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| Siirtola ready to start racing again | Sat, Mar. 1st, 2008 | |
By TONY SPILDE
Bismarck Tribune
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Or, as happens every year at this time in Alaska, two single steps.
Bismarck native Heather Siirtola starts her second Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race today. Then, she`ll start it all over again on Sunday afternoon.
To read the rest of the story, CLICK HERE.
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| Heather Draws Starting Position 47 | Fri, Feb. 29th, 2008 | |
All of the preparations are done. The last thing Heather is doing today is packing her sled for tomorrows start of the 2008 Iditarod. Then she will visit the dogs and select the final 16 for the race.
Yesterday was filled with many official duties. First there was a mushers meeting in Anchorage. The musher meeting is loaded with chores and routines that seldom change over the years. Mushers autograph the mail caches that they’ll carry to Nome. They pick up gear from sponsors such as Cabela’s, Wells Fargo, Anchorage Chrysler and GCI. Then begins a series of discussions, closed to the public, about the trail ahead, race rules, veterinary care and general logistics. It’s a chance for the race officials and mushers to talk back and forth and iron out details before the Iditarod gets under way.
Then there was lunch where the mushers meet their Idita-rider, the person who bid money to ride the first 12 miles in their sleds during the ceremonial start. Heathers Idita-rider is Gail Zidalis from Ninilchik, ALaska.
Next up was the musher’s banquet, where they picked starting positions. Heather drew starting position #47, which means she has bib 47. Her landlord, Jerry Sousa from Sundogs Kennels drew starting position #10.
"I`m glad I drew the starting position I did," said Heather. "This means on the restart I will not be leaving during the warmest part of the day."
During the banquet all of the mushers also get up before the packed house and offer a few thought before the race.
"I just want to thank everyone who has helped me reach this point," said Heather. "Without the help and support of family and friends I would not be standing here tonight."
There are no official activities scheduled for today. That gives Heather and the other 97 mushers one last chance to make last-minute preparations before Saturday’s 10 a.m. ceremonial start in Anchorage and Sunday’s 2 p.m. restart in Willow.
Heather has a couple of media interviews later today and then she hopes to relax for a bit. She says then it is up at 5:30 am tomorrow to drive to Anchorage for the start of the 2008 Iditarod!
"Like everyone else, I am ready to go!," Heather concluded.
NOTE: If you are a Iditarod Insider you can watch the start tomorrow and Sunday live on the internet. Mushers depart in 2 minute intervals so based on Heathers starting position, she should depart Anchorage around 11:30 AM AKST on Saturday (or 3:30 EST) and leave Willow for the official re-start around 3:30 PM AKST (7:30 EST) on Sunday.
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| Look Out Nome! Here we come!!! | Thu, Feb. 28th, 2008 | |
Heather and the Hardcore Team Set to Leave for Nome Saturday!
The 36th Iditarod begins in less than 48 hours. Heather and the Team are set to go. So what is going through her mind as she sets out on her second trip down the Iditarod Trail? Here are some of her thoughts revealed during a recent interview for her website:
1. The race starts tomorrow, how do you feel?
I’m relieved that it is finally here. Ever since I crossed the finish line at last year’s race I wanted to do this again. Now after 12 months of intense training it is finally here!
2. How does your team look?
My team looks good. They have under gone lots of training and have lots of race miles on them. We have run more than 2000 miles in training. They can go a long time without having to stop.
3. What do you have left to do before the race?
I have a few of loose ends to finish in the next day or so. For example I need to drop off paperwork from vet check, get one more dog`s blood work done, pick up odds and ends in Wasilla before my dad gets here and work on my sleds to make sure everything is ready to go.
4. Is it different this year for you because you did the race last year?
Yes, it is different in the sense I somewhat know what I am getting into. While I had lots of friends who raced the Iditarod telling me what to expect, until you do it yourself, you really don’t know. I feel more comfortable in that I’ve done this before.
