Valley has strong showing in Iditarod

First and foremost, congratulations are in order for Lance Mackey, whose amazing Iditarod win will go down as one of the greatest feats in the history of mushing. Not only did Mackey manage to claim both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod titles in the same year, but he did so after winning a bout with cancer - a remarkable and inspirational accomplishment that nearly defies belief.

Also deserving high praise is 33-year-old Zack Steer of Sheep Mountain, who cemented himself as one of the sport's brightest young stars with his third-place finish. Steer runs a small kennel out of his family-run lodge along the Glenn Highway, and proved with this year's race he's ready for the big time.

Big Lake's Martin Buser entered the 2007 race with something to prove after disappointing finishes the last couple years. Buser showed the skeptics he's still a force to be reckoned with by running near the front the entire way, eventually finishing fourth.

Steer and Buser were the top finishers from Mat-Su this year, but not the only competitors. As of press time, six other Valley mushers have made it safely to Nome, including the Smyth brothers - Big Lake's Cim (11th place) and Houston's Ramey (17th) - Wasilla's Ryan Redington (19th), Deshka River rookie Silvia Willis (27th), and Willow's Matt Hayashida (30th).

Anyone who finishes the Iditarod is truly an Alaska hero - fewer people have finished the race than have climbed Mt. Everest - and everyone in Mat-Su should feel lucky to call these remarkable folks our neighbors.

Although the top mushers are now relaxing in Nome, a few are out on the trail, still battling the elements. Some of these mushers are also our neighbors, and we're pulling for them to make it to the end of the trail safely.

Rick Casillo and Scott Smith of Willow, Ellen Halverson of Wasilla and Heather Siirtola of Talkeetna are tough people and we know they're out there giving it their all.

Twenty-two Valley mushers made it to the starting line in Willow. Like in any running of this grueling event, not everyone made it to Nome. Some saw their dreams crash along what has been described as one of the worst trails in years. Hopefully, those who were forced to scratch will be back again next year.

Whether they finished or not, however, all the mushers deserve a hearty pat on the back. In making the attempt to complete the race, they're all our heroes. Congratulations to those who made it to Nome, and good luck to those still out there.

We'll see you when you get home.