Iditarod

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1. What was the original use for the Iditarod Trail?

a trail that was belived to be in passable that was used to save time back in the day befor planes trains it about a town and a team of sled dogs that got the meds to them b4 they died balto I think was the lead dog hope this help

2. When does the Iditarod start every year?

It has to be confirmed but its run every march. http://www.whatsonwhen.com/print/viewevent.asp?id=28831#dates

3. What is the all-time record for completing the Iditarod?

In 2002, Martin Buser broke the record when he crossed the finish line in 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 2 seconds. Check out iditarod.com for bits of trivia and history

4. Is there a website that has all the answers to the Iditarod Scavenger Hunt?

yes google

5. What two mountain ranges does the Iditarod Race cross on its way to Nome?

Actually, there's possible three ranges 1 The Alaska range 2- The Kuskokwim Mountains, and 3- The kaiyuh Mountains

6. What is the best kind of iditarod sled dog?

Do not buy a dog for its looks. These are high maintanance dogs, not for the faint hearted. They require 2 1/2 h - 3h of exercise a day, daily mental stimulation, daily socialising and training sessions. You need to know your stuff about dog training and dog behaviour. They have a very high prey drive and are not good with cats and other small furry or fethery things. You want an inexpensive dog? Well you wouldn't find one from a good reputable breeder then and even puppy farmers often charge the same price so you need to do your homework regarding breeders. Sometimes reputable breeders have one of their dogs come back to them (yes reputable breeders take the dogs they have bred back) through no fault of their own. People getting devorced, having to move et cetera. So you get get a maybe slightly older dog that will be cheaper than a puppy. Otherwise look in shelters and rescue centers. Look for breeders on the Amerivan Kennel Club site. I would advise to avoid ANYONE who advertises in any kind of free paper or website. Avoid ANYONE who breeds crossbreeds. A good breeder should: - Have all relevant health checks done on the dam and sire of the puppies and the documentation to prove it– i.e. Hip and Eye Scores. - Have a Kennel Club Affix (although again, anyone can have one of these so just because someone has one doesn't mean they are a good breeder.) - Have excellent show results with both Sire and Dam - Not be picked for convenience, just because they are the closest breeder to you. - Be extremely knowledgeable about the breed, what problems they can have and be able to answer any question. -Offer live long support and a guarantee of taking the animal back at any age if the new owner is unable to keep the pet. -Minimum age of the bitch 24 months of age before breeding - Minimum age of the sire before breeding 18 months.(better older)

7. Im fixing to go to Anchorage Alaska and Im trying to figure out how many dogs i need for the Iditarod?

lol. You're so funny! Hmm. Let's see. You'll need about 10 - 12 dogs, sled equipment, food for dogs, mittens, and a CLUE. :P Good luck with that. ;)

8. How many miles long is the Iditarod???

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race covers 1,049 miles.( Willow to Nome)

