Huskies along the trail during start day, March 1998 Photo: Jeff Schultz

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

Called "the last great race on Earth," the Iditarod pits dog teams and their mushers against the rugged Alaskan wilderness. Each team of 12 to 16 dogs must cover more than 1,150 miles, from Anchorage in the south to Nome on the western Bering Sea. The journey along the National Millennium Trail takes them over mountains, through dense forests, and across frozen rivers and tundra. For 10 to 17 days they face sub-zero temperatures, long hours of darkness, blinding winds, and treacherous climbs. The challenges presented by these harsh conditions reflect Alaska's heritage of survival in the midst of wild, untamed nature.

The project is documented by a six-page written report; sixteen color slides with descriptions; a map; a mounted newspaper article entitled "Iditarod Trail Designated As National Millennium Trail; a 1999 Media Guide; 13 Race Annuals - various years, 1975-1989; Gold Rush Trail information; a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) brochure; three spiral-bound books from the BLM: 1) "Historic Building Survey Report, Flat, Alaska"; 2) "Flat and Iditarod 1993-1995: Oral History Interviews"; 3) "The Iditarod National Historic Trail"; two Iditarod National Historic Trail markers; and two videotapes: "Beyond Courage: The Dogs of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race" and "The Story of the 1999 Iditarod."

Originally submitted by: Frank Murkowski, Senator.

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