The
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
is a unique, long-distance race that tests competitors’ endurance and mettle through the unforgiving winter landscape of Alaska.
The race has its roots in the early 1970s, but it continues in popularity and many “mushers” are repeat contestants.
Indianapolis native Karen Land is one of them, and she recently discussed her experiences at the Hammond Public Library.
“I ran my first race in 2002,” she said, to the large audience gathered in the Community Room. “I’m not a fast musher and didn’t set any specific time goal. I just wanted to finish.”
That she did, taking two weeks to come in 49th out of 65 contestants. A typical finish is completed in 10-12 days.
Land’s dog Noggin was in attendance at the talk, and some of the special equipment used in the races also was displayed.
“A few weeks ago, when I heard this (race) was going to be the topic of discussion, I put the date immediately on my calendar,” said Hammond resident Janeen Harris, who was one of the first to arrive in the Community Room. “I have relatives who live in Alaska and they are always talking about the Iditarod Trail event. It’s a big thing up there.”
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The first run originated from Nome, Alaska in 1973. Now, the nearly 1,000-mile event begins in Anchorage and ends in Nome.
Land’s path to become a “musher” was unexpected, and it all began with a writing assignment for a college class. She was profiling a rookie musher entered in the Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Race.
“I fell in love with the dogs and the competition,” she said. “I knew then what I wanted to do.”
The next step was to become a dog handler for a veteran musher. She began to pick up tricks of the trade and taught herself to become a professional. Land has entered the competition three times.
Preparing for the race, which is held in March each year, includes a lot of planning — specifically training the dogs and securing proper equipment.
“There are usually 16 dogs that pull the musher, who is on skis,” Land said. “But not everyone finishes with all of them. Some dogs may drop out for various reasons.”
Land’s dog Noggin — a well-behaved, docile canine — schmoozed with the crowd of more than 100 visitors seated in the Community Room
“This is really unusual. This dog actually came up to my son and stopped in front of him, like he was asking to be petted,” said Lynda King of Hammond, with a laugh. “My son is only three-years-old and scared of dogs, but not today.”
Land covered some of the history of the race as well. In the mid 1950s, Joe and Vi Redington were writing letters to bring remembrance to the old Iditarod Trail and its important historical significance to Alaska’s history, while Dorothy G. Page, chairman of the Wasilla-Knik Centennial Committee, came up with the idea of having a race over a portion of the Iditarod Trail to celebrate Alaska’s Centennial Year in 1967.
The two heat, 56-mile Centennial race between Knik and Big Lake was held in 1967 and 1969 before the first ever, long distance race took off in 1973
The U.S. Army helped clear portions of the trail and the race went all the way to Nome for the first time. Even so, the mushers still had to break much of their own trail and take care of their own supplies.
The race recognizes the part that sled dogs played in the settlement of Alaska. The mushers travel from checkpoint to checkpoint much as the freight mushers did 80 years ago.
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.