9. What event does the Iditarod commemorate?

To commerate the mushers and dogs. The most famous event in the history of Alaskan mushing is the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the Great Race of Mercy. A diphtheria epidemic threatened Nome, especially the Inuit children who had no immunity to the white man's disease, and the nearest quantity of antitoxin was in Anchorage. Since the two available planes were both dismantled and had never been flown in the winter, Governor Scott Bone approved a safer route. The 20-pound (9 kg) cylinder of serum was sent by train 298 miles (480 km) from the southern port of Seward to Nenana, where it was passed just before midnight on January 27 to the first of twenty mushers and more than 100 dogs who relayed the package 674 miles (1,085 km) from Nenana to Nome. In the serum delivery, the dogs ran in relays with no dog running over 100 miles. The Norwegian Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog Balto, arrived on Front Street in Nome on February 2 at 5:30 a.m., just five and a half days later. The two became media celebrities, and a statue of Balto was erected at Central Park in New York City in 1925, where it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions. However, most mushers consider Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo to be the true heroes of the run. Together they covered the most hazardous stretch of the route, and carried the serum further than any other team. The Iditarod was the brainchild of Dorothy G. Page (the Mother of the Iditarod), who wanted to sponsor a sled dog race to honor mushers. With the support of Joe Redington, Sr. (the Father of the Iditarod), the first Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race was held in 1967 and covered 25 miles (40 km) near Anchorage. The purse of USD $25,000 attracted a field of 58 racers and the winner was Isaac Okleasik. The next race in 1968 was canceled due to lack of snow, and the small $1,000 purse in 1969 only drew 12 mushers. The race was originally called the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race in honor of Leonhard Seppala. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best dogsled mushers and teams, evolving into the highly competitive race it is today. The current fastest winning time record was set in 2002 by Martin Buser with a time of 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds. Frequently teams race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, and sub-zero weather and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach -100 °F (-75 °C). The trail runs through the U.S. state of Alaska. A ceremeonial start occurs in the city of Anchorage and is followed by the official restart in Willow, a city in the southcental region of the state. The trial proceeds from Willow up the Rainy Pass of the Alaska Range into the sparsely populated Interior, and then along the shore of the Bering Sea, finally reaching Nome in western Alaska. The teams cross a harsh but starkly beautiful landscape under the canopy of the Northern Lights, through 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 Athapaskan and Inuit 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 is arguably the most popular sporting event in Alaska, and the top mushers and their teams of dogs are local celebrities; this popularity is credited with the resurgence of recreational mushing in the state since the 1970s. While the yearly field of more than fifty mushers and about a thousand dogs is still largely Alaskan, competitors from fourteen countries have completed the event including the Norwegian Robert Sørlie, who became the first international winner in 2003. The Iditarod received more attention outside of the state after the 1985 victory of Libby Riddles, a long shot who became the first woman to win the race. Susan Butcher became the second woman to win the race, and went on to dominate for half a decade. Print and television journalists and crowds of spectators attend the start at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and D Streets in Anchorage, and in smaller numbers at the checkpoints along the trail. History Portions of the Iditarod Trail were used by the Native American Inuit and Athabaskans hundreds of years before the arrival of Russian fur traders in the 1800s, but the trail reached its peak between the late 1880s and the mid 1920s as miners arrived to dig coal and later gold, especially after the Alaska gold rushes at Nome in 1898, and at the Inland Empire along the Kuskokwim Mountains between the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, in 1908. The primary communication and transportation link to the rest of the world during the summer was the steamship; but between October and June the northern ports like Nome became icebound, and dog sleds delivered mail, firewood, mining equipment, gold ore, food, furs, priests, and other needed supplies between the trading posts and settlements across the Interior and along the western coast. Roadhouses where travelers could spend the night sprang up every 14 to 30 miles (23 to 48 km) until the end of the 1920s, when the mail carriers were replaced by bush pilots flying small aircraft and the roadhouses vanished. Dog sledding persisted in the rural parts of Alaska, but was almost driven into extinction by the spread of snowmobiles in the 1960s. During its heyday, mushing was also a popular sport during the winter, when mining towns shut down. The first major competition was the tremendously popular 1908 All-Alaska Sweepstakes (AAS), which was started by Allan Scotty Alexander Allan, and ran 408 miles (657 km) 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, before the race was discontinued in 1918 during World War I. Statue of Balto in Central Park (New York City)The most famous event in the history of Alaskan mushing is the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the Great Race of Mercy. A diphtheria epidemic threatened Nome, especially the Inuit children who had no immunity to the white man's disease, and the nearest quantity of antitoxin was in Anchorage. Since the two available planes were both dismantled and had never been flown in the winter, Governor Scott Bone approved a safer route. The 20-pound (9 kg) cylinder of serum was sent by train 298 miles (480 km) from the southern port of Seward to Nenana, where it was passed just before midnight on January 27 to the first of twenty mushers and more than 100 dogs who relayed the package 674 miles (1,085 km) from Nenana to Nome. In the serum delivery, the dogs ran in relays with no dog running over 100 miles. The Norwegian Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog Balto, arrived on Front Street in Nome on February 2 at 5:30 a.m., just five and a half days later. The two became media celebrities, and a statue of Balto was erected at Central Park in New York City in 1925, where it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions. However, most mushers consider Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo to be the true heroes of the run. Together they covered the most hazardous stretch of the route, and carried the serum further than any other team. The Iditarod was the brainchild of Dorothy G. Page (the Mother of the Iditarod), who wanted to sponsor a sled dog race to honor mushers. With the support of Joe Redington, Sr. (the Father of the Iditarod), the first Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race was held in 1967 and covered 25 miles (40 km) near Anchorage. The purse of USD $25,000 attracted a field of 58 racers and the winner was Isaac Okleasik. The next race in 1968 was canceled due to lack of snow, and the small $1,000 purse in 1969 only drew 12 mushers. The race was originally called the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race in honor of Leonhard Seppala.

10. Do participants in the Iditarod sometimes end up drifting off to sea on lumps of ice so big it takes them a?

If you get a map and trace a fairly direct route from Iditarod to Nome, you can probably figure the answer. It hasn't happened that I know of but check the map. Are the routes near the sea ice?

