Willow, Alaska — Sixty-six mushers began their quest to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race with the competition’s official start Sunday in Willow.
The mushers and their dog teams will spend about the next eight days traveling across nearly a thousand miles of Alaska wilderness in a sled, all trying to be the first musher to reach the old gold rush town of Nome.
The total purse is $550,000 for the first 30 finishers, with the winner receiving $50,400 and a new truck. A record purse of $875,000 was handed out in 2008. In past years, the winner’s take was as high as $69,000.
Here are some recent photos from the start of the race as well as photos taken at the Jr. Iditarod which ran on February 26th, 2012. All photo credit (except for the funny photo above with the starter kit caption) goes to Jeff Schultz, IditarodPhotos.com. Source of photos and trivia & facts are from the Iditarod.com website.
The Jr. Iditarod
Sunday February 26, 2012 One of Conway Seavey’s dogs waits at the finish line after finishing in first place on the 2012 Jr. Iditarod
.
Sunday February 26, 2012 . Conway Seavey gives a fist-pump with his ski pole as he nears the finish line to win the 2012 Junior Iditarod on Willow Lake, in Willow Alaska.
.
Junior Iditarod champion Conway Seavey (a 3rd generation Seavey dog musher) poses with his lead dogs Memphis (left) and Sarge at the finish line after winning the 2012 Junior Iditarod.
.
Iditarod Fact:
The first Iditarod race to Nome started March 3, 1973.
.
Saturday February 25, 2012 A team dog in Jesse Klejka’s team is eager to go as the team is hooked up in the pit area at Knik Lake during the Junior Iditarod start.
.
Saturday February 25, 2012 One of the dogs readying for the Junior Iditarod start at Knik Lake howls prior to the start.
.
Youtube video by azulh20: Iditarod 2012
.
What does Iditarod Mean? Explanation #1:
According to the Anchorage Times following the 1973 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, written by Gordon Fowler, Times Sports writer: “Iditarod means clear water and was named by the Shageluk Indians for the Iditarod River.”
The Iditarod 2012
February 29, 2012. Tom Thurston’s dog, Guiness, with his teammats at the mandatory vet check at Iditarod HQ. The dogs are waiting inside Thurston’s dog transportation trailer for their turn to be inspected.
.
February 29, 2012. Vet Debra Lynn Volenec checks dogs at the mandatory vet check at Iditarod HQ.
.
Thursday March 1, 1012 Musher portrait at the Millenium Alaskan Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska.
.
What does Iditarod Mean? Explanation #2:
The following explanation came from one of the Anchorage papers during the 1983 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race: “The word comes from the Ingalik Indian word HaIditarod which was the name for the river on which the town was built. It means distant place.”
.
Saturday, March 3, 2012 Aaron Burmeister’s team crosses a bridge over Northern Lights Blvd during the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.
.
Saturday, March 3, 2012 Five-time Iditarod winner, Rick Swenson, shakes hands with fans at the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.
.
Iditarod Fact:
The teams average 16 dogs, which means over 1,000 dogs leave Anchorage for Nome.
.
Saturday, March 3, 2012 Michael Williams, Jr.’s dog team charges ahead near Goose Lake during the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.
.
Saturday, March 3, 2012 Wade Marrs’ dog Louie (right) jumps in anticipation of leaving the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.
.
Saturday, March 3, 2012 Anna Berrington, her Idit-A-Rider, her handler and her dog team head down Cordova Hill during the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.
.
Saturday, March 3, 2012 Paul Gebhart dogs run with gusto during the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.
.
What does Iditarod Mean? Explanation #3:
James Kari, Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Native Language Center in 1979 stated: “The name Iditarod came from an Ingalik and Holikachuk word hidedhod for the Iditarod River. This name means distant or distant place. This word is still known by elders in the villages of Shageluk, Anvik, Grayling and Holy Cross.”
.
March 3, 2012 Karen Ramstead’s dog, Kelly, waits in its dog box on Fourth Avenue before the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2012 in downtown Anchorage, Alaska.
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 A "Wild and Free all the way to Nome" sign at the restart of Iditarod 2012 in Willow, Alaska.
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 A dog team traveled along the Yentna River after departing the restart of Iditarod 2012 in Willow, Alaska.
.
Iditarod Fact:
The largest number of mushers to finish a single race was 77 in 2004.
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 A crowd of spectators lined the starting chute at the restart of Iditarod 2012 in Willow, Alaska.
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 Musher Colleen Robertia’s dogs at the restart of Iditarod 2012 in Willow, Alaska.
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 Paul Gebhardt’s team drops onto Long Lake at the restart of Iditarod 2012 in Willow, Alaska.
.
Iditarod Fact:
A red lantern is awarded to the last musher to finish Iditarod. The longest time for a Red Lantern was 32 days, 15 hours, nine minutes and one second by John Schultz in 1973. The quickest Red Lantern musher Celeste Davis with a time of 13d 05h 06m 40s.
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 Justin Savidis, dogs and dog truck at the restart of Iditarod 2012 in Willow, Alaska.
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 Kristy Berrington high fives spectators in the starting chute during the restart of Iditarod 2012 in Willow, Alaska.
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012 Brent Sass’s dog howling prior to the restart of Iditarod 2012 in Willow, Alaska.
Every year I look forward to TV coverage of this race. Everything about it fascinates me and has since my childhood when I devoured all the Jack London books …
These dogs really do epitomize the dog-man partnership, don’t they? I thought about buying a malamute once, until the dogs I’d gone to see reared up against the fence and greeted me at eye level. I decided that was a bit more dog than I needed in a little house with a little yard bounded by a little 4″ fence. Insanely handsome breed.
Yes I love Iditarod. God and Us hope nothing goes wrong. I am cheering on for Jan Steves So GO JAN STEVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If she does not get first place and she is in last at least she gets the Red Lantern.So wish Luck for her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Willow, Alaska — Sixty-six mushers began their quest to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race with the competition’s official start Sunday in Willow.
The total purse is $550,000 for the first 30 finishers, with the winner receiving $50,400 and a new truck. A record purse of $875,000 was handed out in 2008. In past years, the winner’s take was as high as $69,000.
Motley News 
Leave a reply to barkinginthedark Cancel reply