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Offline Swamp Yankee

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2006 Iditarod
« on: February 05, 2006, 03:06:35 PM »
I was just wondering what shape the trails are in for the Iditrod in March.Snow cover, ice on the lakes? Is this the year they take the northern route, I wasn't sure......Jim
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Offline Sourdough

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2006, 08:57:50 AM »
Who knows?  The real race "The Yukon Quest" starts Saturday in Fairbanks.  Going to Whitehorse, in Yukon Territory in Canada.  No one here follows that other race, just TV crews from the lower 48.  The temp here in Fairbanks finally broke.  Last week it was fifty below here.  The weather man is predecting 30 degrees above for Saturday.  Not a lot of snow here, but more as you get away from Fairbanks.  I've got about 8 to 10 inches in the yard now.  Things are looking good for Saturday.
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Where is old Joe when we really need him?  Alaska Independence    Calling Illegal Immigrants "Undocumented Aliens" is like calling Drug Dealers "Unlicensed Pharmacists"
What Is A Veteran?
A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today who no longer understand that fact.

Offline AlaskaHippie

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2006, 10:14:15 AM »
Judging from the snow depth here in the valley I'd say it oughtta be a decent Iditarod this year...Of course that could all change in a matter of days....

http://iditarod.com/
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Offline Sourdough

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2006, 09:04:12 PM »
Not enough snow in Wasilla.  Moving start of race to Willow.  The Iron Dog runners found Norton Sound open water so the dog mushers will have to change their route to avoid the open water of the sound.  That is going to add distance to the race.  The Blizzard that we are currently having will also affect the race.  The weather man is saying lots more snow coming.  Currently the western half of Alaska is having blizzard conditions.  And all of it is heading to Fairbanks.
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Where is old Joe when we really need him?  Alaska Independence    Calling Illegal Immigrants "Undocumented Aliens" is like calling Drug Dealers "Unlicensed Pharmacists"
What Is A Veteran?
A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today who no longer understand that fact.

Offline Winter Hawk

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #4 on: February 28, 2006, 08:50:50 AM »
Dang!  Send some of it down our way, would ya!

-Winter Hawk-
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"All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse and a good wife." - D. Boone

Offline Swamp Yankee

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #5 on: February 28, 2006, 11:20:40 AM »
For those who are interested, cabelas has daily coverage of the race at www.cabelasiditarod.com   Jim
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Offline williamlayton

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2006, 01:12:05 AM »
Now, I admire you folks up there, have said it before and will say it again-you folks are stronger than I am.
When i watch any of this race on TV, and I do, I dress real warm and turn up the heat, it just chills me to the bone.
What and why are the two different races or is there any real differences in the races ???
Blessings
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TEXAS, by GOD

Offline akpls

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2006, 02:09:19 PM »
Many now view the Iditarod as nothing more than a sprint race from checkpoint to checkpoint.  The Yukon Quest runs from Fairbanks to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory (alternating every other year) and is generally thought to be the tougher of the two.  Longer distances between checkpoints, higher summits, colder temperatures, etc.  My veterinarian has run both races and says the Quest is a model of organization compared to the chaos of the Iditarod.
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Offline Sourdough

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2006, 07:48:00 AM »
The Quest goes over some tougher ground than the other race.  Over higher summits, with nastier weather conditions.  I have gone over parts of both trails with a snow machine, would not want to run either with a dog team thou.  Not my thing.  One thing I have noticed is that there is no blind women wanting to run the Quest.  In fact very few women run the quest, and even fewer finish.  This year one had to be rescued, she later whinned that the quest officials should have not let them out there under those conditions, they could have been killed!  Well DA!  Thats the name of the game whinner, the Quest is known as "The Toughest Race On Earth"!  If she cannot hang with the big dogs she needs to stay home.  The Quest also starts earlier, under colder conditions.
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Where is old Joe when we really need him?  Alaska Independence    Calling Illegal Immigrants "Undocumented Aliens" is like calling Drug Dealers "Unlicensed Pharmacists"
What Is A Veteran?
A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today who no longer understand that fact.

Offline Winter Hawk

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2006 Iditarod
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2006, 03:03:59 PM »
Well, the Idiot-rod used to be a fun race until folks started to take it seriously.  I remember Mary Shields ran it, Red Olson kind of bird dogged her, then let her finish ahead of him so she wouldn't get the red lantern.  (Red donated the burl logs for the finish line.)  Then Mary turned around and mushed her dogs back 'cause she didn't have the money to fly them out of Nome.  When was that, 1975 IIRC?  Bob Schlentner completed the race with 5 dogs, and I believe he was the only one who has done that.  Back then you had to start with seven and finish with five.  Probably half the mushers carried all of their gear and dog food from the start, with no food drops at the check points.  George Attla thought he could win it in ten days with his sprint team.  I don't think he ever finished....

You have to remember though, that when Redington got the Iditarod going the races had become all sprints and there were no long distance races.  When it became so commercial the Quest was started to have a fun race again.  And if the qualifications for the Idiot-rod hadn't added the requirement of running another long distance race, some of the others probably wouldn't be around.

-WH-
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"All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse and a good wife." - D. Boone
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