Another Last Great Race draws to an end under the Arch

March 18, 2005

Frontiersman editorial board

Iditarod 2005 has come to a close for more than 20 mushers from around the world, and our congratulations to this year's winner, Robert Sorlie from Hurdal, Norway.

The Mat-Su was well represented, with three Valley mushers finishing the Last Great Race in the top 20 - DeeDee Jonrowe of Willow and Martin Buser and Ramey Smyth, both of Big Lake. It is quite an accomplishment for mushers and their athletic dog teams to finish this race and we are proud to have so many skilled racers who call the Valley home.

Another Iditarod-related high point was the recent announcement by the city of Wasilla of its intent to work with the Iditarod Trail Committee to keep the restart in Wasilla.

Wasilla has long billed itself as "The Home of the Iditarod," and working with race officials to ensure the restart happens in Wasilla makes sense. Those who follow the race know the restart has taken place in Willow more frequently than in Wasilla in recent years.

Lack of adequate snow pack in the Wasilla area has been at the root of the problem. Race officials found themselves in a unique position in 2003 as unseasonably high temperatures forced the race restart even farther north, to Fairbanks.

Two proposals on keeping the restart in Wasilla seem to resurface more frequently than others: storing and moving snow to the Multi-Use Complex area and changing the date of the Iditarod from the first weekend in March to early February.

Both proposals have merit, but either could also have financial repercussions for the city or ITC. There will be costs associated with storing and hauling snow to the restart site, and changing the dates of the race could have an impact on entrants.

We support the efforts of the city of Wasilla and the Iditarod Trail Committee in working out a solution that would keep the Iditarod Restart in Wasilla, and encourage them to continue a dialogue to find a mutually beneficial resolution.