Sunday was the day of the actual start of the race. This took place in Willow, AK, which happens to be where some of our dear friends live. We drove to Willow on Sunday and spent the day with our friends on the frozen Crystal Lake.
The lake was full of people who were cooking out, riding snow machines, skiing, or coming and going in ski planes. It was a beautiful, sunny day-actually a little too hot for the dogs.
We learned a lot about the race and about dog mushing in general. Here are some facts that I found interesting:
1. If the musher falls off the sled, the dogs will most likely never stop and you will probably lose them. So don't fall asleep.
2. The strongest dogs are the two closest to the sled.
3. The dogs use the restroom while they are running. The sleds were quite smelly as they rode by. The dogs also drink water while they run by bending down and eating the snow.
4. The race usually takes 8-9 days and they even run in the dark.
5. A team must start with between 12 and 16 dogs, and they must finish with at least 6. Dogs may not be added or replaced throughout the race.
6. All of the dogs are Alaskan Huskies-small and scrappy, not the large, pretty Siberian Huskies that you seen in movies.
7. We saw several mushers drinking a beer, but they are not allowed to mush under the influence and there is testing along the way.
8. The dogs wear booties the whole 1100+ miles and prefer it to be very cold.
Gus was not allowed at the false start in Anchorage, as we were told he could distract the dogs. He was, however, allowed to be on the lake during the race and he was a perfect gentleman.
That's weird that he might distract the dogs at the false start but not at the race. Interesting facts about the dogs racing. Loved the pictures!!
ReplyDeletei'm so glad gus isn't one of those dogs. that isn't really his personality though, anyway, you know?
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