Mush! Mush!

Straight after breakfast I walked to the Avis depot and collected the 4WD SUV that was to be our mode of transport for the next nine days. After we had loaded up the first stop was a Walmart to stock up on "car food". Then we hit the road for Willow, about an hour and a half north of Anchorage where the "real" Iditarod race start was to begin at 2:00pm.

Sam with one of the husky pups

We followed the traffic into the specially prepared car park by the highway and then crossed the road to the frozen lake, with the real race start less than two hours away. As we exited the car park there was a couple with four adorable husky puppies for sale that we couldn't resist stopping to pat.

We managed to secure a spot close to the start of the iconic race, on the side of a fenced track that crossed the lake and ran up into the woods on the far side. As with the ceremonial start yesterday the dog teams set off at two minute intervals - but this time there are no "Iditariders" on board and the race clock is running.

Rearing to go!

The dogs were evidently keen to be on the trail - as each team lined up on the start line it took up to half a dozen handlers holding back the dogs and two or three others holding on to the sled to stop the dogs taking off  before the countdown reached zero.

We gave a big cheer to Ali Zirkle as she started in position #7 and to the lone Aussie in the field, Christian Turner, when he started in position #21. As we did yesterday, we then chose to move up the line and view the starting teams from different points on the course. The start was a very festive occasion, with a lot of people having picnics and barbeques on the frozen lake under clear blue skies. We continued a little way up into the woods on the far side of the lake where there were still dozens of spectators lining the route to cheer the mushers on their way.

Another team hits the trail.

After we had seen off the last of the 69 mushers to start out on Iditarod 2014 we joined the throng heading back to to the car park, where we were lucky to get a good run out. Thereafter we had the advantage of heading north - rather than back to Anchorage like most of the other traffic - so we had a good run. Not that we had far to go, the run up to the Talkeetna was only half an hour and it was only about 15 miles off the highway.

Our lodgings turned out to be very nice with each room having a loft and views out over the frozen river. It was still light and there were views of the distant Mt McKinley (North America's highest mountain) from out on the river. There was still a trickle of water on the middle of the river but it was interesting to walk around on the snow covered ice - with only the occasional spots where your foot suddenly sunk into a knee deep "moose hole".

A view of Mt McKinley from the (mostly) frozen river.

In the quaint main street of Talkeetna we found a nice eatery for dinner. It was very busy and the service was a bit slow, but the manageress compensated us by making one of our four meals free and shouting an extra round of drinks. A nice end to an iconic day in Alaska.

Mush!

Today's activities started with a walk downtown on a beautiful day with clear blue skies to get a good position for the start of the Iditarod race.

Sled dogs waiting for the start

Today was the "ceremonial start", staged for the benefit of the public and sponsors and to give the mushers a chance to interact with fans as they run an 11 mile course through the city, much of it on a special trail of snow laid down in the streets. Each musher also has an "Iditarider" as a passenger - a supporter who has bid for the privilege of riding with their favourite musher for the day. It is a staged start - there is no way to line up and start 69 dog sled teams at the same time - so teams start at two minute intervals.

We managed a good position near the start line to watch the first couple of mushers start off and then gradually moved along the course to watch the other mushers pass by. This turned out to be an ideal way to see it. Near the start the crowd is bigger and you get the real sense of excitement. Further along the course the crowd thins out and you get close to the mushers as they cruise by - often giving high fives to people as they passed. At one point the trail wound through a snow covered park which was quite picturesque in its own right. In the end we were working our way back towards the start when the last of the 69 entrants passed by.

Aussie musher Christian Turner starting out

From there we went and entered ourselves in the "Running of the Reindeer" to be staged in the main street at 4:00pm that afternoon - a little like the Spanish "Running of the Bulls" only way less dangerous. After a late lunch we had time to walk back to the motel for a rest before returning to the main street for the  "run". Unfortunately Laura & I were having trouble meeting Sam & Keira at the planned rendezvous point and by the time I managed to get in touch with them by phone Laura & I became separated in the crowd. Laura showed typical resourcefulness by getting hold of the event announcer's microphone and arranging a new rendezvous point for the four of us.

Thus we found ourselves in the last - and largest - group to set off on the "Running of the Reindeer". It was wall-to-wall people in the street so that even breaking into a trot was hard enough, never mind a run.

Reindeer dash down the unmarked flanks.

Actually it wasn't quite wall-to-wall people - we left the flanks unguarded so that when the reindeer were released behind us they flashed passed on the unprotected wings to finish the run ahead of us. It was still fun and we did get to pat some of the reindeer at the end of the run.

After such an activity filled day we were content to have a quiet night in.