The entire community gets involved, with Iditarod events planned over a two-week period. March – You’ll feel the spirit of the Iditarod everywhere you go if you visit Nome in March. Spirit of the north dog sled adventures drivers#And each year, children can again look to dog team drivers as heroes. This spirit is highlighted again every year in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, an event that not only commemorates the Serum Run, but also the mushing lifestyle that began to fade when airplanes and snowmachines became commonplace.įor at least ten days a year, the world again focuses on the great Iditarod trail and the gritty determination of mushers and their teams. The dedication, with mushers taking care of their dogs before themselves, no matter how exhausted they were. The perseverance on the trail, fighting against frostbite and dangerous ice conditions until the next roadhouse came into view. The danger mushers faced in blizzard conditions and the race against time as more children became ill revealed the spirit of Alaska during those times: The teamwork and trust between mushers and their dogs. The storied Serum Run of 1925 was followed by newspapers the world over. Its purse – saving children’s lives by getting serum to Nome – was more valuable than any amount of money. In 1925, when a diphtheria epidemic hit the town, 20 mushers participated in the ultimate dog sled race. Anything that needed to be transported in winter came by dogsled, including necessary supplies, medicines and postal mail.ĭog team drivers were heroes to the young children of Nome, especially once dog sled races became popular. In those days, dogs were prized workhorses and could cost hundreds of dollars each. Rivers froze too, becoming convenient roads for mushers in and out of town. The Bering Sea froze, locking Nome in its icy grasp. The hardy souls that remained settled in for months of deep snow, blizzards, harsh winds and darkness. Each fall, the last steamship left Norton Sound, pulling out of sight as it headed south for warmer climes. It’s hard for us to imagine the lives of Nome’s early residents during winter.
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