11. How does the Iditarod race start?

there is a banquet before hand and the mushers are randomly given their start number. When the first team goes they count down and then the team leaves. the next team has 3 minutes to get ready, then they count down again. if your team isn't ready to leave the chute within the allotted time, you have to wait until then end and be added on last. they do the 3 minute thing for every team, this year there were 97 teams.

12. When does the iditarod start this year?

The race begins on March 1st! http://www.iditarod.com/teachers/news/story_480.html I hope this helps!!

13. Iditarod runner ~ Fairbanks, AK ~ What's the name of the girl who works for the riverboat?

you could have kept your 5 points by googling it, but NO, you have to give me 2 points anyways

14. Where can I get a live feed of the Iditarod?

You can get live tracking of some of the top mushers by going to the Iditarod website (www.iditarod.com) and clicking on the tracking link.

15. What is the best way to train for the iditarod dog sled race?

Man these people are harsh! jesus mcjones is a wealthy investor as well as a doctor. Don't tell him to get a life. You get a life mr and mrs poopy pants. jesus, all we need is Max, your dog, my dog, and the girls on the first floors dogs and we would dominate. I want to be in front though.

16. what is the prize for winning the iditarod race?

17. How much does it cost to run in the Iditarod?

$1860 For the 2007 Race http://www.iditarod.com/pdfs/2007/2007Rules-Final.pdf

18. how many mushers leave anchorage when the iditarod race starts?

97 this year also set a record for the most entered

19. What was the date when the Iditarod was established as Alaska's official state race?

The official Iditarod is held on the first Saturday in March in Alaska since 1973. In 2000, an official resolution was adopted by the State of Alaska to make the Iditarod the official state race.

