kerosene lamp lit and hung outside a roadhouse, when a musher carrying goods or mail was en route. The last musher to complete the Iditarod is referred to as the "Red Lantern". On the way to the
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


are amateurs who make their living hunting, fishing, trapping, gardening, or with seasonal jobs, though lawyers, surgeons, airline pilots, veterinarians, biologists, and CEOs have competed. Per rules#1 and #2, only experienced mushers are allowed to compete in the Iditarod. Mushers are required to participate in three smaller races in order to qualify for the Iditarod. However, they are allowed to lease dogs to participate in the Iditarod and are not required to take written exams to determine their knowledge of mushing, the dogs
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


get too excited and jumpy." The time for covering this portion of the race does not count toward the official race time, so the dogs, musher, and Idita-Rider are free to take this all in at a relaxed pace. The mushers then continue through several miles of city streets and city trails before reaching the foothills to the east of Anchorage, in Chugach State Park in the Chugach Mountains. The teams then follow Glenn Highway for two to three hours until they reach Eagle River, away. Once they
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Discovery Park (Seattle)


and trail. The Discovery Park Loop Trail, designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, runs through the park, connecting to other trails. The park is built on the historic grounds of Fort Lawton; most of the Fort Lawton Historic District (FLHD) falls within the park (although an enclave within the district remains in military hands), as does the West Point Lighthouse. Both the FLHD and the lighthouse are on the National Register of Historic Places. Forests, beaches, prairies, and bluffs dominate the landscape of
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2019 Iditarod


The 2019 Iditarod is the 47th iteration of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race held in Alaska. The race began on March 2, 2019, in Anchorage, Alaska, and ended on March 18, 2019 in Nome, Alaska. Fifty-two dog mushers participated in the race, among them former Iditarod champions Joar Leifseth Ulsom, Mitch Seavey, Martin Buser, Lance Mackey, and Jeff King; other veteran mushers such as Aliy Zirkle and Nicolas Petit; and ten rookies, including Blair Braverman. On March 13th, Peter
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2007 Iditarod


allegations, but acknowledged "spanking" the dogs in his team with a trail marking lathe. One of Brooks' dogs died the day after the incident, but a necropsy could not determine why the dog died and race officials said there was no evidence that Brooks was to blame. On March 17, 2007, the judges voted unanimously to disqualify Brooks from the 2007 Iditarod. Shane Goosen who has taken part in the Iditarod three times, told the Iditarod board that during the Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race in January 2007 five
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Iditarod Trail


In the following years they worked $30 million of gold from the ground. With the rush, entrepreneurs quickly erected roadhouses and dog barns along the trail at a convenient day's journey apart—about 20 miles—to shelter and feed trail users. Freight shippers, mail haulers and well-to-do passengers relied on dogsleds. Less wealthy foot-travelers used snowshoes, skis, and the occasional bicycle. By 1918 the stampede reversed itself. New winter mail contracts bypassed the fading town of Iditarod in favor of more
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


Southern"). From Iditarod the route goes through the three neighboring Athabaskan villages of Shageluk, Anvik, Grayling, and then on to Eagle Island, Alaska. Ruby and Anvik are on the longest river in Alaska, the Yukon, which is swept by strong winds which can wipe out the trail and drop the windchill below . A greater hazard is the uniformity of this long stretch: suffering from sleep deprivation, many mushers report hallucinations. Both trails meet again in Kaltag, which for hundreds of years has been a gateway
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Mitch Seavey


Mitch Seavey (born 1959) is an American dog musher, who won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska in 2004, 2013 and 2017. At age 57, Seavey is the oldest person to win the Iditarod in 2017 (surpassing his record in 2013 at age 53). His son, Dallas Seavey, won the 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Iditarod; his 2012 win made him the youngest winner ever. Seavey competed in his first Iditarod in 1982, and has completed every race
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EV5 Via Romea Francigena


