I took my bike, rigged with a studded rear tire, to University Lake Park, where the mushers cross over onto the Campbell Track, to catch some photos of the dogs and mushers as they passed. I caught bib numbers 26-50 approximately. Carrie informed me when she got home from work that there are 71 mushers in this year's edition.
Tomorrow the actual start will take place in Willow, AK at the community center, on the lake. Last year several different groups had fires going on the lake ice, with plenty of beer, naturally cooled by the snow. I suppose it's tailgating Alaska style.
This group staked out a spot to hand out homemade cookies to the mushers, while warming themselves by a grill fire. They inserted two crutches in the snow with cardboard signs on each, one reading "cookies", the other "ahead". Several mushers stopped to get their sweets and talk.
One of the several mushers running the powerline trail at University Lake.
On ceremonial start day, each musher has an "idita-rider"--someone selected from the community to ride with them, in addition to an extra sled on back with a handler in case they're needed along the parade route. The Iditarider is placed on the sled, in front of the musher. You can see a red-sleeved, right arm in the above picture.
I believe this is Dallas Seavey, one of the youngest, yet most successful mushers; he is the son of Mitch Seavey, who's Kennel we visited last summer.
Finally, here's my "sled": a cyclocross bike with fender and studded tire.
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