A Race of Skill and Endurance

photo ©Alaska Division of Tourism Mushers come from many countries and backgrounds.

Braving the icy wilderness

The Iditarod Trail crosses snowy mountain ranges, frozen rivers, coastal areas, treeless arctic plains, and land with trees so thick it's like going through a tunnel. Temperatures normally range from 20 below zero to 40 below zero, and that doesn't count the wind chill.

One year, temperatures fell as low as 72 degrees below zero. That race was canceled because the dogs were getting frostbite on their paws.

Winds can be so fierce that blowing snow makes it almost impossible to see.

Sometimes ice gets so thick that the water underneath has nowhere to go. Then, water flows over the top of the thick ice and forms a new, thin layer of ice on top of the overflowing water. This can be very dangerous to mushers, because they can fall through the thin ice into the frigid water.

Keeping dry is the most important thing mushers can do. They carry dry clothes for themselves and booties for the dogs.

photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown, courtesy U.S. Air Force Musher Maj. (Dr.) Tom Knolmayer drives his team into a checkpoint at White Mountain, Alaska, in 2005. He finished the race with nine out of his original 16 dogs.

Checkpoints

Teams must stop at checkpoints throughout the trail. These stopping points are often villages where mushers and their dogs might get a chance to eat and drink.

At each checkpoint, veterinarians look over the dogs. Mushers rub salve, or ointment, on a dog's paws. If a dog is injured or too tired, it might leave the race and be flown home from a checkpoint. The dogs' safety is very important.

Each team can start with a maximum of 16 sled dogs. If dogs have to be sent home, the mushers keep racing with fewer dogs. But they must have at least six dogs at the finish line.

Mushers

Mushers have to be at least 18 years old. Kids from 14 to 18 can compete in the Jr. Iditarod, which is 160 miles long.

Mushers have to study a lot. They learn how to plan strategy, coach the team, keep the different dogs healthy and happy, and provide food. They must be able to handle race hazards such as floods, avalanches and wild animals.