Posts by Terrie Hanke
Eye on the Trail: Jr. Iditarod Honors Barb Redington
There’s a go to person in every organization. For Jr. Iditarod it’s Barb Redington. In recognition of her service, the Jr. Iditarod Board of Directors has named Barb as the 2019 Honorary Musher. Barb will receive Bib #1, signed by the Jr. Iditarod mushers, to wear at the start of the 2019 race. Jr. Iditarod …
Eye on the Trail: Jr. Iditarod XLII
A superb group of seven mushers are heading to Knik Lake in the morning for the start of Jr. Iditarod XLII. Earlier today mushers brought their dogs in for vet check. This evening they gathered for bib draw, pizza, beverages and race rule information. The field went from eight to seven when a musher withdrew prior …
Eye on the Trail – Jr. Iditarod Fun Facts!
This February will mark the 42nd year of the Jr. Iditarod. The Junior, just like the Iditarod, began as a dream. Joe Redington, Sr. dreamed of a long distance race across Alaska to keep the sled dog in Alaska and the old mail routes on the map. It was Eric Beeman who dreamed of a distance …
Eye on the Trail: Meet the Jr. Iditarod Mushers
Eight teenage mushers make up the field for the 2019 Jr. Iditarod. More rookies than veterans and more girls than boys. The race welcomes its first competitor from Sweden. The elite eight will run a 150-mile course from Knik Lake to the Yentna Station Roadhouse then finish at the Willow Community Center. This year marks …
Eye on the Trail: Iditarod Begins with the Jr. Iditarod
Ask me when Iditarod begins and I’ll reply, “The last Saturday of February.” Ardent Iditarod fans might attempt to set me straight with, “Don’t you mean the first Saturday of March?” But no, I stand firm. Iditarod begins with the Jr. Iditarod and that happens the last weekend of February. The young mushers that run the …
JR Iditarod Zoom Lens
The 2018 JR Iditarod is in the history books. Race Marshal, Cim Smith, praised the eleven young mushers for their dog care and sled driving abilities. The third time was a charm for veteran musher, Bailey Schaeffer. Schaeffer captured gold by 2 minutes over Chandler Wappett. While the trail was slow on the first leg …
JR Iditarod Celebrates Success
On all accounts the JR Iditarod was a great success. At the Sunday evening banquet, Race Marshal, Cim Smyth, whole-heartedly congratulated the young mushers on a job well done. Cim has raced in the JR Iditarod and is a former champion – he knows racing and he knows mushers. Cim said, “Everyone came through with …
From Yentna on Sunday Morning
Well before the sun crept over the horizon, all the JR Iditarod Mushers were back on the river heading to the finish line in Willow. After the snow of yesterday, the sky cleared over night and by this morning the temperature was at -15 degrees. Winds were calm and so for mushers and sled dogs …
JR Update from Yentna Station Roadhouse
The JR Iditarod mushers have arrived at Yentna Station, the half-way checkpoint. The eleven mushers arrived within 65 minutes of each other. Translate that into out times with the 10-hour required rest and the differential and the teams will all depart between 05:28 and 06:34. Grace Nolan edged Colby Spears into the checkpoint by only …
JR Iditarod Honors Bernie & Jeannette Willis
The JR Iditarod salutes Bernie and Jeannette Willis as the honorary mushers for the 2018 race. The Willises will be wearing bib #1 for the start of the 41st JR Iditarod. The race will begin on Saturday Feb 24th at 10:00 am within shouting distance of Joe and Vi Redington’s former homestead on Knik Lake. Eleven mushers …