2006 Iditarod
Encyclopedia
The ceremonial start of the 34th annual (XXXIV) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S.
state of Alaska
began amidst the crowds of Anchorage
on March 4, 2006, and the start of the competitive race, or "restart", began the next day in Willow. The race followed a modified version of the northern route for 1,151 mi (1,852 km) across the Alaska Range
, through the sparsely inhabited Interior
, along the Yukon River
, and then up the coast of the Bering Sea
to the city of Nome
. Unlike in previous years, where the teams had to deal with unseasonably warm temperatures and soft, mushy snow, the weather was cold, with temperatures reported as low as −40 °F (−40 °C).
Eighty three competitors started the race, and as of March 18, eleven have "scratched", and one has been withdrawn from the race. The field of racers was extremely competitive, with pundits like Cabela's John Little listing more than half a dozen possible winners. The ultimate winner was Jeff King
, who crossed under the "burled arch" on March 15, becoming one of the few four-time champions. Fellow four-time winner Doug Swingley
of Montana
came in 2nd place, followed by Paul Gebhardt. Each of the 83 teams was composed of 16 dogs, four of whom died during the event.
Note: All times are Alaska Standard Time/AKST (UTC-9).
ns included four-time champion and speed-record holder Martin Buser
, three-time winner Jeff King
, 2004 winner Mitch Seavey
, and the only five-time champion Rick Swenson
, including a few Alaska Natives
like Ramy Brooks
, John Baker
, and Ed Iten. There were 23 mushers as well from the lower 48 states
, including four-time champion Doug Swingley
.
Internationally, Canada
is represented by three-time Yukon Quest
winner Hans Gatt, Karen Ramstead, the owner of the only all-Siberian Husky
team in the race, Sebastian Schnuelle, and rookie Warren Palfrey. Norway
had three mushers in the race in that year, the 2005 rookie of the year, Bjørnar Andersen
, and newcomers Tore Albrigtsen and Tove Sørensen (2005 champion Robert Sørlie
is not racing this year). Fabrizio Lovati of Italy
and Ben Valks of the Netherlands
brought the European total to 5 mushers.
Celebrity mushers included Gary Paulsen
, who ran his rookie race in 1983, scratched in 1985, withdrew prior to the race in 2005, and became the first musher to scratch in 2006, on March 6 at 1:08 a.m. at Skwentna. Legally blind
musher Rachael Scdoris
of Bend, Oregon
, has also attempted the Iditarod for the second time, after he scratched in Eagle Island last year. Her visual interpreter for that year was Tim Osmar.
According to Iditarod reporter Little, the field was just as competitive as it was during the 2005 Iditarod
, making it very hard to pick a winner. Former champions Buser, King, Swingley, and Seavey were all strong candidates to win. Of that elite crowd, King won the Kobuk 440 last year and the Kusko this year; while five-time winner Swenson, who scratched for the first time last year and has raced a long distance race since is probably out of the running. The last of the likely winners is Bjørnar Andersen
. As this year's representative of Team Norway, he inherited half of Robert Sørlie's winning 2005 team of dogs, and even without them Andersen's 4th-place finish in 2004 was the best finish by a rookie since the race first started in the 1970s.
Other racers who expected to finish well were Lance Mackey, who won the 1,000 mi (1,600 km) Yukon Quest, three-time runner up DeeDee Jonrowe, 2005's 2nd-place finisher Ed Iten, two-time runner up Ramy Brooks, perennial top-10er John Baker. A third tier of capable racers included winner of the 2005 Klondike 300 Cim Smyth (who also recorded the fastest time from Safety to Nome in 2005, despite only having 5 dogs left), Jessie Royner, winner of the 2005 Sheep Mountain 150 Ken Andersen, Aaron Burmeister, 2nd-place finisher in the 2005 Klondike 300 Matt Hayashida, Melanie Gould, Paul Gebhardt, and former Yukon Quest winner Aliy Zirkle. A win by either Aliy Zirkle or Lance Mackey would place them in the elite company of mushers to have won both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod — in Lance's case, in the same year, an historical first. Hans Gatt is normally a contender, but this year he is running a team of young, inexperienced dogs.
Warren Palfrey of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
or Tore Albrigtsen and Tove Sorensen from Norway
were likely to be rookies of the year.
Spirit of Alaska Award on March 8 at 00:12 a.m. for being the first to reach McGrath, on the bank of the Kuskokwim River
. He was awarded a "spirit mask" by artist Orville Lind and USD $500 in credit to cover travel or freight shipments at the checkpoint by PenAir's Chief Operating Officer
, Danny Seybert.
Doug Swingley also won the CGI Dorothy Page
Halfway Award on March 9 at 00:09 a.m. for being the first to reach Cripple, which is officially designated as the halfway point on even years when the northern route is run. He was awarded USD $3,000 in gold nuggets at the checkpoint by CGI Logisitics' Rick Westbrook.
Paul Gebardt won the Millennium Alaskan Hotel's First to the Yukon Award on March 10 at 12:05 a.m. for being the first to reach Ruby, on the bank of the Yukon River
. He was awarded USD $3,500 in one-dollar bills
at the checkpoint and had a gourmet seven-course meal
prepared on a camp stove by Millennium Alaskan Hotel's Executive Chef Stephen England and Food and Beverage Director Brooke McGrath. The "Yukon Fox" Emmitt Peters
, 1975 winner of the Iditarod and Ruby native, participated.
Jeff King won the Wells Fargo
Gold Coast Award on March 12 at 12:26 p.m. for being the first to reach Unalakleet, an Inupiaq Eskimo community on the Norton Sound
of the Bering Sea
. He was awarded the Gold Coast trophy and USD $2,500 in gold at the checkpoint by Wells Fargo
' Community Banking President for Nome and Kotzebue, Jennifer Imus.
Jeff King won the XXXIV Iditarod on March 15, at 1:11:36 a.m. for being the first to reach the Burled Arch in Nome. He was awarded USD $69,000 by Wells Fargo, and a 2006 pickup from Anchorage Chrysler Dodge. Only King, Martin Buser, Susan Butcher, and Doug Swingley have won the race four times; and only Rick Swenson has won it five times. At 50 years of age, King also became the oldest musher to win the race.
