"In every kid, there
is a dream
of driving their own dog team" |
There
is no comparison to any other competitive event in the world. A
race over 1,150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrian Mother
Nature has to offer. The race goes over jagged mountain ranges,
frozen rivers, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept
coast. The mushers and dogs also experience temperatures well below
zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, overflows
on the ice covered rivers,long hours of darkness and treacherous
climbs and side hills. The Iditarod is a race only possible in Alaska.
From Anchorage, in
south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast,
each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover 1,150 miles
in 10 to 17 days.
It has been called
"The Last Great Race" on earth and it has won worldwide
acclaim and interest. German, Spanish, British, Japenese, and
American film crews have covered this event. Journalist from outdoor
and adventure magazines, newspapers, and wire services flock to
Anchorage and Nome to record the excitement. Mushers, men and
women , enter the race from all walks of life, including different
countries. They each have their own story and reasons for running
the race. The race is organized and run primarily by thousands
of volunteers. They man the race headquarters at Anchorage, and
all the checkpoints along the trail. They act as checkers, coordinators,
trail breakers, pilots, cooks, veternarians, sewers for the and
so much more. The race would not exist without them.
7th
Mar 2004
The 2004 Iditarod is off and Running
Wearing bib # 67, Perry is on his way to Nome. Leaving
Willow today traveling on the river to Yetna Station and then onto
Skwenta. Cool conditions have helped make the first 2 days into
the race easier on the dogs and musher. For more info following
the Perry and other mushers on the Iditarod trail go to www.dogsled.com
or www.iditarod.com
listen to audio
interviews.
Perry
Solmonson's 2004 Iditarod Dog Team:
Seal - Minke - Rohn - Skidder - Chenega
- Osprey - Hannah - Mounds - Rippy - Babe - Kuskalana -Xavier -
Mac - Cadence - Baker - Hollinpo
Atta Boy 300
DANEWS
- Jan 12, 2003
The Atta Boy
300 wraps up. Perry's overall rankings putting him in 24 th place
with a total elasped time of 28:01:09. Perry entered in the Atta
Boy 300, starting the race in 26th place. His goal was to condition
the dogs and prepare them for the upcoming I,200 mile sled dog race
in Alaska, the Iditarod.The race proved to be a warm one this year
but trails were reported to be in good condition and the scenery
spectacular. Melanie Shirilla placed first with a total elasped
time of 20:55:07. Out of the 34 entries five scratched this year.
To view the final Atta Boy 300 standings.
Click here . Congratulations Perry!
|
2004
Iditarod Interview 