5. How are you approaching the race this year as compared to your approach last year? What have you done different?
I have run the team longer training runs, lots more miles instead of more short runs. This should allow me to make longer runs during the race without stopping which should translate into my reaching Nome a lot sooner.
6. You admit you spent a little too much time in the checkpoints last year which is understandable because it was your big first race. How will you approach the checkpoints this year?
This year I am going to try and stick to my run and rest schedule to the best of my capabilities. You’re right that last year I spent too much time in rest areas but being it was my first time I was probably a lot more cautious with the dogs that it turned out was really necessary. I didn’t want to wear them out. I think this year I understand more the capabilities of the team. And, like I’ve said, with the longer training runs we’ve don this year the team is more prepared for the race.
7. Is there a musher in the race you plan to pair up with during the race?
I don`t plan on it but then again I didn’t plan it last year either. You never know who the race will unfold.
8. Have you heard anything about the trail conditions?
I’ve heard the trail is bare just outside of Rohn with dirt showing, but that it gets better after Bison Camp on the way to Nickolai. It’s been really cold along the Bering Coast with the temps from Kaltag to Nome well below zero. When I check the weather for Unalakleet the other day the wind chill was nearly 50 below!
9. During the race last year you said there were a few spots that you almost quit. Do you think that because you’ve finished one Iditarod that getting through these tough spots that are bound to happen will be easier?
My experience from last year really helps but you never know what other elements will become a factor. I feel that I am strong willed and I can say that I don’t think I would ever give up. But I am sure that is how some of the musher’s that dropped out last year felt too. The only thing that I can see right now that would keep me from getting to Nome would be an injury to me or the dogs.
10. As you pull into the starting position just before the race begins, what will you do and what will be going through your mind?
As I approach the starting line I will focus on the dogs. I check their lines to make sure everything is ready. I usually talk to each one of them and tell them “We are off to Nome!” When I get back to the back of the sled just before I pull out of for the start I take a moment to thank God that we have finally made it to this point and ask that we have a safe trip.
11. What is it like to be out on the trail? What kind of wildlife do you see? What goes through your mind as you travel down the trail?
It`s nice to be out there with no distractions, just me and the dogs. It’s is a hard feeling to describe but it is beautiful. The mountains, the Yukon, I could go on and on. As far as seeing wildlife, I only saw a fox last year, but I saw wolf prints outside of the Iditarod checkpoint. And in case anyone asks, no I didn’t see any moose!
As I travel down the trail I usually focus on the dogs and the weather. I watch the pace the dogs travel and observe their spirit. I also have to keep an eye on the trail to make sure I see the markers so I know we are headed in the right direction. The markers are the only thing we have to navigate. They are 2X2 inch wooden stakes with red painted on the top. We are not allowed to use GSP’s or anything like that. Just the stars and stakes!
12. The rules allow you to list 20 dogs on the chip sheet and you select your 16 team members from that list. What do you look for the last days before the race to know who to take and who to leave behind?
I look to see who is eating well, who is showing a good attitude, and which dogs have shown good performance over the last few weeks. Sometimes it is a crap shoot and the dogs can fool you.
13. Do you feel more prepared for this year’s race compared to last?
In some ways, yes, other ways I am working towards, such as wearing blinders and being focused only on my dogs, it`s not always easy with reality all around
14. When do you expect to arrive in Nome?
I hope to get to Nome in 10 to 12 days. I’d love to finish in the top 30. We’ll see how it all unfolds.
15. Is there a point in the race that you know, "okay, I know I`m gonna make it to Nome?"
Last year when I got to the last checkpoint, Safety, which is only about 25 miles from Nome, I felt safe in thinking we are going to make it. While it is hard to imagine because you’re so close, I’ve heard people have quit the race between Safety and Nome. I am sure it will be different every year as to when you reach that comfort level.
16. There are lots of kids following you again this year from schools around the country, what do you want to say to them?