Mike Jayne won the Rookie of the Year Race on March 16 at 3:07:15 a.m. for being the first rookie to reach the finish. He arrived in 25th place, beating out the married Norwegians Tore Albrigtsen and Tove Sorensen, who finished in 28th and 29th place, both at 4:30:30 a.m.. Jayne beat five-time winner Rick Swenson, who finished his 30th Iditarod at 3:27:30 a.m. in 26th position, his worst place ever. Swenson is a member of the Iditarod Trail Committee board of directors, and has been making intimations of retirement.
The awards will be presented again to the winners during the Awards Banquet at the Nome Recreation Center on March 19.
One musher was withdrawn from the race. Withdrawing a musher is at the sole discretion of Race Marshall Mark Nordman:
An average of 3 dogs die each year. A necropsy by a board certified veterinary pathologist
is conducted after every fatality to determine the cause of death.
, where an avalanche claimed the life of Richard Strick Jr. in mid-February, into the former Gold Rush
country of the Alaska Interior
, past Athabaskan villages. Since 2006 is an even numbered year, the race followed the northern route from Ophir
, past the halfway point at Cripple, before rejoining the main route at Kaltag, on the Yukon River
. From Kaltag the race swings west to the Norton Sound
, on coast of the Bering Sea.
on March 4, 2006. A large crowd watched as 83 teams composed of a musher and twelve dogs pulling a dogsled, left the starting chute at the corner of Fourth and D Streets, and followed the 11 mi (18 km) route through the urban center. The mushers
were accompanied on the sled by "Idita-riders", the high bidders in a pre-race auction.
Eagle River: After the mushers arrive at Eagle River, the dogs are transported by vehicle to the "restart" location. Normally this is at Wasilla
, the headquarters of the Iditarod Trail Committee, and the race continues from there to the next checkpoint at Knik
, before reaching Yentna Station. In 2006, the restart was pushed back to Willow, and continued on directly to Yentna, skipping Wasilla and Knik entirely.
two minutes apart, in Bib order. The first musher (Loni Townsend, Bib 2) left on March 5 at 2:00 p.m. AKST, and the last (Paul Gebhardt, Bib 83) left 2 hr 44 min later at 4:44 p.m. The teams were increased to 16 dogs each. No additional dogs could be added, but they could be left behind at any of the checkpoints along the route.
Yentna: Four-time winner Doug Swingley
departed Yentna in first place, on March 5 at 5:35 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Bryan Bearss (at 5:42 p.m.), Jim Lanier (5:47 p.m.), Lori Townsend (5:48 p.m.), and Jessie Royer (5:51 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 35 min (by 6:10 p.m.), the top 20 within 1 hr 2 min (by 6:37 p.m.), and the last within 8 hr 49 min (by March 6 at 2:24 a.m.). The red lantern in 83rd place was Ben Valks.
Skwentna: Bryan Bearss departed Skwentna
in first place, on March 5 at 9:19 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Ramy Brooks
(at 9:46 p.m.), Melanie Gould (9:50 p.m.), Ramey Smyth (10:19 p.m.), and three-time winner Jeff King
(10:21 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 2 hr 24 min (by 11:43 p.m.), the top 20 within 4 hr 54 min (by March 6, at 2:13 p.m.), and the last within 17 hr 30 min (by March 6 at 2:49 p.m.). The red lantern in 82nd place was Be Valks, after Gary Paulsen scratched.
departed Finger Lake in first place, on March 6 at 9:15 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were fellow Alaska Native Ramy Brooks (at 9:31 a.m.), Doug Swingley (9:32 a.m.), Jeff King (9:53 a.m.), and Melanie Gould (10:00 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 1 hr 9 min (by 10:24 a.m.), the top 20 within 2 hr 55 min (by 12:10 p.m.), and the last within 1 day 0 hr 16 min (by March 7 at 9:31 a.m.). The red lantern in 82d place was Ben Valks.
Rainy Pass: Ramey Smyth departed Rainy Pass in first place, on March 6 at 2:46 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jessica Hendricks (at 6:18 p.m., 3 hr 32 min later), Lance Mackey
(6:19 p.m.), the Norwegian Bjørnar Andersen
(6:38 p.m.), and Paul Gebhardt (6:40 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 4 hr 42 min (by 7:28 p.m.), the top 20 within 5 hr 44 min (by 8:30 p.m.), and the last within 1 day 20 hr 32 min (by March 8 at 11:18 a.m.). The red lantern in 79th place was Ben Valks, after Lori Townsend, Sandy McKee, and Sue Morgan scratched.
Rohn: Doug Swingley departed Rohn in first place, on March 6 at 10:45 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 11:23 p.m.), Ramy Brooks (11:59 p.m.), Aliy Zirkle (March 7 at 00:11 a.m.), and 2004 winner Mitch Seavey
(00:15 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 2 hr 46 min (by March 7 at 1:31 a.m.), the top 20 within 6 hr 5 min (by 4:50 a.m.), and the last within 2 days 3 hr 43 min (by March 9 at 2:28 a.m.). The red lantern in 79th place was Ben Valks.
in first place, on March 7 at 7:09 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 7:15 p.m.), Aliy Zirkle (7:45 p.m.), Ed Iten (8:46 p.m.), and Mitch Seavey (8:55 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 2 hr 16 min (by 9:25 p.m.), the top 20 within 4 hr 53 min (by March 8 at 00:02 a.m.), and the last within 2 days 15 hr 54 min (by March 10 at 11:03 a.m.). The red lantern in 79th place was Ben Valks.
in first place, on March 8 at 00:18 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 00:47 a.m.), Aliy Zirkle (2:21 a.m.), three-time runner up DeeDee Jonrowe
(3:33 a.m.), and John Baker (5:13 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 6 hr 2 min (by 6:20 a.m.), the top 20 within 9 hr 14 min (by 9:32 a.m.), and the last within 3 days 8 hr 56 min (by March 11 at 9:14 a.m.). The red lantern in 77th place was Trent Herbst, after Richard Hum and Rick Larson scratched.
Takotna: Doug Swingley departed Takotna
in first place, on March 8 at 8:19 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jason Barron, Mitch Seavey, John Barron (all three departed at 11:00 a.m.), and Ed Iten (11:08 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 5 hr 28 min (by 1:47 p.m.), the top 20 within 20 hr 29 min (by March 9 at 4:48 a.m.), and the last within 3 days 14 hr 48 min (by March 11 at 11:07 p.m.). The red lantern in 75th place was Ben Valks, after Terry Adkins and Jim Warren scratched.