20. What is the arrangement of sled dogs in and Iditarod race?????????????

Iditarod Race Rules The Iditarod Trail International Sled Dog Race shall be an open class race for all dog Mushers meeting the entry qualifications as set forth by the Board of Directors of the Iditarod Trail Committee, Inc. Recognising the varying degrees of experience, monetary support and residence locations of a Musher, the Trail Committee shall encourage and maintain the philosophy that the race be constructed to permit all qualified Mushers who wish to enter and complete the race to do so. The object of the race is to determine which Musher and dogs can cover the race in the shortest time under their own power and without aid of others. That is determined by the nose of the first dog to cross the finish line. To that end, the Iditarod Trail Committee has established the following rules and policies to govern the race. 1. Checkpoints: A Musher must personally sign in at each checkpoint before continuing, except at the Wasilla restart. 2. Mandatory Stops: A Musher must personally sign in and out to start and complete all mandatory stops. Twenty Four Hour Stop: A Musher must take one mandatory twenty-four (24) hour stop during the race. The twenty-four (24) hour stop may be taken at the Mushers option at a time most beneficial to the dogs. The checker must be notified by the Musher that he/she is taking his/her twenty-four (24) hour stop. Time begins upon notification. The starting differential will be adjusted during each team's twenty-four (24) hour stop. It is the Mushers responsibility to remain for the entire twenty-four (24) hour period plus starting differential. The ITC will give each Musher the required time information prior to leaving the starting line. Eight Hour Mandatory Stops: In addition to the mandatory twenty-four (24) hour stop, a Musher must take one eight (8) hour stop on the Yukon and one eight (8) hour stop at White Mountain. None of the three (3) mandatory stops may be combined. 3. Bib: A Musher is required to carry his/her official ITC bib from White Mountain checkpoint to Safety checkpoint. The Musher must wear the bib in a visible fashion from Safety Checkpoint to Nome. The winner shall continue to wear the bib through the lead dog ceremony. All promotional material, except the bib, must be returned to the ITC at the finish line, or in the case of Mushers who scratch, to the checker accepting the Mushers scratch form. 4. Sled: A Musher has a choice of sled subject to the requirement that some type of sled or toboggan must be drawn. The sled or toboggan must be capable of hauling any injured or fatigued dogs under cover, plus equipment and food. Breaking devices must be constructed to fit between the runners and not to extend beyond the tails of the runners. No more than two (2) sleds can be shipped beyond Wasilla. These sleds may be used at the Mushers discretion. No other sled changes are permitted except that a sled damaged beyond repair may be replaced if approved by an official. Once a sled has been left behind, it cannot be transported along the trail. It cannot be used again unless approved by the race marshal as a replacement for a broken sled. 5. Mandatory Items: A Musher must have with him/her at all times the following items: 1. Proper cold weather sleeping bag weighing a minimum of 5 lbs. 2. Axe, head to weigh a minimum of 1-3/4 lbs., handle to be at least 22 long. 3. One pair of snow shoes with bindings, each shoe to be at least 252 square inches in size. 4. Any promotional material provided by the ITC. 5. Eight booties for each dog in the sled or in use. 6. One operational cooker and pot capable of boiling at least three (3) gallons of water. 7. Veterinarian notebook, to be presented to the veterinarian at each checkpoint. Gear may be checked at all checkpoints except Eagle River, Wasilla, Knik and Safety. Mushers' diaries will be checked only by the veterinarian. 6. Dog Maximums and Minimum's: The maximum number of dogs a Musher may start the race with is sixteen (16) dogs. A Musher must have at least twelve (12) dogs on the line to start the race. At least five (5) dogs must be on the tow line at the finish line. No dogs may be added to a team after the start of the race. All dogs must be either on the tow line or hauled in the sled and cannot be led behind the sled or allowed to run loose. 7. Unmanageable Teams: A Musher may seek the aid of others to control an unmanageable team. 8. Driverless Team: A team and driver must complete the entire race trail including checking in at all required locations. A driverless team or loose dog may be stopped and secured by anyone. The driver may recover his/her team either on foot, with assistance from another Musher or mechanised vehicle and continue the race. If a dog team is picked up during an emergency, it is the race marshal's discretion as to whether or not that team must be returned to that point if it is to continue the race. Motorised assistance must be reported to an official at the next checkpoint. If mechanised help is used, the team or dog must be returned to the point where it was lost before the team or dog may continue. 9. Scratched Mushers: A Musher scratching from the race is responsible for the transportation of his/her dogs and gear off the trail. 10. Hauling Dogs: A Musher may haul dogs in the sled at his/her discretion, however, the Musher may not allow any of the dogs to be hauled by another team. Dogs must be hauled in a humane fashion and must be covered if conditions require. 11. Teams Tied Together: Two or more teams may not be tied together except in an emergency. Any team so involved must notify officials at the next checkpoint. 12. Pacing: Pacing is not allowed. 13. Motorised Vehicles: A Musher may not be accompanied by or accept assistance from any motorised vehicle that gives help to the Musher, including aircraft and snow machines, except when recovering a loose dog or driverless team. 14. Dog Care: A Musher will be penalised if proper care is not maintained. Dogs must be maintained in good condition. All water and food must be ingested voluntarily. 15. Shelter for Dogs: Dogs may not be brought into shelters except for race veterinarians medical examination or treatment. Dogs must be returned outside as soon as such examination or treatment is completed unless the dog is dropped from the race. 16. Cruel and Inhumane Treatment: There will be no cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs. Cruel or inhumane treatment involves any action or inaction which causes preventable pain or suffering to a dog. 17. Injured, Fatigued or Sick Dogs: All injured, fatigued or sick dogs that are dropped from the race must be left at a designated dog drop with a completed and signed dropped dog form. Any dropped dog must be left with four (4) pounds of dog food and a reliable chain or cable (16 to 18 in length) with swivel snap and collar. 