Iditarod 35: Great way to (Re)start

March 6, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WILLOW - Sunny skies greeted the thousands of excited race fans and 82 brave mushers who showed up to Willow Lake for the start of the 2007 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

&#8220It's an absolutely perfect start for the dogs, people and spectators here,” Race marshal Mark Nordman said in the staging area before the race began. &#8220We're just blessed with great weather.”

Temperatures throughout the event hovered around 20 degrees Fahrenheit - close to ideal for both sled dogs and parka-wrapped spectators.

The Iditarod spent an estimated $30,000 to move the restart from Wasilla to Willow because of a lack of good trails near the Valley's largest town. Spectators didn't seem to mind the move a bit, taking advantage of shuttle buses to move between parking areas and the race start. Once on the lake, there was plenty of room for people to move around, and lots of food and drink vendors to keep everyone in good spirits.

Mushers began crossing the lake at 2 p.m. in two-minute intervals. Washington musher Perry Solmonson was the first to leave, much to the delight of the fans who crowded around the trail to get a glimpse of their favorite mushers.

As each team made its way out of the starting gate, mushers smiled and waved - some even veering toward the edge of the trail to slap hands with fans leaning over the fence. Some in the crowd held signs encouraging the mushers or waved flags of the six different nations represented in this year's race field.

Before the race began, mushers spent the morning making last-minute equipment changes, posing for pictures, packing sleds and even collecting dog urine for pre-race testing by race veterinarians.

But not everyone associated with the race was concerned with last-minute details. Conway Seavey, 10-year-old son of 2004 winner Mitch Seavey, spent much of the morning parading around a small Sheltie puppy named Ruby.

&#8220She's here due to the safety of all the dogs - keep ‘em in line,” Seavey said of the unimposing Ruby. &#8220She's a killer attack dog.”

Seavey dressed Ruby in an official &#8220Security” arm band - much to the delight of a number of bemused race fans and officials.

On a more serious note, Seavey said he traveled to the event to lend moral support to his father, who finished ninth last season - due in part, Conway said, to old dogs.

&#8220He better do pretty good,” Conway said. &#8220He doesn't have an excuse this year.”

With the hectic atmosphere surrounding the restart, many mushers said they were anxious to simply hit the trail for Nome.

&#8220This is the fun part, actually,” Sheep Mountain musher Zack Steer said. &#8220Now we actually get to go out and test our dogs and see what they've got.”

Officials said the 1,150-mile course is in decent shape, with hard-fast conditions dominating for most of the way. Nordman said the trail leading to Rainy Pass is in good shape, but the middle section leading toward the coast is spotty at best.

&#8220It's pretty much when you leave Rohn (approximately 200 miles into the race) that we start worrying about things,” he said.

Steer said he knows that the trail could be in rough shape through the Interior - but said that's just part of the race.

&#8220I hear we should be wearing hockey pads,” Steer joked.

Still, he said the rough conditions are just part of the race.

&#8220It's the same trail for everybody, so it doesn't matter what it is,” Steer said. &#8220We all gotta go over it, one way or another.”

Ramey Smyth of Big Lake said well-trained teams will have a big advantage once the trail gets rough.

&#8220You have to just try to teach the dogs to do what you tell them,” Smyth said.

Although talk among the mushers centered mainly around trail conditions, most spectators and race officials raved about the ideal Willow weather.

&#8220You couldn't ask for a better day,” race director Joanne Potts said.

Watching the race from a lakeside cabin, Iditarod fan Otto Schropp agreed. Relaxing with a cold beverage while basking in the warm sun, Schropp said picking his favorite part of Sunday's restart experience was easy.

&#8220It's the weather,” he said.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com.