In less than 24 hours, 52 dog teams will depart Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue for the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2019. I’ve covered this race’s auspicious beginnings since 2007, and every year is full of crazy excitement, both canine and human. Iditarod is tradition and lifestyle all wrapped up in a thousand dog booties, and we […]
Everyone is back in his or her respective state, toting a duffel bag or two of Alaska-themed memories. The first-ever Salmon Berry Tours Ultimate Family Field Trip came to an end on Friday, and everyone; parents, kids, and guide moi are exhausted and happy at the outcome. In the last post I shared our adventures […]
New to the Last Great Race? Looking for ways to bring Iditarod 2018 to your kids? AKontheGO has some great tips and a fun activity in this week’s Outdoors With Kids column for the Anchorage Daily News. Get the cowbells and signs ready. On Saturday, 67 mushers and their canine cohorts will depart Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage in […]
When people share their Alaska wish lists with me, it often begins like this: “I’ve always dreamed of seeing a sled dog race,” or “It’s been my lifelong dream to meet a musher.” Dreams are often perceived as pie-in-the-sky desires that rarely come true, but at the home of Vern Halter, longtime musher and co-owner […]
by Erin Kirkland It’s pretty clear that the 2017 Iditarod Ceremonial Start will have enough snow after two years of struggling to stay off the bare ground. That’s good news to the 72 teams signed up for the 900+- mile mush to Nome in recognition of the event’s 45th year, and Iditarod Executive Director Stan […]
By Heather Mundt Note: Colorado freelance writer Heather Mundt and her family visited Anchorage for the 2016 Iditarod. This is a two-part story sharing their trip; hopefully it will inspire those unsure about a winter adventure to witness the start of the Last Great Race. ~EK Heading to a park in Anchorage, Alaska on a […]
It was evident by the sighs and rueful smiles of Iditarod race officials that everything that could have been done to save Ceremonial Start Day, was. It just wasn’t meant to be. This afternoon’s press conference at the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel was more crowded than in past years, mostly due to a not-so-surprising announcement earlier […]
A whopping 86 teams make up the current field of Iditarod 44, putting this year’s contest in the top five for numbers. Who drops out just before the official start remains to be seen, but as of today, this is shaping up to be a contest for the books. Of course, the fact that Anchorage has […]
When Iditarod musher Bryan Bearss appeared in the doorway of a small plane that had transported him and his dog team to Nome, the race was truly over. Bearss was driving a colleague’s sled dog team in this competition that puts Alaska on the map each March, and had scratched in Koyuk, a small, remote […]
Steeped in history and a fair amount of mystery, the town of Nome is probably the most popular community in Alaska each March. Iditarod 2015 finishers continue rolling across the finish line, and it’s about now that emails begin rolling my way with inquiries by curious and adventurous parents wondering if they should book a […]
I can confirm that Iditarod 2015 will go down in history as one of the wackiest, ever. Rain, hail, wind, and bright sunshine greeted thousands of race fans, hundreds of sled dogs, and 78 mushers for today’s Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage. AKontheGO was there, providing PR support for musher Bryan Bearss, #48, who has […]