THANKS  LYNDEN  FOR  SPONSORING  THE  JR. IDITAROD       35 years ago, in February of 1978, the very first Jr. Iditarod was run, and what an asset it has become. This race provided opportunities for the youth, ages 14 through 17, to get involved in the State sport of dog mushing. Many of …

Mushers, parents, friends, supporters and volunteers gathered to celebrate the 2013 Junior Iditarod about 100 yards from the finish line at the Willow Community Center on Sunday evening. The banquet was a celebration of the accomplishments of the thirteen contestants who ran the 150 mile route from Knik Lake to Yentna Station to Willow Lake.Not …

Noah Pereira of Clarkson, NY is the 2013 Jr. Iditarod Champion. Training with Dallas Seavey since his December arrival in Alaska with his dad, Noah, Conway Seavey, and Jenny Greger raced for first place. “I left (Yentna) a few minutes after they did and caught up to them.”  Passing Greger, then Seavey, Pereira ran the …

For three hours, spirited teams rolled into Yentna Station on Saturday evening. After recording the time in, dogs in and bib number and then completing the bag check, I asked all the mushers the same question, “How was your run?” All thirteen mushers answered with a variation of great! I heard AWESOME, FABULOUS, AMAZING and …

13 x 13 x 13!  Thirteen young mushers left the start line for the 2013 Junior Iditarod while the temperature/wind chill was 13 degrees. The start from Knik Lake went off without a hitch as teams left the starting line in two-minute intervals. The morning was overcast with the temperature in the upper teens – …

It’s Friday night and the Junior Iditarod mushers have drawn their bib numbers. Thanks to the generosity of local merchants each participant received a care package that included a musher hat, headband, gloves, socks and other items too numerous to mention. As the mushers and parents enjoyed pizza, the trail boss reviewed the route and …

Thirteen Junior Mushers are registered and set to start the Junior Iditarod on the last Saturday of February. The field for the 2013 Junior Iditarod is composed of an international entry, four lower 48 entries and eight Alaskans. Rookies outnumber the veteran mushers by one. All together the veterans bring eight years of Iditarod experience …

Junior Iditarod contestants attended a symposium at Iditarod Headquarters sponsored by the Junior Iditarod Committee on Thursday evening. With just 40 hours to the start of the Junior Iditarod, the young mushers are enthusiastic and ready to pull the snow hook for the round trip journey to Yentna Station. At the symposium, the junior racers …