Extreme Dog Mushing? - 2014 Iditarod

[Valdez Telehead]

Jeff King is one of best dog mushers of all time and has won the race many times. He leads the 1000+ mile race as of today. He's like 55, wiry and tough as nails. He shows handling skills in this video descending the Dazell(sp) Gorge south of Rainy Pass in the AK range. Scant snow in that area totally wrecked some folks, but not King. Maybe they need "rocketed" runners…. Plenty of snow beyond this checkpoint and they are on near record pace.

Enjoy a bit of the last great race on earth

Iditarod.com

[Pealer]

Wow! Crazy sight!


I skied through there in the mid 90's, with one dog ahead of me and one 75 lb. sled behind. I thought the blue ice and open water and true luge track were perilous thrills, but at least I had snow! I said the same things as Jeff, "whoa, easy, whoa, WHOA!" as I ended up on my butt a bunch. I saw my first wolf that day at the bottom of the Dalzell, and I've never been more excited.


That last scene at the Rohn Roadhouse is nuts with no snow. It's after that, through the Farewell Burn, where things get really barren, even on a good year. I remember carrying a ski in each hand as I half jogged some 45 miles, hoping to clip back in for any 100 yards of sporatic snow.


I still skijor. Jeff King helped design the harness I use with my dog.

[Valdez Telehead]

Jeff is battling Ally Zirkle for the lead. Here he is this am double-poling to help his dogs along the Bering Seas Coast. Sometime they even put up a sail, at least Buser did a few year back.

Only 250 miles to go…..

[B__]

That video is wild, those dogs just want to motor. It is very interesting stuff.

[Edgewood]

Cool video. My dog raced the Iditarod twice before I got her. I either run, hike, bike and ski with her every day. She thinks I am just the weakest and slowest person in the world.

[Paul Lutes]

Pretty amazing/shocking finish!