18. Expired Dogs: Any dog that expires on the trail must be taken by the Musher to a checkpoint. The Musher may transport the dog to either the checkpoint just passed, or the upcoming checkpoint. An expired dog report must be completed by the Musher and presented to a race official along with the dog. The chief veterinarian will cause a necropsy to be carried out by a Board Certified Pathologist at the earliest opportunity and shall make every attempt to determine the cause of death. The race marshal or his/her appointed judges, will determine whether the Musher should continue or be disqualified. 19. Harness and Cables: Dog must leave checkpoints with functional, non-chafing harnesses. A Musher must carry cable tie-out lines or have cable in the towline capable of securing the team. Equipment deemed unsafe by race officials is prohibited. 20. Drug Use: No injectable, oral or topical drug which may suppress the signs of illness or injury may be used on a dog. A Musher may not inject any substance into their dogs. No other drugs or other artificial means may be used to drive a dog or cause a dog to perform or attempt to perform beyond its natural ability. The following drugs are prohibited: A. Anabolic Steroids B. Analgesics (prescriptive and not-prescriptive) C. Anaesthetics D. Antihistamines E. Anti-inflammatory drugs including but not limited to: 1.Cortico-steroids (only those provided for ITC for use on feet) 2.Antiprostaglandins. 3.Non-steroidals. 4.Salicylates. 5.DMSO. F. Bronchodilators G. Central Nervous System Stimulants H. Cough Suppressants I. Diuretics J. Injectable Anticolinergics K. Muscle Relaxants L. Tranquillisers Opiates Dogs are subject to the collection of urine or blood samples, at the discretion of the testing veterinarian, at any point from the pre-race examination until six (6) hours after the team's finish in Nome. The Musher or a designee will remain with the dogs. All results will be sealed and signed for before the tests are considered complete. A Musher must assist the veterinarian in collecting samples whenever requested. If blood or urine testing of a dog reveals any of the prohibitive drugs in the dog, this rule has been violated regardless of when such drugs were administered to the dog. The use of megesterol acetate (Ovaban) and mibolerone (Cheque drops) as an estrus suppressant is permitted only in intact females that have not had an ovario hysterectomy. The practice of blood doping, i.e., injection of whole blood, packed blood cells or blood substitutes is prohibited. Race veterinarians may utilise any of the listed drugs or other prohibited drugs necessary to maintain a dog's health, however, such dogs will be withdrawn from the race. The use of local or general anaesthetics will not be allowed in any form unless the dog is withdrawn from the race. Personal prescriptions written for and carried by the Mushers may not be used on the dogs. Musher Conduct 21. Good Samaritan Rule: A Musher will not be penalised for aiding another Musher in an emergency. Incidents must be explained to race officials at the next checkpoint. 22. Interference: A Musher may not tamper with another Mushers dogs, food or gear or interfere in any manner with the progress of another team. 23. Food and Gear at Checkpoint: A Mushers personal gear, equipment and supplies may not be transported along the trail by mechanised means without the consent of the race marshal. 24. Passing: When one team approaches within fifty (50) feet of another team, the team behind shall have the immediate right of way upon demand. The Musher ahead must stop the dogs and hold them to the best of his/her ability for a maximum of one minute or until the other team has passed, whichever occurs first. The passed team must remain behind at least fifteen (15) minutes before demanding the trail. 25. Sportsmanship: Any Musher must use civil conduct and act in a sportsmanlike manner throughout the race. Abusive treatment of anyone is prohibited. 26. Parking: A Musher must select a campsite at least ten (10) feet off the race trail so that the dogs cannot interfere with other teams, i.e., no snacking of dogs in the trail. A Musher needing to stop momentarily must not interfere with the progress of another team. Teams must be parked at designated localised holding areas in checkpoints in places which do not interfere with the movements of other teams and Mushers. No parking or camping is permitted within one (1) mile of checkpoints or villages. 27. Accommodations: Mushers may only use accommodations at officially authorised locations. 28. Litter: No litter of any kind may be left on the trail, in camps, or in checkpoints. All material remaining in checkpoints must be left in designated areas. In localised holding area and on the trail, excessive left over dog food is considered litter. For purposes of these rules, straw is not considered litter. 29. Use of Drugs and Alcohol: Use of illegal drugs as defined by state law or excessive use of alcohol by Mushers during the race is prohibited. Iditarod has the right to conduct random drug testing. A Musher is subject to collection of urine samples at any point from the start until one (1) hour after each team's finish in Nome. 30. Demand for Food and Shelter: A Musher may not make demands for food and shelter along the trail. 31. Outside Assistance: A Musher may not receive outside assistance between checkpoints. All care and feeding of dogs will be done only by that team's Musher. No planned help is allowed throughout the race, including checkpoints. All dog maintenance and care of dog teams and gear in checkpoints will be done in the designated localised holding area only. A Musher relinquishing the care of his team to leave checkpoint and or village must withdraw from the race. 32. Lost Food: A Musher may replace lost or unusable dog food shipments at checkpoints through whatever methods are available. 33. No Man's Land: No man's land is the trail between Ft. Davis Roadhouse and the official finish line in Nome. A Musher need not relinquish the trail on demand in this area. 34. One Musher per Team: Only one Musher will be permitted per team and that Musher must complete the entire race. 35. Killing of Game Animals: In the event that an edible big game animal, i.e., moose, caribou, buffalo, is killed in defence of life or property, the Musher must gut the animal and report the incident to a race official at the next checkpoint. Following teams must help gut the animal when possible. No teams may pass until the animal has been gutted and the Musher killing the animal has proceeded. Any other animal killed in defence of life or property must be reported to a race official, but need not be gutted. 36. ELT or Satellite Tracking Device: While a Musher may carry an emergency tracking device, such as an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) or other similar satellite tracking device, activation will make a Musher ineligible to continue and will result in withdrawal from the race. The Intent of these rules is to insure fair competition and the humane care of sled dogs. The race should be won or lost on merit rather than technicalities. Race officials appointed by the ITC are responsible for interpreting the rules in keeping with that Intent.