Ophir: Doug Swingley departed Ophir
in first place, on March 8 at 11:01 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were DeeDee Jonrowe (at 4:55 p.m.), Cim Smyth (4:58 p.m.), John Baker (5:26 p.m.), and Paul Gebhardt (6:35 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 19 hr 46 min (by March 9 at 6:46 a.m.), the top 20 within 28 hr 00 min (by March 9 at 3:01 p.m.), and the last within 3 days 15 hr 44 min (by March 12 at 2:45 a.m.). The red lantern in 75th place was Ben Valks.
in first place, on March 10 at 8:34 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 4:01 p.m.), Doug Swingley (7:45 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (9:09 p.m.), and Aliy Zirkle (11:00 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 16 hr 22 min (by March 11 at 00:56 a.m.), the top 20 within 20 hr 38 min (by March 11 at 5:12 a.m.), and the last within 4 days 6 hr 27 min (by March 14 at 3:01 p.m.). The red lantern in 73rd place was Ben Valks.
in first place, on March 11 at 3:28 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 7:52 a.m.), Mitch Seavey (8:00 a.m.), Ed Iten (8:17 a.m.), and Jason Barron (also 8:17 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 8 hr 10 min (by 11:38 a.m.), the top 20 within 14 hr 5 min (by 5:33 p.m.), and the last within 4 days 6 hr 28 min (by March 15 at 9:56 a.m.). The red lantern in 72nd place was Ben Valks, after John Barron scratched.
Nulato: Jeff King departed Nulato
in first place again, on March 11 at 1:06 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 1:27 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (3:27 p.m.), Lance Mackey (7:58 p.m.), and Paul Gebhardt (8:42 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 8 hr 26 min (by 9:32 p.m.), the top 20 within 16 hr 52 min (by March 12, at 5:58 a.m.), and the last within 4 days 10 hr 27 min (by March 15 at 11:33 p.m.). The red lantern in 72nd place was Ben Valks.
in first place for the third straight checkpoint, on March 12 at 00:21 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 00:57 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (3:30 a.m.), Aliy Zirkle (3:37 a.m.), and John Baker (7:33 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 9 hr 9 min (by 9:30 a.m.), the top 20 within 15 hr 49 min (by 4:10 p.m.), and the last within 4 days 13 hr 29 min (by March 16 at 1:50 p.m.). The red lantern in 72nd place was Ben Valks.
Unalakleet: Jeff King departed Unalakleet
in first place again, on March 12 at 6:50 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 8:40 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (March 13 at 00:48 a.m.), Bjørnar Andersen (2:52 a.m.), and John Baker (2:54 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 12 hr 7 min (by 6:57 a.m.), the top 20 within 19 hr 43 min (by 2:33 p.m.), and the last within 5 days 1 hr 49 min (by March 17 at 8:39 p.m.). The red lantern in 72nd place was Ben Valks.
in first place, on March 13 at 5:22 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 8:03 a.m.), Paul Gebhardt (8:44 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe(10:37 a.m.), and Bjørnar Andersen (12:27 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 11 hr 23 min (by 4:45 p.m.), the top 20 within 16 hr 53 min (by 10:15), and the last within 5 days 6 hr 55 min (by March 18 at 12:17 p.m.). The red lantern in 71st place was Katrina Pawlaczyk, after Ben Valks scratched.
Koyuk: Jeff King departed Koyuk
in first place, on March 13 at 3:51 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 7:16 p.m.), Paul Gebhardt (9:33 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (9:35 p.m.), and Aliy Zirkle (9:42 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 12 hr 12 min (by March 14 at 4:03 a.m.), and the top 20 within 19 hr 1 min (by 10:52 a.m.).
Elim: Jeff King departed Elim
in first place, on March 13 at 10:23 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (March 14 at 2:19 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (5:19 a.m.), Paul Gebhardt (5:27 a.m.), and John Baker (6:01 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 14 hr 7 min (by 12:30 p.m.), and the top 20 within 19 hr 8 min (by 5:31 p.m.).
in first place, on March 14 at 2:34 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 5:41 p.m.), Paul Gebhardt (8:00 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (8:29 p.m.), and John Baker (9:14 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 12 hr 33 min (by March 15 at 3:07 a.m.), and the top 20 within 18 hr 26 min (by 9:00 a.m.).
Safety: Jeff King departed Safety in first place, on March 14 at 9:53 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (March 15 at 00:57 a.m.), Paul Gebardt (2:31 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe(3:23 a.m.), and John Baker (4:31 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 11 hr 38 min (by 9:31 a.m.), and the top 20 within 17 hr 57 min (by 2:50 p.m.).
in first place, on March 15 at 1:11 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 4:18 a.m.), Paul Gebhardt (5:23 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (6:25 a.m.), and John Baker (7:37 a.m.). The top 10 arrived within 10 hr 57 min (12:08 p.m.), and the top 20 within 18 hr 14 min (by 6:31 p.m.).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
began amidst the crowds of Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
on March 4, 2006, and the start of the competitive race, or "restart", began the next day in Willow. The race followed a modified version of the northern route for 1,151 mi (1,852 km) across the Alaska Range
Alaska Range
The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 650-km-long mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest end to the White River in Canada's Yukon Territory in the southeast...
, through the sparsely inhabited Interior
Alaska Interior
The Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....
, along the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
, and then up the coast of the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
to the city of Nome
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
. Unlike in previous years, where the teams had to deal with unseasonably warm temperatures and soft, mushy snow, the weather was cold, with temperatures reported as low as −40 °F (−40 °C).
Eighty three competitors started the race, and as of March 18, eleven have "scratched", and one has been withdrawn from the race. The field of racers was extremely competitive, with pundits like Cabela's John Little listing more than half a dozen possible winners. The ultimate winner was Jeff King
Jeff King (mushing)
Jeff King is an American long distance musher who is well known for winning both the 1,049+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska and the 1,100 mi Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race across the U.S. and Canada .King moved to Alaska in 1975 and began racing in 1976...
, who crossed under the "burled arch" on March 15, becoming one of the few four-time champions. Fellow four-time winner Doug Swingley
Doug Swingley
Doug Swingley is an American dog musher and dog sled racer who lives in Lincoln, Montana, who is a four-time winner of the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska. His first Iditarod was in 1992. His first victory came in 1995 and he followed it by winning in 1999, 2000, and 2001...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
came in 2nd place, followed by Paul Gebhardt. Each of the 83 teams was composed of 16 dogs, four of whom died during the event.
Note: All times are Alaska Standard Time/AKST (UTC-9).
