Love it when I go to the Post Office and find something other then bills in the mailbox! And lately that has been happening much more then expected. This is a good thing for you too, because today I am going to share something that came in the mail awhile back. Photos from the 2012 Iditarod taken by our good friends Walt & Janet Tremer. We met in Nome when Dan ran his rookie race in 2010, and have been friends ever since. Janet had been an Iditarider* many times, and so I was tickled when they decided to bid for a ride in my sled at the Anchorage start. (*the Iditarider program is an auction that allows folks to bid for a chance to ride in a mushers sled for the ceremonial start in Anchorage) When I saw them in Anchorage before the race I found out they had decided this year Walt would be taking the ride! Being able to take a good friend out for the start made the whole day more fun and relaxing. Plus Janet has already told me she would give me 50$ if I dumped him, Walt then mentioned he as good for $50 if I didn’t. So no pressure, crash or don’t crash, either way I won.

They got photos from the start, the checkpoint of Galena, and at the finish in Nome. Huge thank you to Walt and Janet for sharing these photos, for all the laughter and encouragement, and for being such great friends to Dan & I.

Now here they are without further delay, the Walt & Janet Iditarod 2012 photos album…
*there are a lot, so maybe go to the bathroom and top off your coffee while they load

First there are the pre-race activities, which include meetings for mushers, a lunch where we get to meet our Iditariders (which was easy for me cause I already knew mine.) and the start banquet where mushers draw their numbers for the start order.

Then the Anchorage start. A short run through downtown Anchorage, ending in near-by Campbell airstrip. It is but like a parade and a lot of fun. It gives everyone a chance  to get to see the teams in action.

OK now we are on to the re-start, or real start, in Willow. Once we leave from here there is no turning back, no last trip to the store or the bathroom, you are headed to Nome the long scenic route.

There you are with the dogs you love, your sled, clothes, gear all of it. You have worried, obsessed, & planned for this for months. Now with the clock all but audible Tick /Tocking in your brain you have to pull it all together, and get to the start line on time with everything you need. And it looks a little like this:

Walt and Janet were out on the trail in Galena and I caught up with them there. It was cold, in the minus 40-45 range if memory serves. Not entirely unheard of temps for Interior Alaska.  You can tell it was ‘real cold’ because I was sporting my bright orange and red parka, affectionately known as ‘the skittle’ for its color and the round shape it gives me.

The next place I will see Walt and Janet is Nome.

Some scenes from the finish. I had finished right behind friend Lance Mackey and had the pleasure of sharing the chute with him, I heard from friends after that he had personally made sure there was room for my team as I came in. But that is the kind of gentleman Lance is.

Then the dogs are taken to the Nome dog lot, for a well deserved meal and a nice long rest.

And now we come full circle. The race is done and I want to thank all the many wonderful people who helped make it possible. And hugs to our friends Walt and Janet, for being there, taking the photos to prove it!