Doug Swingley arrives in Unalakleet.

Iditarod's End.

Doug Swingley’s Amazing Run

By: Abby

The Iditarod started in Anchorage, Alaska on March 5th, 2001. It ended in Nome, Alaska when the last musher arrived in Nome on Monday 19th, 2001. Doug Swingley from Lincoln, Montana won the Iditarod this year when competing against 68 other mushers.

Doug Swingley first started mushing in 1989 when his brother Greg Swingley told him about the Iditarod. Doug first ran the Iditarod in 1992, finishing the race in 9th place and winning Rookie of the Year and Halfway Award.

Doug won 1st place for the first time in 1995. In 1996, Jeff King beat him, leaving Doug in second place. Doug later won in 1999, 2000, and now in 2001. This year he joined an elite group of mushers who have won the Iditarod at least three times in a row, Martin Buster, Susan Butcher, and Jeff King.

Doug Swingley has an impressive award record. Swingley broke the race record, 9 days 58 minutes, in Iditarod 2000. His total winnings are $320,261. He has won the Iditarod four times; in 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2001. He won the Halfway award in 1992, 1993, 1999 and 2000, the Rookie of the Year in 1992, The Gold Coast Award in 1995, 1999, and 2000, and the First to Yukon Award in 1995, 1999, and 2000.

Iditarod Trail Conditions: Awful

By: Benjamin

This year’s Iditarod was slow. The race was slower this year because of the poor trail conditions. The trail conditions changed from day to day. The Iditasport cyclists said there was a thirty-mile stretch of frozen dirt close to McGrath. Parts of the 90-mile stretch from Rohn to Nikolai had rocks, bare dirt and fallen trees on the trail. Buser said, “Sometimes I dive through that section and think if I pick up all the pieces and parts, I could build a new sled”.

This year’s winner, Doug Swingley, had a winning time of 9 days, 9 hours, 19 minutes and 50 seconds. Last year he had a time of 9 days, 0 hours, 58 minutes and 6 seconds. His time was slower because of the bad trail conditions. Jeff King’s time was also slower because of trail conditions. His time for this year is 10 days, 7 hours, 19 minutes and 43 seconds. Last year, his time was 9 days, 8 hours, 44 minutes and 41 seconds. One of the other mushers, Martin Buser, had a poor race because of the trail conditions and sick dogs. His time this year was 12 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes and 59 seconds. Last year his time was only 9 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes and 59 seconds.

This years’ race was slow. The finish times were poor because of the warm temperatures and unpredictable weather. Hopefully next year’s race will be faster with better conditions.

The Scoop on Dee Dee

By: Jessica & Jenelle

Dee Dee Jonrowe is a forty-eight-year-old Iditarod musher, she is married and has no children. She was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and now lives in Willow, Alaska. Dee Dee Jonrowe owns eighty-six dogs. Her lead dogs are Job and Commander.

Dee Dee has had great finishes in the Iditarod. She placed 6th in this years Iditarod. Her team was very young, but also very strong. Her best race was in 1993. That year she came in 2nd, she was using eight of the same dogs that she used last year. In the 2000 Iditarod, unfortunately Dee Dee placed 20th.

Dee Dee went to college at UAF, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she studied wildlife management. Her first introduction to dog mushing and the Iditarod was in 1978, when the basketball team she was on visited Nome for a tournament. There she watched Rick Swenson win the Iditarod. Seeing Swenson win inspired her to get into dog mushing.

Dee Dee grew up loving dogs, though she had no idea what a dog musher was. Now, she mushes dogs every year from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska. She loves mushing dogs, young and old.

The Race for Life

By: Elise & Hailey

The serum run was a very important dog run, because Nome’s children were sick with a disease called Diphtheria. Diphtheria struck Nome on January 20, 1925.

Doctor Welch was the only doctor that worked in Nome. He visited a young girl who was so sick, she couldn’t come to see the doctor. So, Dr. Welch came to her house to examine her. A couple of days later he found that it was Diphtheria that the girl had. Dr. Welch immediately sent telegrams all around Alaska, asking for help.

Serum was found only in Anchorage, so all they needed was to get the serum to Nome. They decided that they would use a train for part of the trip. When they sent the train, it got stuck because of bad weather. Now, they had to use mushers. At 11 p.m. on Tuesday they gave the serum to William Shannon, the first musher. There were 20 mushers in the serum run. All the 20 mushers were successful.

The serum run was important to Nome, because serum was the only cure that could stop the Diphtheria outbreak in Nome. The doctor in Nome only had a little bit of serum, and serum was hard to make.

To make serum, a sample of blood is taken from someone who is infected. The blood is put in a vile and spun very fast in a machine to separate it into different parts. The infected parts are then taken and injected into animals. The animals are able to build a defense against it and don’t die. After the animal recovers, a sample of their blood is taken and spun down to separate the portion with the diphtheria antibodies. Since this process couldn’t be completed in Nome due to lack of the right equipment, Diphtheria serum had to be shipped in by plane, boat or dogsled to Nome.

The Iditarod was first run in 1973 in memory of the serum run which saved the people of Nome. The race was also started partly because dog mushing was very popular in Alaska. The course however, has changed from the original route first taken by the mushers in 1925. Originally, the serum being sent to Nome started on its way in Seward, but the race now begins in Anchorage with an official restart in Wasilla the following day.

Nome is now safe from a future Diphtheria outbreak. Nome has many planes and almost every family has a snow machine. We also have a vaccination against Diphtheria.

The Story of Sled Dogs

By: Megan & Emily

A sled dog’s training is a very important part of the Iditarod. If a dog does not have the correct training necessary when put on out on the trail, mistakes could be made causing the musher or other dogs to be hurt. Most mushers have a definite way of training their sled dogs. But, the techniques are usually similar.

The equipment used by most mushers includes dog sleds, dog harnesses, and booties. The dog sled is what the dogs are hooked up to and where the musher stands. The dog harness is what keeps the dogs hooked together to pull the sled. And the booties are what the dogs wear on their paws to protect them from the snow.

When choosing sled dogs, most northern breeds are used. Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Eskimo Dogs, Greenlands, Samoyeds, Norrbottenspets, and Hokkaidokens are all used as sled dogs. Besides these breeds other types of dogs are used, such as Irish Setters, Golden Retrievers, and Dalmatians. Some people mix breeds, usually Siberian crossed with Greyhound. These types of dogs have been mushing since 1908!

Ever wonder why mushers call out to their dogs “mush”? Most people believe that the word is said to drive the dogs forward, but that is not true. The word “mush” is originated from the French word “muche” meaning “marcher” which means, “to walk”. The French used the word during the gold rush days, but since then US mushers have come up with our own commanding words. “Hike” is said to get the dogs moving. “Gee” is turn right, “Haw” is turn left, and “Easy” means, slow down.

Dogs on the trail are positioned a certain way on the harness. The lead dog, is the dog that steers the team and maintains the speed. The wheel dog are the dogs closest to the sled. All the dogs in-between do not have particular names.

Since 1908, Northern dog breeds have been mushing. Even shorthaired dogs have too! They have all learned the necessary commands to guide a dog team. They have braved extreme weather of the trail, wherever it may be! These dogs are one of a kind and should be recognized! Congratulations, sled dogs!