The 2025 Iditarod race in Alaska begins in just a few weeks. The opening "Musher Meet & Greet & Banquet" is scheduled for Thursday February 27, and the actual 1,000 miles of mushing get underway on Saturday March 1. You can follow the events, purchase Iditarod merchandise, and even sign up to watch live streaming of the race at their official website: https://iditarod.com/. There's even time to sign up to volunteer!
The HISTORY link on the site (under the INFO drop-down menu) states that the reason for continuing the tradition, which began in 1973, is two-fold:
"....to save the sled dog culture and Alaskan huskies, which were being phased out of existence due to the introduction of snowmobiles in Alaska; and to preserve the historical Iditarod Trail between Seward and Nome. "
Also on the History page, there's mention of the "1925 Serum Run", which brings me to the picture at the top of this column. The statue in the picture is of "Balto", an Alaskan husky whose name has been immortalized in a several children's books and a 1995 animated film.
It was 100 years ago this month that Balto was part of a sled dog team that delivered serum to the city of Nome, Alaska. Nome was facing an outbreak of diphtheria, with no access to the vaccine, due in part to the frozen seas around the port. Diphtheria was a leading cause of death in children in the late 19th century.
The serum was shipped by train from Seward up to Nenana, Alaska, and then transported by dog sled the 675 miles to Nome - a trek that took 5 1/2 days.
You can read the full story at THIS LINK from the Associated Press. This year's Iditarod will pay homage to the events of 100 years ago.
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| Unrelated, but a sign of the winter season as can only be found in Vermont and the North country. They even have a chair indoors explicitly designated as "Sit here to remove your cleats or crampons" |
