“It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” – John Grogan
For mushers, their fans, the race officials and volunteers, and the rest of what comprises a small army of sled dog race aficionados, this is the most exciting time of the year! This Saturday, March 4th, is when The Last Great Race holds a celebratory march through the streets of Anchorage in preparation for the official launching from Willow the following day. For diehard fans it’s almost better than Christmas!
The whole thing centers on the dogs. Mushing is a time-honored tradition in Alaska, stretching back to the glory days of Leonhard Seppala, Scotty Allan, and others who first saw the value in good dog care and promoted best practices such as proper food and housing, training and conditioning, medical help when needed, and care standards to provide a basic quality of life which all sled dogs deserve. Today those standards are upheld by the mushers, the race officials, and the broader community of people who love, live and work with sled dogs.
“Dogs’ lives are too short. It’s their only fault, really.” -Agnes Sligh Turnbull
The next two weeks will be filled with exciting reports of the teams on the trail to Nome. The news reports and videos, endless social media posts and comments, apps and websites tracking the mushers and their teams, all add up to an exciting modern adventure with a colorful and important history. The mushers will be working hard, hoping for good weather and a fast trail, constantly monitoring every dog for signs of soreness, calculating when to run, when to stop, when to rest and for how long. It’s a giant game of chess played out over 1,000 miles, and the driving force behind it all is the courageous hearts of hundreds of sled dogs, steadily making their way to Nome.
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