Iditarod 2010 Ceremonial Start (plus quick update)

The Boys getting ready to hand out muffins to mushers behind our friends house. Note the banner.















This is Art Church Jr., who ended up stopping to chat.













Art grabbing a muffin and then stopping.



































What really amazed us, was when he was done visiting, he gave the command "Ready" and all the dogs popped up into position and were ready to go, lickety split.

Just read at Martin's website, that Art's team is from Martin's kennel. Martin runs a young dog team every year with another musher. These young ones were very well trained.











This is musher, Ross Adams, with a frog as his Iditarider. Iditarider? What's that, you may ask. Well, another way the Iditarod raises money to keep this race going and have a sizable purse, it to auction off rides in each mushers sled during the ceremonial start in Anchorage. As you can imagine, the popular or champion mushers bid prices can get pretty high. How high? Here's a link to the prices from last year.












Vince got the musher, Ian took care of the brakeman. The brakeman is used during the Anchorage Ceremonial Start to help keep the dogs slower coming through town. The person in the sled was the winning bidder for each sled team.












Warren Palfrey from Canada. 19th last year














Quinn Iten, 18 years old, son of Ed Iten, a veteran musher from Kotzebue












DeeDee Jonrowe, Queen of the Iditarod.
















Vince handing DeeDee a muffin.













The all Siberian Husky Team of Karen Ramstead. Siberian's are the "pretty dogs" used in most Iditarod promo-materials, but aren't the preffered breed. Some of her previous finishers are actual CKC Champions (showdogs) Alaskan huskies aren't quite so "uniform".















Karen scoring a muffin from my son, Vince.















Our hosts had recently returned from the Olympics and we all sang "Oh Canada" for Karen, so she decided to stop and enjoy our version.













Alaskan huskies


















Martin Buser, Four-time Champion, and holder of the fastest race finish. He ended up stopping to give our host, Alice, a big hug.
















The musher behind Martin, Michelle Phelps, stopped and waited patiently.










One of her dogs had a nice roll in the snow by me. No petting please. So hard to resist, but I made it.
















Michelle again, still smiling and waiting for Martin. Nice lady and former figure skater. I was thinking, while watching the olympics, boy those figure skaters would make great mushers. LOL











Sebastian Schnuelle, 2nd place last year.




















A man to watch this year. Easy to spot with all that hair.






















What Alaska kids play with in their backyards.


















Ian getting ready for the hand off



















Another technique























Another team of Siberian Huskies, driven by musher Hank Debruin.
















Jim Lanier with his all white team of Alaskan Huskies.




















Aliy Zirkle, first woman to win the Yukon Quest.











Lance Mackey, who has won the last 3 Iditarods and won the Yukon Quest those same years.















Lance is a very friendly guy















Getting ready to stop to say hi to the crowd, plus a doggie had to make a pit stop.














Saying hi to Alice and CJ.

















Someone giving Lance a special coin to carry with him to Nome. Lance patiently heard the story of why this coin was meaningful to the man and then promised to take it all the way.
















Before heading out again, he made sure his Iditarider got a muffin too.












Booties are traditionally handed out along the trail as souviners, this was one. Really. The one's Vince took home were used and had to keep rolling our windows down in the car. They now reside out in the snow in front of our house.















Ian handing off a muffin to rookie, Dave Decaro.














Almost missed Rick Swenson. The winningest musher in Iditarod history. Couldn't see his bib number.










Ryan Redington, grandson of Iditarod founder, Joe Redington.











Alaskan Huskies and their driver, Emil Churchin, a rookie from Anchorage.


















Ian giving Mike Williams, Jr., from Akiak, a muffin. Mike's father is a veteran musher and looks like he's handed off the torch to his son, this year.
















Hand off to Celeste Davis and, in a moment, to her Iditarider.













Trent Herbst, best finish, 48th last year.






























Thomas Lesatz, note his brakeman (woman) scored a muffin.



























Peter Kaiser from Bethel, AK.










Colleen Robertia looking very serious, like the race is on, until.... (next picture)

















Muffin Time!











Everybody loves muffin time!










Sam Deltour scores a muffin















His iditarider getting beamed by muffins.













Billy Snodgrass














Took this because it looks like both myself and the dogs thought this guys going to get his. The kid was just getting up off his knees in this photo.













Jason Barron laughing at all the flying muffins.















The final musher, Judy Currier, placed 26th last year.








Guess last musher gets the box of donuts.