Competitors
There were 83 mushers that entered to race. The 51 AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
ns included four-time champion and speed-record holder Martin Buser
Martin Buser
Martin Buser is a champion of sled dog racing.Martin Buser began mushing at age seventeen in Switzerland. In 1979, Buser moved to Alaska to train and raise sled dogs full time...
, three-time winner Jeff King
Jeff King (mushing)
Jeff King is an American long distance musher who is well known for winning both the 1,049+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska and the 1,100 mi Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race across the U.S. and Canada .King moved to Alaska in 1975 and began racing in 1976...
, 2004 winner Mitch Seavey
Mitch Seavey
Mitch Seavey is an American dog musher, who won the 1,112-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska in 2004.Seavey competed in his first Iditarod in 1982, and in every race since 1995. In the 1995 race, he started in Seward, and completed the entire length of the Iditarod...
, and the only five-time champion Rick Swenson
Rick Swenson
For the Saskatchewan politician see Rick Swenson .Rick Swenson, sometimes known as the "King of the Iditarod", , is an American dog musher who has won the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska more times than any other competitor...
, including a few Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
like Ramy Brooks
Ramy Brooks
Ramy "Ray" Brooks is an Alaska Native kennel owner and operator, motivational speaker, and dog musher who specializes in long-distance races. He is a two-time runner up in the 1,049+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S...
, John Baker
John Baker (musher)
John Quniaq Baker is self-employed American dog musher, pilot and motivational speaker of Inupiat descent who consistently places in the top 10 during the 1,000+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Baker won the 2011 Iditarod with a finish time of 8 Days 19 Hours 46 Minutes 39 Seconds.Baker started...
, and Ed Iten. There were 23 mushers as well from the lower 48 states
Contiguous United States
The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
, including four-time champion Doug Swingley
Doug Swingley
Doug Swingley is an American dog musher and dog sled racer who lives in Lincoln, Montana, who is a four-time winner of the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska. His first Iditarod was in 1992. His first victory came in 1995 and he followed it by winning in 1999, 2000, and 2001...
.
Internationally, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
is represented by three-time Yukon Quest
Yukon Quest
The Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, or simply Yukon Quest, is a sled dog race run every February between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon...
winner Hans Gatt, Karen Ramstead, the owner of the only all-Siberian Husky
Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in north-eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
team in the race, Sebastian Schnuelle, and rookie Warren Palfrey. Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
had three mushers in the race in that year, the 2005 rookie of the year, Bjørnar Andersen
Bjørnar Andersen
Bjørnar Andersen , commonly Bjornar in English is a Norwegian refrigerator mechanic and dog musher who has won all the long-distance dog sled races in Norway, and placed fourth in the 2005 Iditarod across the U.S. state of Alaska, in his rookie outing.Andersen was born in 1978, and began competing...
, and newcomers Tore Albrigtsen and Tove Sørensen (2005 champion Robert Sørlie
Robert Sørlie
Robert Sørlie , commonly "Sorlie" in English, is a two-time Iditarod champion Norwegian dog musher and dog sled racer from Hurdal. Together with Kjetil Backen and his nephew, Bjørnar Andersen, he forms "Team Norway", the most well-known Norwegian dog mushing team...
is not racing this year). Fabrizio Lovati of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Ben Valks of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
brought the European total to 5 mushers.
Celebrity mushers included Gary Paulsen
Gary Paulsen
Gary James Paulsen is an American writer who writes many young adult coming of age stories about the wilderness. He is the author of more than 200 books , 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for young adults and teens.-Biography:Gary Paulsen was born in...
, who ran his rookie race in 1983, scratched in 1985, withdrew prior to the race in 2005, and became the first musher to scratch in 2006, on March 6 at 1:08 a.m. at Skwentna. Legally blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
musher Rachael Scdoris
Rachael Scdoris
Rachael Scdoris is an American dog musher and cross country runner who in 2006 became the first legally blind person to complete the 1,049+ mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska....
of Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
, has also attempted the Iditarod for the second time, after he scratched in Eagle Island last year. Her visual interpreter for that year was Tim Osmar.
According to Iditarod reporter Little, the field was just as competitive as it was during the 2005 Iditarod
2005 Iditarod
The ceremonial start of the 33rd annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the US state of Alaska began in Anchorage on March 5, 2005 at 10 AM AKST , and restarted in Willow the next day at 2 PM...
, making it very hard to pick a winner. Former champions Buser, King, Swingley, and Seavey were all strong candidates to win. Of that elite crowd, King won the Kobuk 440 last year and the Kusko this year; while five-time winner Swenson, who scratched for the first time last year and has raced a long distance race since is probably out of the running. The last of the likely winners is Bjørnar Andersen
Bjørnar Andersen
Bjørnar Andersen , commonly Bjornar in English is a Norwegian refrigerator mechanic and dog musher who has won all the long-distance dog sled races in Norway, and placed fourth in the 2005 Iditarod across the U.S. state of Alaska, in his rookie outing.Andersen was born in 1978, and began competing...
. As this year's representative of Team Norway, he inherited half of Robert Sørlie's winning 2005 team of dogs, and even without them Andersen's 4th-place finish in 2004 was the best finish by a rookie since the race first started in the 1970s.
Other racers who expected to finish well were Lance Mackey, who won the 1,000 mi (1,600 km) Yukon Quest, three-time runner up DeeDee Jonrowe, 2005's 2nd-place finisher Ed Iten, two-time runner up Ramy Brooks, perennial top-10er John Baker. A third tier of capable racers included winner of the 2005 Klondike 300 Cim Smyth (who also recorded the fastest time from Safety to Nome in 2005, despite only having 5 dogs left), Jessie Royner, winner of the 2005 Sheep Mountain 150 Ken Andersen, Aaron Burmeister, 2nd-place finisher in the 2005 Klondike 300 Matt Hayashida, Melanie Gould, Paul Gebhardt, and former Yukon Quest winner Aliy Zirkle. A win by either Aliy Zirkle or Lance Mackey would place them in the elite company of mushers to have won both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod — in Lance's case, in the same year, an historical first. Hans Gatt is normally a contender, but this year he is running a team of young, inexperienced dogs.
Warren Palfrey of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Yellowknife is the capital and largest city of the Northwest Territories , Canada. It is located on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, approximately south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the Yellowknife River...
or Tore Albrigtsen and Tove Sorensen from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
were likely to be rookies of the year.
Awards
Doug Swingley won the PenAirPenAir
Peninsula Airways, doing business as PenAir, is an American airline headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. It is Alaska's second largest commuter airline operating an extensive scheduled passenger and cargo service, as well as charter and medevac services...
