ITC still claims Wasilla as home of Iditarod

WASILLA — Willow may be the new home of the Iditarod restart, but Wasilla will always be the home of the Last Great Race.

That’s the message being delivered by Iditarod Trail Committee director of public relations Chas St. George, who said Thursday that Wasilla shouldn’t worry about losing its importance just because the restart will no longer be held in the city.

“Wasilla is the home of the Iditarod, our headquarters is here,” St. George said.

The decision earlier this month by the ITC to officially move the restart to Willow for good was almost a foregone conclusion. The restart hasn’t been held in Wasilla since 2002, and holding it in the rapidly-growing city is nearly impossible now because of residential growth along the old trail corridor.

With upwards of 100 teams signed up for this year’s race, St. George said that holding the restart in Willow allows mushers and their teams to safely enter the Bush without having to traverse miles of neighborhoods.

“It’s a matter of holding the premier sled dog race in the world in an area that allows for safe exit onto the trail as best as possible,” he said.

St. George also pointed out that Wasilla, because of its proximity to Willow, still stands to gain economically from the race restart. A study commissioned by the city in 2006 showed that, even when the restart is in Willow, Wasilla still benefits to the tune of $2.1 million in direct and indirect consumer spending during the restart weekend. Race fans, St. George said, still spend plenty of time in Wasilla on their way to the restart.

“I think the business sector still benefits,” he said.

In addition, the city is in no danger of losing its summer visitors, which flock to the Iditarod headquarters on Knik-Goose Bay Road in search of souvenirs and summer sled dog tours.

“They spend time and money throughout the course of the year,” he said.

The biggest impact of the permanent change likely will be felt by the small number of businesses in Willow, where lodge owners are already seeing a big spike in reservations due to the restart move.

Kathy Huston, who owns the Alaskan Host Bed and Breakfast in Willow with her husband, Willow Chamber of Commerce president Jim Huston, said the couple is expecting to be booked solid for the restart.

“It’s going to mean a lot to me,” she said.

Huston said that, without the restart, the couple’s lodge would be empty all winter long. “If the restart doesn’t come to Willow, we don’t have anybody,” she said.

The announcement that the race has officially moved its big day to the small Parks Highway community, she said, has been the talk of the town among business people.

“They’re all excited that it’s coming out here,” she said.

This year’s race is scheduled to begin with a ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage on March 1, followed by the official restart March 2 at 2 p.m. on Willow Lake.

Upwards of 20,000 spectators are expected to pack Willow Lake for the restart. St. George said putting on such a large event — including the race itself — couldn’t be done without the support of more than 1,800 volunteers, many of them who hail from the Valley.

“It’s great to see the community come together for this,” he said. “I’m not talking about just Wasilla, but the entire Mat-Su Borough.”

This year’s field is shaping up to be the largest in history. St. George said that, as of Thursday, 102 mushers are still signed up to participate in the race. The largest-ever field in history was 87 teams in 2000. Last year, 82 mushers left Willow bound for Nome.

Snow conditions are always a big concern in the early portions of the race, but Kathy Huston said that with more than a month left to go, things are looking good on the snow front.

“There’s lots of snow out here,” she said. “Definitely no snow problems.”

Bowers 200, 300

starts today

WILLOW — The Montana Creek Dog Mushers Association’s annual Don Bowers Sled Dog races are set to begin today at the Willow Community Center.

As of Thursday afternoon, approximately 10 mushers had signed up for the 200-mile race, while close to 20 were signed up for the 300-miler, according to race secretary Mike Bishop.

Bishop said the field was set to be finalized Thursday evening during the pre-race musher’s meeting.

“We’ll have to see how many turn up this evening,” Bishop said.

The race is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. today, and spectators are welcome to attend. The event is timed to coincide with the opening of the Willow Winter Carnival, which also starts today.

“We always try to make sure it’s the first weekend of the carnival,” Bishop said.

Mushers will run a trail that goes from Willow out to the Deshka River, north along the Susitna River toward Trapper Creek and back again to Willow. Participants in the 200-mile race will finish back in Willow, while the 300-mile mushers will return for another leg and finish at Joe May’s cabin in Trapper Creek.

Bishop said recent warm weather created overflow throughout the Susitna River drainage, meaning the trail has been rerouted in certain spots to make for a safer run.

“We’ve had to change the course quite a bit to avoid the river,” he said.

In spite of that, Bishop said the trails in the area are still in pretty good mushing

shape.

“They’re looking nice now. They were super before the storm came in. Now they’re less super, but still pretty

good.”