The oldest long distance sled dog race in the world starts in Nome tomorrow morning. There are 16 mushers entered in this year's race - including a former student of mine from my teaching days in Nome - Aaron Burmeister. All are vying for the $100,000.00 winner take all purse. It's quite an event - check it out here.
This year's race is the first since 1983 and celebrates the 100th anniversary of it's first running.
The race runs over an old overland mail and freight route from Nome to Candle, near Kotzebue. It passes through some of the roughest terrain on the planet - including the infamous Solomon "Blowhole" about 40 miles east of Nome. This area has been noted over the last 150 years as having some of the worst winds - where the valleys and draws along the coast - come together and force high winds down onto the beach. I traveled through here in 1988 on snowmachine on my way to Council to cover a Nome Kennel Club race for KICY Radio in Nome. I got frostbite on one set of toes - even while wearing bunny boots.
Here was the scene on that day at Tommy Johnson's cabin - in the middle of the "blowhole". The winds had died down some by the time we got there - but a complete whiteout existed that day back up the trail - although the sky was blue...
Best of luck to all of the mushers. Go Aaron!
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