We had a
very interesting day on Friday that started off with the Executive
Director from the Chamber of Commerce in Wasilla, the Iditarod
headquarters, stopping at our lunch table and thanking us for all we
have done for the Iditarod and for supporting Dallas.
We then started planning to intercept Dallas on the trail so we
could take photos and videos. We figured if he left White Mountain at
2:30 pm he would arrive at the Safety Roadhouse, the last checkpoint 22
miles from Nome, at about 8:30 pm. This would give us good lighting
because if we waited for his arrival into Nome it would 11 pm and dark.
We left Nome at 6:30 pm on 3 snowmachines with Rosanne riding with
Danny Seavey, our guide and Brian and I on rental units (mine broke
down earlier in the day!). At 7:45 pm we found Dallas, 30 miles from
Nome on the famous Iditarod Trail. What a beautiful sight seeing this
awesome young musher go by with his team of 14 alaskan huskies on the
Bering Sea coast.
We took some
great action photos and videos
from three different locations and headed back to Nome to greet Dallas.
Picture me riding last, with my glasses constantly fogging up,
traveling 40+ mph into this dry ice climate with temperatures dropping
and getting dark fast!
At 11 pm on Friday March, 16, 2007 Dallas was officially checked
in and finished his 2nd Iditarod as the 42nd musher. Dallas is the
youngest musher to ever finish the race in 2005 ... and was the yougest
musher at 20 in 2007. We watched Dallas leave Willow Lake on March 4
and 12 days and 1,200 miles later, family, friends and media
greeted him in Nome, AK. He was in good spirits, said he enjoyed the
race and was within one hour of his plan. He was very proud of his
young team. The veterans said this 35th running was the most
challenging race.
The J. J. Keller mail (Iditarod certificates) was delivered and "Tundra" (plush sled dog) also traveled the trail.
We will meet with Dallas on Saturday (Rosanne's birthday) and take the Seavey family to dinner.
We fly out after the closing Musher banquet Sunday evening. I will write a wrap-up when we return to Wisconsin.
"Mushing together to Nome " became a reality!