Spirit of Alaska Award on March 8 at 00:12 a.m. for being the first to reach McGrath, on the bank of the Kuskokwim River
Kuskokwim River
The Kuskokwim River or Kusko River is a river, long, in Southwest Alaska in the United States. It is the ninth largest river in the United States by average discharge volume at its mouth and seventeenth largest by basin drainage area.The river provides the principal drainage for an area of the...
. He was awarded a "spirit mask" by artist Orville Lind and USD $500 in credit to cover travel or freight shipments at the checkpoint by PenAir's Chief Operating Officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
, Danny Seybert.
Doug Swingley also won the CGI Dorothy Page
Dorothy Page
Dorothy G. Page was best known as "Mother of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", the 1,049-mile dog sled race across the U.S. state of Alaska.Page moved from New Mexico to Alaska in 1960...
Halfway Award on March 9 at 00:09 a.m. for being the first to reach Cripple, which is officially designated as the halfway point on even years when the northern route is run. He was awarded USD $3,000 in gold nuggets at the checkpoint by CGI Logisitics' Rick Westbrook.
Paul Gebardt won the Millennium Alaskan Hotel's First to the Yukon Award on March 10 at 12:05 a.m. for being the first to reach Ruby, on the bank of the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
. He was awarded USD $3,500 in one-dollar bills
United States one-dollar bill
The United States one-dollar bill is the most common denomination of US currency. The first president, George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart, is currently featured on the obverse, while the Great Seal of the United States is featured on the reverse. The one-dollar bill has the oldest...
at the checkpoint and had a gourmet seven-course meal
Full course dinner
A full course dinner is a dinner consisting of multiple dishes, or courses. In its simplest form, it can consist of three or four courses, such as soup, salad, meat and dessert.-Form:...
prepared on a camp stove by Millennium Alaskan Hotel's Executive Chef Stephen England and Food and Beverage Director Brooke McGrath. The "Yukon Fox" Emmitt Peters
Emmitt Peters
Emmitt Gordon Peters, Sr. the "Yukon Fox", is an Alaskan American hunter, fisher, trapper, and dog musher. The last rookie to win the 1,049 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race , he and his lead dogs Nugget and Digger shattered the previous speed record by almost six days.Peters is an Athabaskan...
, 1975 winner of the Iditarod and Ruby native, participated.
Jeff King won the Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
Gold Coast Award on March 12 at 12:26 p.m. for being the first to reach Unalakleet, an Inupiaq Eskimo community on the Norton Sound
Norton Sound
Norton Sound is an inlet of the Bering Sea on the western coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, south of the Seward Peninsula. It is about 240 km long and 200 km wide. The Yukon River delta forms a portion of the south shore and water from the Yukon influences this body of water...
of the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
. He was awarded the Gold Coast trophy and USD $2,500 in gold at the checkpoint by Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
' Community Banking President for Nome and Kotzebue, Jennifer Imus.
Jeff King won the XXXIV Iditarod on March 15, at 1:11:36 a.m. for being the first to reach the Burled Arch in Nome. He was awarded USD $69,000 by Wells Fargo, and a 2006 pickup from Anchorage Chrysler Dodge. Only King, Martin Buser, Susan Butcher, and Doug Swingley have won the race four times; and only Rick Swenson has won it five times. At 50 years of age, King also became the oldest musher to win the race.
Mike Jayne won the Rookie of the Year Race on March 16 at 3:07:15 a.m. for being the first rookie to reach the finish. He arrived in 25th place, beating out the married Norwegians Tore Albrigtsen and Tove Sorensen, who finished in 28th and 29th place, both at 4:30:30 a.m.. Jayne beat five-time winner Rick Swenson, who finished his 30th Iditarod at 3:27:30 a.m. in 26th position, his worst place ever. Swenson is a member of the Iditarod Trail Committee board of directors, and has been making intimations of retirement.
The awards will be presented again to the winners during the Awards Banquet at the Nome Recreation Center on March 19.
Scratches
Eleven mushers "scratched" (withdrew from the race):- Gary PaulsenGary PaulsenGary James Paulsen is an American writer who writes many young adult coming of age stories about the wilderness. He is the author of more than 200 books , 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for young adults and teens.-Biography:Gary Paulsen was born in...
was in 62nd place when he scratched on March 6 at 5:30 a.m. in Skwentna for "personal reasons" - Lori Townsend was in 44th place when she scratched on March 6 at 9:40 p.m. in Rainy Pass due to a possible ribRibIn vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...
injury. - Sandy McKee was in 78th place when she scratched on March 7 at 8:00 p.m. in Rainy Pass.
- Rookie Sue Morgan from Richmond, UtahRichmond, UtahRichmond is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,470 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. Part of the film Napoleon Dynamite was filmed at Richmond. Richmond is home to three schools. An Elementary school, a middle...
was in 78th place when she scratched on March 8 at 8:00 a.m. in Rainy Pass due to a possible cracked rib. - Terry Adkins of Sand Coulee, Montana was in 67th place when he scratched on March 10 at 10:15 a.m. in Takotna.
- Rich Larson of Sand Coulee, Montana was in 69th place when he scratched on March 10 at 11:15 a.m. in McGrath due to the "lack of leaders in his team"
- Richard Hum of Talkeetna, AlaskaTalkeetna, AlaskaTalkeetna is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 772.-Geography:...
scratched on March 10 at 11:20 a.m. in McGrath "because his team was young". - Jim Warren of Linwood, MichiganLinwood, MichiganLinwood is a small unincorporated community in the northern portion of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is on the boundary between Fraser Township on the north and Kawkawlin Township on the south. M-13 passes to the west and the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron is on the east...
scratched on March 10 at 12:07 p.m. in Takotna "based on well being of his remaining young team". - Matt Hayashida of Willow, Alaska scratched on March 11 at 7:45 a.m. in Cripple "based on the well being of his dog team".
- Veteran Iditarod competitor John Barron of Helmsville, Montana scratched on March 11 at 3:00 p.m. in Galena "because his team was sick".
- Dave Tresino scratched on March 11 at 4:30 p.m. in Cripple due to a "lack of leaders".
One musher was withdrawn from the race. Withdrawing a musher is at the sole discretion of Race Marshall Mark Nordman:
- Ben Valks of the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
was withdrawn from the race after arriving in Shaktoolik on March 18 at 4:00 p.m. as the red lantern in last place. According to Norman's report, "Valks had taken good care of his team and himself throughout the race, but that in his judgment Valks’ team was no longer considered competitive".
