My Next 30 Years!: Fingers Crossed...Adding Iditarod Photos!

Whew! First one worked....keep your fingers crossed because I'm going to try adding more.
This was behind the Unalakleet post office where all the bags of dog food and bales of straw were set out
for the 66 Iditarod teams that would be arriving....if they hadn't already scratched....and some had at that point.

So far, so good...second photo worked! This is a close-up of what the dog food bags looked like
for each team about to arrive.

Aliy Zirkle arriving in Unalakleet.....first musher in at that point.

Aliy's dogs.....tuckered out and resting!

Aliy Zirkle....attempting to eat breakfast amongst the media and onlookers!

And to think....I ran my hand along this sled handle! Dallas would go on to win the 2012 Iditarod.
I'm sure it had nothing to do with my touching this sled....hee!

This is Dallas Seavey....bending over in front getting dog food prepared while the vets in the background check out his dogs. There were swarms of vets immediately tending to the dogs when they arrived making sure all was well. If there was any question at all about a dog's well-being, the dog would be pulled from the team and sent back to Anchorage. It is my understanding that dogs and teams having to be sent home were taken care of by the inmates at a women's prison until the mushers could get back to take over.

I just love this picture! I hope you can see it as I do. The dogs' eyes are gleaming in my camera shot as they arrive off the darkened trail in the wee hours of the morning. Can you imagine what it must be like out on the frozen trails lit up only by the moon and the musher's headlamp around his or her forehead?

Here comes a musher and team from the frozen tundra into Unalakleet.

This is John Baker from Kotzebue, last year's Iditarod champion, arriving!

John Baker giving directions to his team volunteers on what needs to be done for the dogs.
Check out the heavy fur-lined hood of his parka...you can barely see his face.
There's the headlamp, too, around his head. I just can't imagine how incredibly cold
it must get out on the trail.

John Baker inside the warming house. "Could you just give me a chance to eat?"

Dallas Seavey being interviewed inside the warming house at the Unalakleet checkpoint.
This is where he was saying, "I think it's Aliy and me to beat at this point."

DeeDee Jonrowe's dogs arriving....check out those hot pink booties and harnesses!
DeeDee would eventually come in 10th place in Nome.

Not the best shot of DeeDee but I wanted to point out the huge fur mittens hanging off her backside.
Most of the mushers wore huge mitts over their regular gloves.
Fur and animal skins play an important role up here in keeping folks warm.