Any one follow the Iditarod?

I've been into following the Last Great Race for about 20 years now. I started collecting hats, mugs and tee shirts since 1997. One of these days I would like to be at the finish line.

Never really got into it. My father use to have a sled team or two back in the day. As a young fellow he worked for the Hudson's Bay Company (trading post) and was stationed up on Baffin Island (beside Greenland). In the winter, which was probably eight months of the year (guessing), sled teams were their main transportation. I remember seeing old slides of them making the runners for the sleds out of frozen fish and seal pelts.

It's a crazy year for that race. It's so dry there.

I love Alaska. One of these years I'll get up there.

Dry and a bit warmer than normal.

I guess I have been fascinated since I heard the story from my grandmother over 40 years ago that when she was 17, she went to see relatives in North Dakota and spent 3 days on a dog sled after getting off the train. My best guess is that it was around 1890 give or take a few years.