Canine fatalities
Each of the 83 teams was composed of 16 dogs at the start of the competitive race in Willow. Mushers are allowed to drop dogs at any checkpoint, usually because of concern over their performance, but also or for their health. Veterinarians examine the dogs at each checkpoint, and also have the discretion to withdraw dogs. Dropped dogs are flown to Anchorage or Nome, where they are provided with medical care. Teams are usually reduced to between 9 and 12 dogs by the time they arrived in Nome.An average of 3 dogs die each year. A necropsy by a board certified veterinary pathologist
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
is conducted after every fatality to determine the cause of death.
- Yellowknife, a 4 year old male from Noah Burmeister's team, died on March 9 at 6:00 a.m.. Yellowknife was initially dropped at Rohn on March 7, and provided medical care in Anchorage. The preliminary necroposy indicated pneumoniaPneumoniaPneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
as the cause of death, and further tests are being performed. - Bear, a 3 year old male from David Sawatzsky's team, died on March 11 between Cripple and Ruby. The gross necroposy found no abnormalities, but additional tests are pending.
- Cupid, a 4 year old female from Jim Lanier's team, died on March 12 between Galena and Nulato. The gross necropsy found regurgitationRegurgitation (digestion)Regurgitation is the expulsion of material from the mouth, pharynx, or esophagus, usually characterized by the presence of undigested food or blood.Regurgitation is used by a number of species to feed their young...
and aspirationPulmonary aspirationPulmonary aspiration is the entry of material from the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract into the larynx and lower respiratory tract...
were the likely cause of death, and secondarily gastric ulcersPeptic ulcerA peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
. Additional tests are pending. - Jack, a 5 year old male from WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
musher Ron Cortte's team, died on March 18 at White Mountain. Jack was examined by veterinarians on arrival and appeared normal, but died of unknown causes 30 min later. Gross necropsy pending.
Route
The race ran over the Alaska RangeAlaska Range
The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 650-km-long mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest end to the White River in Canada's Yukon Territory in the southeast...
, where an avalanche claimed the life of Richard Strick Jr. in mid-February, into the former Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
country of the Alaska Interior
Alaska Interior
The Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....
, past Athabaskan villages. Since 2006 is an even numbered year, the race followed the northern route from Ophir
Ophir
Ophir is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon is supposed to have received a cargo of gold, silver, sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks from Ophir, every three years.- Citations :...
, past the halfway point at Cripple, before rejoining the main route at Kaltag, on the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
. From Kaltag the race swings west to the Norton Sound
Norton Sound
Norton Sound is an inlet of the Bering Sea on the western coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, south of the Seward Peninsula. It is about 240 km long and 200 km wide. The Yukon River delta forms a portion of the south shore and water from the Yukon influences this body of water...
, on coast of the Bering Sea.
March 4: Ceremonial start in Anchorage
Ceremonial start at Anchorage: The mushers departed AnchorageAnchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
on March 4, 2006. A large crowd watched as 83 teams composed of a musher and twelve dogs pulling a dogsled, left the starting chute at the corner of Fourth and D Streets, and followed the 11 mi (18 km) route through the urban center. The mushers
Mushing
Mushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow or a rig on dry land...
were accompanied on the sled by "Idita-riders", the high bidders in a pre-race auction.
Eagle River: After the mushers arrive at Eagle River, the dogs are transported by vehicle to the "restart" location. Normally this is at Wasilla
Wasilla, Alaska
Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the sixth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 7,831 at the 2010 census...
, the headquarters of the Iditarod Trail Committee, and the race continues from there to the next checkpoint at Knik
Knik, Alaska
-Alaska:* Knik, Alaska, a ghost town located southwest of Wasilla. The townsite, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, lies within the Knik-Fairview census-designated place boundaries .-Census-designated places:* Knik-Fairview, Alaska...
, before reaching Yentna Station. In 2006, the restart was pushed back to Willow, and continued on directly to Yentna, skipping Wasilla and Knik entirely.
March 5: Restart at Willow
Restart at Willow: The mushers departed the Community of WillowWillow, Alaska
Willow is a census-designated place in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 1,658.-History:...
two minutes apart, in Bib order. The first musher (Loni Townsend, Bib 2) left on March 5 at 2:00 p.m. AKST, and the last (Paul Gebhardt, Bib 83) left 2 hr 44 min later at 4:44 p.m. The teams were increased to 16 dogs each. No additional dogs could be added, but they could be left behind at any of the checkpoints along the route.
Yentna: Four-time winner Doug Swingley
Doug Swingley
Doug Swingley is an American dog musher and dog sled racer who lives in Lincoln, Montana, who is a four-time winner of the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska. His first Iditarod was in 1992. His first victory came in 1995 and he followed it by winning in 1999, 2000, and 2001...
departed Yentna in first place, on March 5 at 5:35 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Bryan Bearss (at 5:42 p.m.), Jim Lanier (5:47 p.m.), Lori Townsend (5:48 p.m.), and Jessie Royer (5:51 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 35 min (by 6:10 p.m.), the top 20 within 1 hr 2 min (by 6:37 p.m.), and the last within 8 hr 49 min (by March 6 at 2:24 a.m.). The red lantern in 83rd place was Ben Valks.
Skwentna: Bryan Bearss departed Skwentna
Skwentna, Alaska
Skwentna is a census-designated place on Iditarod Trail in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in first place, on March 5 at 9:19 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Ramy Brooks
Ramy Brooks
Ramy "Ray" Brooks is an Alaska Native kennel owner and operator, motivational speaker, and dog musher who specializes in long-distance races. He is a two-time runner up in the 1,049+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S...
(at 9:46 p.m.), Melanie Gould (9:50 p.m.), Ramey Smyth (10:19 p.m.), and three-time winner Jeff King
Jeff King (mushing)
Jeff King is an American long distance musher who is well known for winning both the 1,049+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska and the 1,100 mi Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race across the U.S. and Canada .King moved to Alaska in 1975 and began racing in 1976...
(10:21 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 2 hr 24 min (by 11:43 p.m.), the top 20 within 4 hr 54 min (by March 6, at 2:13 p.m.), and the last within 17 hr 30 min (by March 6 at 2:49 p.m.). The red lantern in 82nd place was Be Valks, after Gary Paulsen scratched.