Via Francigena" walking trail does not pass through Belgium or Luxembourg. In England, the EV5 is complete. The route is long and follows the National Cycle Network route NCR1 from Canterbury to Dover. From the ancient city of Canterbury which was the historic starting point of Sigeric's "Via Francigena", the EV5 then travels to the coast and the port of Sandwich and ends at Dover, where a ferry can take you to France to continue the ride. In England, the EV5 goes through Canterbury, Sandwich and Dover
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Route of the Oregon Trail


the terrain would allow it there may be between 20 and 50 wagons traveling abreast. Remnants of the trail in Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the entire trail is a designated National Historic Trail (listed as the Oregon National Historic Trail). Initially, the main "jumping off point" was the common head of the Santa Fe Trail and Oregon Trail—Independence, Missouri/Kansas City, Kansas. Travelers starting in Independence had to ferry
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Anvik, Alaska


the Yukon River at the mouth of the Anvik River. It is to the north of Holy Cross. There is a public Anvik Airport (ANV) with a 2,960-foot (902 m) gravel runway located one mile (1.6 km) southeast of downtown Anvik. The Anvik Connector is a trail, designated a national side trail, which links the community to the Iditarod Trail to the east. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (20.44%)
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Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth


Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth was a 2008 American reality television miniseries on the Discovery Channel that featured the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. The show follows and documents selected racers and their dogs during the trek through Alaska's wilderness. Iditarod entrants pay $3,000 to enter the race and must have completed certain qualifying races beforehand. Expenses for the race can exceed $20,000 and mushers often seek sponsors to aide in paying for the race. Most mushers hold outside jobs in addition to racing.
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2005 Iditarod


diphtheria epidemic by the historic 1925 serum run to Nome. Baxter rode out of the starting chute on Fourth Avenue and D Street in the sled of 15-year-old Melissa Owens, who won the 138-mile (222 km) Junior Iditarod on February 27, with a time of 1 day, 51 minutes, and 27 seconds. Earlier in the year, Owens also placed second in the Junior Yukon Quest. Separated by intervals of at least two minutes, the competitors departed starting at 10:02 am. The last team left at 12:53
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Fatbike


wheel and frame build. Other early versions of the fatbike were normal mountain bikes equipped with SnowCat rims, created by Simon Rakower of All-Weather Sports in Fairbanks, Alaska in the early 1990s; or with multiple tires seated on two or three standard rims that had been welded or pinned together. Rakower was involved with technical support aspects of the Iditabike (later IditaSport) race, which started in 1987. Since 2002 the race continued on the same trail under the name Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI). Rakower started hand
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Yukon Quest


. It alternates starting locations along with the main race and is intended for less-experienced mushers training for longer races. The race is also a qualifier for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and the following year's Yukon Quest. Several mushers, including Fort Yukon Native Josh Cadzow, have used the race as a trial before entering the longer races. In 2009, the race was capped at 25 entries. When the Quest 300 starts in Whitehorse, its course follows the main Yukon Quest trail until the Stepping Stone hospitality stop
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National Smokejumper Association


projects in six states. Areas with trails opened and maintained by this group included the Boundary Waters, High Sierra, Iditarod Trail and Bob Marshall Wilderness. The Trails Program hopes to add West Virginia to their list of project states by 2011. The NSA supports three scholarship programs. The first is the Art Jukkala Scholarship Program, which was named after a former smokejumper who died of a heart attack during a Trails Program project. This program awards scholarships to the children of smokejumpers who were killed in action. Four scholarships have been
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


the 49th U.S. state. In 2015 and 2017, due to lack of snow, the race had to be re-routed. The race started in Fairbanks, Alaska, and continued to Nenana (), Manley Hot Springs (), Tanana (), Ruby (), Galena (), Husila (), Koyukuk () before joining up with the normal trail at Nulato for the rest of the race. The Fairbanks restart changed the official distance to , longer than the northern route, 19 less than the
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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race


competition was the tremendously popular 1908 All-Alaska Sweepstakes (AAS), which was started by Allan "Scotty" Alexander Allan, and ran from Nome to Candle and back. The event introduced the first Siberian huskies to Alaska in 1910, where they quickly became the favored racing dog, replacing the Alaskan malamute and mongrels bred from imported huskies and other large breeds, like setters and pointers. In 1914, the Norwegian immigrant Leonhard Seppala first appeared, and went on to win the race in 1915, 1916, and 1917
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Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail


The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVHT) is part of the U.S. National Trails System, and N.C. State Trail System. It recognizes the Revolutionary War Overmountain Men, Patriots from what is now East Tennessee who crossed the Great Smoky Mountains and then fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina. The OVHT follows the route from Abingdon, Virginia at the Abingdon Muster Grounds, fording the Watauga River at Sycamore Shoals through present day Elizabethton, Tennessee, crossing the Doe River twice near both Hampton, Tennessee and Roan Mountain
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Ramy Brooks


in Nome, Alaska. Brooks denies the more serious allegations, but acknowledged "spanking" the dogs in his team with a trail marking lath. One of Brooks‘ dogs died the day after the incident, but a necropsy could not determine why the dog died and race officials said there was no evidence that Brooks was to blame. On March 17, 2007, the judges voted unanimously to disqualify Brooks from the 2007 Iditarod. On May 18, 2007, the Iditarod Trail Committee Board of Directors announced that they had suspended
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Montana Race to the Sky


The Race to the Sky is a long-distance sled dog race held annually in Montana. There are several divisions offered at different distances. The longest race was originally a race but is currently . It is a qualifying race for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and is sometimes called "The Iditarod of the Lower 48." The race was first held in 1986 and was a 500 mile competition called the Governor's Cup Sled Dog Race. From the outset, it was a qualifying race for the Iditarod. In 1989
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Anchorage, Alaska


, which will be connected via skybridge to form the Anchorage Civic & Convention District. The Sullivan Arena hosts sporting events as well concerts and annual trade shows. National attention focuses on Anchorage on the first Saturday of each March, when the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicks off with its ceremonial start downtown on Fourth Avenue. Anchorage is also home to the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Sled Dog Races, a three-day dog sled sprint event consisting of 3 timed races of each. Held each February, the event is part
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Anchorage, Alaska


UAA sponsors the annual Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament featuring colleges and universities from across the United States along with the UAA team. Anchorage is the finish line for the Sadler's Ultra Challenge wheelchair race, and holds the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. There are four rugby clubs, including the Bird Creek Barbarians RFC, Anchorage Thunderbirds, Mat Valley Maulers RFC, and Spenard Green Dragons. The season runs from April through September. The Anchorage Northern Knights gained national attention when they
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2005 Iditarod


, the first leg of the race was shortened by the Iditarod Trail Committee on February 27, and ended at Campbell Airstrip from Anchorage, instead of the traditional checkpoint away at Eagle River. Restart at Willow: From the Airstrip the teams were shipped by truck to the restart point, which is normally at the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla. Due to inclement weather the restart was moved north to Willow, and the checkpoint at Knik was skipped. The time to Nome is calculated from Sunday, March 6, at 2 pm when
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Kevin of the North


Kevin of the North is a 2001 Canadian comedy film directed by Bob Spiers. It stars Skeet Ulrich, Natasha Henstridge, Leslie Nielsen, and Rik Mayall and is about an Alaskan Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in which Kevin Manley, whose grandfather has passed on and now must participate in the state's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in order to prove he's worthy enough for his grandfather's estate. The film was released to DVD in the United States with the alternate title of "Chilly Dogs" on February 4, 2003
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Dallas Seavey


Dallas Seavey (born March 4, 1987) is an American dog musher, who won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2017, four of Seavey's sixteen-dog team tested positive for high doses of Tramadol, an opioid pain medication that is also a banned substance. The test was administered to four of the seven Seavey dogs that finished the race in second place, behind Seavey's father, Mitch Seavey. The Iditarod Trail Committee,
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Rick Swenson


Rick Swenson, sometimes known as the "King of the Iditarod", (born 1950 in Willmar, Minnesota), is an American dog musher who has won the 1,049-mile (1688.2 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska more times than any other competitor. He won five times, in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1991, and is the only person to win in three separate decades. He won his first Iditarod race at the age of 27. Swenson competed in the
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