Thank you for rooting for me. It helps the dogs and I keep going through all of the hard parts of the trail knowing that you are following me. I hope I make you proud. And remember, thanks to the help of my step-dad Dann, you can plot my progress here on my website.
17. Is there anything else you want to say before the race starts?
I know it may sound funny but I want to thank everyone for everything. Thanks to everyone who sent a donation. I’d like to thank my Dad & Mom, Dann & Karmen, my Grandparents Dale and Darlyne Ennen and Dorothy Phillips, my sis Dusty and my Aunts and Uncles for all their help and selling t-shirts, for me. To my friends all over the country, please know I appreciate your help and support.
To everyone in North Dakota, please know that North Dakota has been a great big boost for us mentally and financially. I couldn`t have been able to afford all of this without the help I got from everyone in the Peace Garden State. I also want to say “Hi “to the USDA employees in North Dakota. I hope to motivate you again with my performance this year.
Wish me luck! Look out Nome, here we come!!
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| Reports from the Trail are good and snowy | Wed, Feb. 27th, 2008 | |
The good news and bad news for Heather and the other 96 musher’s getting ready to leave Willow Sunday morning and begin their trek to Nome is that the Iditarod trail appears to be about “normal.” There’s plenty of snow where there usually is, and not much — perhaps none — where the going is typically barren.
The news is a far cry from last year, when dogs and drivers bounced over frozen dirt and grassy tussocks for miles and miles, in areas where they usually ride on smooth, white trail.
“I think we’re sitting pretty good,” said Mark Nordman, Iditarod’s race marshal.
From the first few miles on the Susitna River to the last stretch in the Topkok Hills near Nome, word trickling back from trail breakers is generally positive, Nordman said.
Heather received an e-mail recently from race officials written by one of the trail breakers which read in part as follows: “..crossing the Post River there was running water about 12 inches deep. Back up into the woods to the left side again it is dirt trail, frozen and icy with a rut climbing the hill. I next went over the hill and encountered the ‘glacier,’ which looks like it could be real nasty if pulling a loaded sled. I was on a 500 Skandic with no sled and full-throttled it all the way up the glacier and made it okay. It is ice from side to side looking like a lava flow! Same as many years previous.”
He continues: “The next leg before Egypt Mountain was then stretches of bare ground with rocks, dirt and grass eaten down by bison, with ice. The buffalo wallows are a twisting set of little black dirt mounds with glare ice patches.”
As veteran mushers often say, if you can make it to Nikolai in one piece, you should finish the race. The trail after Nikolai should be a welcome relief with plenty of snow the rest of the way. The Yukon River apparently is in good shape as well. He’s been told there’s three to four feet of snow by Nulato.
Despite a recent spate of warm weather, above freezing, the coast still seems to have acceptable travel conditions, Nordman said. And Iditarod board members from Nome have said the snow is excellent in that region this year.
If the race shapes up under these conditions, it could be considered “normal,” but conditions can change rapidly with snow storms, Chinook winds and rain or bitter cold.
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| Hats and Shirts for Sale | Mon, Feb. 25th, 2008 | |
There is still time to show your support for Heather and the Hardcore Team.
We still have a limited quantity of Hardcore Huskies t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats available. The t-shirts run $20.00 plus $5 for shipping for sizes up to 2X. 3X or larger are $3 more. Sweatshirts are $30 plus $5 for shipping and again sizes range from S to 2X. Tees and sweatshirts are available in a red, forest green and black. To see a sample, [CLICK HERE].
Hats are available for $20 plus $5 for shipping in black, one-size fit all.
For more information and to place an order call the Hardcore Team; Jim or Karmen at (701) 258-5922 or Dale at (701) 258-3403.
Please allow four weeks for delivery.
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![[CLICK HERE].](http://www.hardcorehuskies.com/photos/sized_HatShirt.jpg){kind=link}