Meeting My 2015 Iditarider

I would like to introduce my Iditarider for this year's Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage.
Her name is Nancy Augustine Sanker and she is from California. She was a well kept secret up until the Iditarider lunch, where we first met each other.  Here we are at the Banquet.  We are going to have a GREAT ride.

THE TENT

On February 3rd, Bob Chlupach, Buddy Giddens, Rick Davidson, and Phil Johnson set up the tent for our outdoor covered work area.  We live in a tiny house that two mushers and all their gear are bursting at the seams  This tent is a lifesaver when Drop Bag time comes around !

Not only is it a work area, but it is also a storage area.  Soon it became full of bagged kibble for the trail, sealed neck warmers, sealed gloves, socks, snack bags, food bags for the musher, bagged booties, bagged chemical warmers, and more.  What a relief to be able to get all of the boxes out of the house and stored in our tent.

IT'S A GOLD BOND KIND OF DAY...

Gold Bond...it's what's in the booties !

 A HUGE thanks to Terry and Mary.  

They powdered, bundled and bagged over 800 booties.  

February 16th

Powdered, and bundled.

 Powdered, bundled, and bagged !  

Ready for the trail !

Thank You Prairie Kids ! ! !

I went to the Post Office the other day and received a Box From Prairie Elementary.  I knew that it was from Mrs. Johnson's class.  I had a wonderful visit with you before I headed back to Alaska.  I am excited for you all to take part in your Iditaread !   I will think of you when I am on the trail.  

I just finished my food drops and it was a HUGE task.  I am so relieved to have it done.  I will tell you, I wore my Prairie Elementary Hoodie to the food drops.  Thank you all so very much.  I am going to take the Iditaread tag with me on my sled to Nome.  It will be my good luck charm and remind me of all of you kids rooting for me.  : )

This evening I took the time to read your letters.  Thank you so very much for the wonderful letters. Your letters brought a BIG smile to my face. You all asked so many great questions.   I don't have time to answer your letters right now as there are just 15 days until the start of Iditarod.  I still have so much to do to be ready for the race.    

I did want to answer a few questions that many of you asked...

The puppies belong to Bob and yes, they are so very cute and cuddly.   We think that these two will be sled dogs as both their parents are sled dogs, however, some puppies become pets.  

:Yes, my French Toast is good.  To make it, I dip bread into a milk and egg mixture and then I fry it in butter.  Then I spread it with Almond Butter.  Sometimes I will put sliced bananas on it.  Then I put another pieced on top of it like a sandwich.  I like to put pure maple syrup on them.  I cut up the french toast in to bite sized pieces and put them in a Food Saver boil-able bag.  On the trail they are frozen solid.  I put the bag into the boiling water and it thaws it and heats it up.  Then it is ready to eat!

I send out 2,000 pounds of supplies on the trail.  It was mostly dog food.  

Well, I have got to get caught up on my sleep.  Happy Reading !

     

Drops Bags Are Done ! ! !

 What a relief !   Jan and Terry

Just over 2,000 pounds loaded on the trailer, ready to deliver to Anchorage.  I would like to thank Bob, Terry, Sarah, Mary, Julie, Linda, Paula, Leslie, and Jenny for all the help getting this job done. 

The load strapped down ready for travel !

FAIRBANKS START FOR IDITAROD

The 2015 Iditarod will start in Fairbanks for the second time in 42 years.  Memebers of the trail committee's board met Tuesday and it was a unanimous vote to move the restart.  I am relieved at the decision and after hearing that there was even less snow in the gorge than last year, I would have made my decision to not go.

This year's race will be 19 miles shorter and will travel through two new checkpoints in the interior: Huslia and Koyukuk.   

Living in Willow has always been nice for the restart, as we live just a 10 minute drive away from Willow Lake.  Now we will have to figure the logistics of starting out of Fairbanks and a new race route. 

We are so excited to be staying with Vern and Jeanette Wrede in Fairbanks.  They are welcoming the dogs, along with musher Jan, Bob, Larry, Cindy and Sandy.  Thanks so much Jeanette and Larry !

MyThree Iditariders....

Each year at the Ceremonial Start we have and Iditarider in our sled.  Someone has bid for our sledbag and it is a rundraiser for the Iditarod.  They have an incredible opportunity to be up close and personal with an Iditarod Dog Team and Musher.  

2014 Iditarod, my rider was my oldest daughter, Nicolina.  
My Tag sled driver was one of my best friends, Cindy Klettke
This was an experience of a lifetime for my daughter and I,
and very special to share it with family friend, Cindy.  

2013, my rider was Gillian.
I have a picture of us when we met out on the trail, Iditarod 2012

2102, my Rider was Teresa Cooper.
She shared my dream, and I shared hers.  

Iditarod 2015 ?  I have no idea who my rider is, but someone bought my sled.  I will find out at a Meet and Greet Pizza Lunch, Thursday, March 5th.  I could find out sooner if the mystery person sends me a message !  

3000 Pounds of Meat

Picking up our meat

Quite a load for our trailer

Two pallets loaded

Cinching down our load for the drive home

PUPPIES ARE GROWING !

Meet Nik and Nak

Born October 13th...Just barely 2 weeks old. 

First time I get to see the pups.

November 18th...precious.

December14th 

Nik and Nak...Quite the handful.  So very playful.  

Hard to catch both of them at the same time.   

Not Sure the date...

...Adorable  

February 7th

Can't believe how much they have grown !

They are so much fun to take walking through our subdivision.

They play so hard, they wear themselves out !

And a Brisk Good Morning To You !

Yes, we woke to another sub-zero morning, this time dipping down to -26 degrees.  Makes you want to just jump out of bed and get your dog chores done !  

I will say that we are all getting a bit tired of the minus temps, but also glad that we are not experiencing warmer temperatures like mushing friends in Montana (68 degrees) and Washington (40 degrees and raining).

With our below freezing weather our Iditarod drop bags can actually sit outside with no risk of thawing.  The past 3 years the week of drop bags, the temps here warmed up to 40 degrees and we were all in a panic to keep our cut up and bagged meat frozen rock hard for the trail.

LOL  Bob just informed me that next week our temperatures will be warming up..lets just keep it below freezing !