Dog mushing

Dog mushing is not just an Alaska recreation activity, but a part of the Alaska culture. From the days of the gold rush through the present, dog mushing has been a source of travel, recreation and competition.

While dog mushing became very prominent during the Alaska gold rush era of the late 1800s, it actually dates back as far as 4,000 years ago. Some anthropologists suggest that the survival of humans in the northern regions would not have been possible without sled dogs.

Sled dogs were not just a regonalized phenomenon, it has been told that Spanish explorers saw Indians using dogs to pull sleds in what we now know as the Southwestern United States.

The first documented sled dog race occurred in the late 1850s between a group of travelers going from Winnipeg to St. Paul, Minn. In 1886, the first St. Paul winter carnival featured sled dog races as a main attraction.

Sled dog races are still featured at the annual event.

The Disney film "Iron Will" was based on the 1917 sled dog races at the carnival.

When prospectors struck gold in the Yukon and Alaska late in the nineteenth century, dog mushing was heavily relied upon as a tool for survival.

The first major sled dog race in Alaska occurred in Nome and was dubbed the All-Alaska Sweepstakes. Scotsman Scotty Allan, a dog musher who hauled freight by trade, is credited for organizing many of the early Alaskan races.

The Iditarod trail, spanning from Southcentral Alaska to Nome, became a lifeline for Alaska in the late 1800s and the early 1900s.

Mushing in Alaska became famous nationally in 1925 when a relay system of 20 dog mushers brought 300,000 units of diphtheria antitoxin 674 miles from Nenana to Nome.

In the 1960s Dorothy Page came up with the idea to run a race to commemorate the serum run. In 1967 mushers ran a short ceremonial race on the Old Iditarod Trail.

The first annual Iditarod was run in 1973 from Knik to Nome.

Dick Wilmarth won the first title, completing the trip in just over 20 days. Martin Buser won the 2002 title in just eight days.

In 1983, organizers moved the official restart to Wasilla. Now each March the crowds gather in Wasilla to watch the mushers head off on their trek to Nome.

The first Saturday in March, people line the streets of Anchorage to watch the ceremonial start.

But in Wasilla, the time counts for real as the mushers and their teams hit the trail the first Sunday of every March. The trail winds its way to Knik, and from there, it is off the road system for the rest of the 1,049-mile race.

While it is not Alaska's primary mode of transportation anymore, dog mushing is still one of the most recognizable recreations in the state and the Mat-Su Valley. The Valley is home to some of sports' most identifiable mushers such as DeeDee Jonrowe, Martin Buser, Lindwood Fiedler, Vern Halter, Lynda Plettner and the entire Redington clan. Former Knik resident Joe Redington Sr. is known by many simply as the Father of the Iditarod.

The Valley also offers many opportunities non-mushers to take a ride on a sled. There are many businesses in the area that offer sled dog tours.

Wasilla is also home to the Iditarod Trail Committee headquarters, which is a popular tour stop.

In addition to the Iditarod there are many races for fans to enjoy. The races range from distance runs to sprints.

There are many ways locals can enjoy Alaska's most recognizable recreation.