March 6: Alaska Range
Finger Lake: John BakerJohn Baker (musher)
John Quniaq Baker is self-employed American dog musher, pilot and motivational speaker of Inupiat descent who consistently places in the top 10 during the 1,000+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Baker won the 2011 Iditarod with a finish time of 8 Days 19 Hours 46 Minutes 39 Seconds.Baker started...
departed Finger Lake in first place, on March 6 at 9:15 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were fellow Alaska Native Ramy Brooks (at 9:31 a.m.), Doug Swingley (9:32 a.m.), Jeff King (9:53 a.m.), and Melanie Gould (10:00 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 1 hr 9 min (by 10:24 a.m.), the top 20 within 2 hr 55 min (by 12:10 p.m.), and the last within 1 day 0 hr 16 min (by March 7 at 9:31 a.m.). The red lantern in 82d place was Ben Valks.
Rainy Pass: Ramey Smyth departed Rainy Pass in first place, on March 6 at 2:46 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jessica Hendricks (at 6:18 p.m., 3 hr 32 min later), Lance Mackey
Lance Mackey
Lance Mackey is an American dog musher and dog sled racer from Fairbanks, Alaska, who is a four-time winner of the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest and four-time winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.-Career:...
(6:19 p.m.), the Norwegian Bjørnar Andersen
Bjørnar Andersen
Bjørnar Andersen , commonly Bjornar in English is a Norwegian refrigerator mechanic and dog musher who has won all the long-distance dog sled races in Norway, and placed fourth in the 2005 Iditarod across the U.S. state of Alaska, in his rookie outing.Andersen was born in 1978, and began competing...
(6:38 p.m.), and Paul Gebhardt (6:40 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 4 hr 42 min (by 7:28 p.m.), the top 20 within 5 hr 44 min (by 8:30 p.m.), and the last within 1 day 20 hr 32 min (by March 8 at 11:18 a.m.). The red lantern in 79th place was Ben Valks, after Lori Townsend, Sandy McKee, and Sue Morgan scratched.
Rohn: Doug Swingley departed Rohn in first place, on March 6 at 10:45 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 11:23 p.m.), Ramy Brooks (11:59 p.m.), Aliy Zirkle (March 7 at 00:11 a.m.), and 2004 winner Mitch Seavey
Mitch Seavey
Mitch Seavey is an American dog musher, who won the 1,112-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska in 2004.Seavey competed in his first Iditarod in 1982, and in every race since 1995. In the 1995 race, he started in Seward, and completed the entire length of the Iditarod...
(00:15 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 2 hr 46 min (by March 7 at 1:31 a.m.), the top 20 within 6 hr 5 min (by 4:50 a.m.), and the last within 2 days 3 hr 43 min (by March 9 at 2:28 a.m.). The red lantern in 79th place was Ben Valks.
March 7: Alaska Interior
Nikolai: Doug Swingley departed NikolaiNikolai, Alaska
Nikolai is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 100 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nikolai is located at ....
in first place, on March 7 at 7:09 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 7:15 p.m.), Aliy Zirkle (7:45 p.m.), Ed Iten (8:46 p.m.), and Mitch Seavey (8:55 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 2 hr 16 min (by 9:25 p.m.), the top 20 within 4 hr 53 min (by March 8 at 00:02 a.m.), and the last within 2 days 15 hr 54 min (by March 10 at 11:03 a.m.). The red lantern in 79th place was Ben Valks.
March 8
McGrath: Doug Swingley departed McGrathMcGrath, Alaska
As of the census of 2000, there were 401 people, 145 households, and 99 families residing in the city. The population density was 8.2 people per square mile . There were 213 housing units at an average density of 4.4 per square mile...
in first place, on March 8 at 00:18 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 00:47 a.m.), Aliy Zirkle (2:21 a.m.), three-time runner up DeeDee Jonrowe
DeeDee Jonrowe
DeeDee Ann Jonrowe is an American kennel owner and dog musher who is a three-time runner up in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and holds the fastest time ever recorded for a woman...
(3:33 a.m.), and John Baker (5:13 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 6 hr 2 min (by 6:20 a.m.), the top 20 within 9 hr 14 min (by 9:32 a.m.), and the last within 3 days 8 hr 56 min (by March 11 at 9:14 a.m.). The red lantern in 77th place was Trent Herbst, after Richard Hum and Rick Larson scratched.
Takotna: Doug Swingley departed Takotna
Takotna, Alaska
Takotna is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 50 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Takotna is located at ....
in first place, on March 8 at 8:19 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jason Barron, Mitch Seavey, John Barron (all three departed at 11:00 a.m.), and Ed Iten (11:08 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 5 hr 28 min (by 1:47 p.m.), the top 20 within 20 hr 29 min (by March 9 at 4:48 a.m.), and the last within 3 days 14 hr 48 min (by March 11 at 11:07 p.m.). The red lantern in 75th place was Ben Valks, after Terry Adkins and Jim Warren scratched.
Ophir: Doug Swingley departed Ophir
Ophir, Alaska
Ophir is an unincorporated area located in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska.It was named by miners after the wealthy land of Ophir mentioned in the Old Testament. The area was the site of a gold rush in 1906. Ophir reached a peak population of 122 in 1910.Ophir is now...
in first place, on March 8 at 11:01 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were DeeDee Jonrowe (at 4:55 p.m.), Cim Smyth (4:58 p.m.), John Baker (5:26 p.m.), and Paul Gebhardt (6:35 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 19 hr 46 min (by March 9 at 6:46 a.m.), the top 20 within 28 hr 00 min (by March 9 at 3:01 p.m.), and the last within 3 days 15 hr 44 min (by March 12 at 2:45 a.m.). The red lantern in 75th place was Ben Valks.
March 9: Halfway
Cripple: Paul Gebhardt departed Cripple in first place, on March 9 at 1:48 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 10:45 p.m., 6 hr 57 min later), Aliy Zirkle (11:43 p.m.), Doug Swingley (March 10 at 3:05 a.m.), and Aaron Butmeister (March 10 at 4:34 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 17 hr 52 min (March 10 at 7:40 a.m.), the top 20 within 19 hr 13 min (by March 10 at 10:01 a.m.), and the last within 3 days 22 hr 14 min (by March 13 at 12:02 p.m.). The red lantern in 73rd place was Ben Valks, after Matt Hayashide and Dave Tresino scratched.March 10: Yukon River
Ruby: Paul Gebardt departed RubyRuby, Alaska
Ruby is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 188.-Geography:Ruby is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ....
in first place, on March 10 at 8:34 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Jeff King (at 4:01 p.m.), Doug Swingley (7:45 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (9:09 p.m.), and Aliy Zirkle (11:00 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 16 hr 22 min (by March 11 at 00:56 a.m.), the top 20 within 20 hr 38 min (by March 11 at 5:12 a.m.), and the last within 4 days 6 hr 27 min (by March 14 at 3:01 p.m.). The red lantern in 73rd place was Ben Valks.
