Sledding
Brecken Van Baale
The Iditarod
The Iditarod is a famous alaskan race. The race starts on the first Saturday in March all the way down in Anchorage, Alaska. The Iditarod ends 1,200 miles away in Nome, Alaska. This race is the longest dog sled race in the world. The word Iditarod comes from the Ingalik and Holikachuk word hideout meaning distant place. People call the Iditarod the "Last Great Race on Earth". It takes about 10-20 days to finish this race.The temperature for the Iditarod can be as cold as 60 degrees below zero! That is cold. All sledders have a team of 12 to 18 dogs. 50 pound dogs can pull more than 800 pounds! That's amazing. When it is time to start the race the Mushers yell "Hike" that means get going. The race has started.
Balto
A dog named Balto was the lead dog of a team that saved the children of Nome, Alaska. The children needed a medicine that was almost 1,000 miles away in Anchorage, Alaska. More than 20 Mushers and over 300 dogs traveled back and forth, 6 days and 6 nights to get the medicine. Because of Balto's heroic actions there is a statue of him in far away New York.