March 11
Galena: Jeff King departed GalenaGalena, Alaska
Galena is the largest city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. At the 2000 census the population was 675.-History:...
in first place, on March 11 at 3:28 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 7:52 a.m.), Mitch Seavey (8:00 a.m.), Ed Iten (8:17 a.m.), and Jason Barron (also 8:17 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 8 hr 10 min (by 11:38 a.m.), the top 20 within 14 hr 5 min (by 5:33 p.m.), and the last within 4 days 6 hr 28 min (by March 15 at 9:56 a.m.). The red lantern in 72nd place was Ben Valks, after John Barron scratched.
Nulato: Jeff King departed Nulato
Nulato, Alaska
Nulato is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 336.-Geography:Nulato is located at ....
in first place again, on March 11 at 1:06 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 1:27 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (3:27 p.m.), Lance Mackey (7:58 p.m.), and Paul Gebhardt (8:42 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 8 hr 26 min (by 9:32 p.m.), the top 20 within 16 hr 52 min (by March 12, at 5:58 a.m.), and the last within 4 days 10 hr 27 min (by March 15 at 11:33 p.m.). The red lantern in 72nd place was Ben Valks.
March 12: Bering Sea
Kaltag: Jeff King departed KaltagKaltag, Alaska
Kaltag is a village in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 230.-Geography:Kaltag is located at ....
in first place for the third straight checkpoint, on March 12 at 00:21 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 00:57 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (3:30 a.m.), Aliy Zirkle (3:37 a.m.), and John Baker (7:33 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 9 hr 9 min (by 9:30 a.m.), the top 20 within 15 hr 49 min (by 4:10 p.m.), and the last within 4 days 13 hr 29 min (by March 16 at 1:50 p.m.). The red lantern in 72nd place was Ben Valks.
Unalakleet: Jeff King departed Unalakleet
Unalakleet, Alaska
Unalakleet is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States, in the western part of the state. At the 2000 census the population was 747. Unalakleet is known in the region and around Alaska for its salmon and king crab harvests; the residents rely heavily on caribou, ptarmigan, oogruk , and...
in first place again, on March 12 at 6:50 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 8:40 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (March 13 at 00:48 a.m.), Bjørnar Andersen (2:52 a.m.), and John Baker (2:54 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 12 hr 7 min (by 6:57 a.m.), the top 20 within 19 hr 43 min (by 2:33 p.m.), and the last within 5 days 1 hr 49 min (by March 17 at 8:39 p.m.). The red lantern in 72nd place was Ben Valks.
March 13
Shaktoolik: Jeff King departed ShaktoolikShaktoolik, Alaska
Shaktoolik is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 230. Shaktoolik is one of a number of Alaskan communities threatened by erosion and related global warming effects. The community has been relocated twice.-History:According to the Alaska Dept...
in first place, on March 13 at 5:22 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 8:03 a.m.), Paul Gebhardt (8:44 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe(10:37 a.m.), and Bjørnar Andersen (12:27 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 11 hr 23 min (by 4:45 p.m.), the top 20 within 16 hr 53 min (by 10:15), and the last within 5 days 6 hr 55 min (by March 18 at 12:17 p.m.). The red lantern in 71st place was Katrina Pawlaczyk, after Ben Valks scratched.
Koyuk: Jeff King departed Koyuk
Koyuk, Alaska
Koyuk is a city in the Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 297 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Koyuk is located at...
in first place, on March 13 at 3:51 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 7:16 p.m.), Paul Gebhardt (9:33 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (9:35 p.m.), and Aliy Zirkle (9:42 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 12 hr 12 min (by March 14 at 4:03 a.m.), and the top 20 within 19 hr 1 min (by 10:52 a.m.).
Elim: Jeff King departed Elim
Elim, Alaska
Elim is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 313.-Geography:Elim is located at ....
in first place, on March 13 at 10:23 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (March 14 at 2:19 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (5:19 a.m.), Paul Gebhardt (5:27 a.m.), and John Baker (6:01 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 14 hr 7 min (by 12:30 p.m.), and the top 20 within 19 hr 8 min (by 5:31 p.m.).
March 14
White Mountain: Jeff King departed White MountainWhite Mountain, Alaska
White Mountain is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population is between 220 and 250. The city is an Iġaluiђmuit Iñupiat village, with historical influences from and relationships with Kawerak and Yupiaq Eskimos. 86.2% of the population is Alaska Native or...
in first place, on March 14 at 2:34 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 5:41 p.m.), Paul Gebhardt (8:00 p.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (8:29 p.m.), and John Baker (9:14 p.m.). The top 10 departed within 12 hr 33 min (by March 15 at 3:07 a.m.), and the top 20 within 18 hr 26 min (by 9:00 a.m.).
Safety: Jeff King departed Safety in first place, on March 14 at 9:53 p.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (March 15 at 00:57 a.m.), Paul Gebardt (2:31 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe(3:23 a.m.), and John Baker (4:31 a.m.). The top 10 departed within 11 hr 38 min (by 9:31 a.m.), and the top 20 within 17 hr 57 min (by 2:50 p.m.).
March 15: Burled arch
Nome: Jeff King passed under the "burled arch" on Front Street in NomeNome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
in first place, on March 15 at 1:11 a.m.. The remainder of the top 5 were Doug Swingley (at 4:18 a.m.), Paul Gebhardt (5:23 a.m.), DeeDee Jonrowe (6:25 a.m.), and John Baker (7:37 a.m.). The top 10 arrived within 10 hr 57 min (12:08 p.m.), and the top 20 within 18 hr 14 min (by 6:31 p.m.).
External links
- The official site
- Blogging the Iditarod Trail
- Cabela's coverage
- Anchorage Daily News coverage
- Iditarod Podcast Coverage (unofficial site, podcast and vodcast coverage of start and restart)
- Student Broadcast Team Coverage (Students who live on the trail produce Iditarod race reports, interviews & stories)
- Daily pictures from a school in Shageluk
- Nome Alaska Radio Station broadcasts the finish live!