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Iditarod 40: Scratches and Rule 36

March 8, 2012 by robertforto 1 Comment

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, also known as the Iditarod, has claimed it’s first victim. In the third night of the race, the first musher to scratch did so in Nikolai, Just 311 miles from the starting line.

Each year, 60+ mushers invest countless hours, incredible resources and close to forty thousand dollars for the opportunity to run in what is called the Last Great Race on Earth.

Some mushers invest everything they have and the race preparations consume them. Some lose jobs, husbands, wives, and homes–in the quest to fulfill a dream of running a thousand mile quest across the tundra and wind-swept landscape of the Great White North.

Sure, some people just are not ready to take on the challenge and they quickly find out just days into the race that they are not cut out for this. Some scratch. Others mush on to soon find out that enough is enough and end their race before reaching Nome.

Each year as we watch the mushers scratch one by one–many of us scratch our heads and ask why?

For some mushers it is their dogs. It might be a busted up sled after slamming into a tree on the infamous Happy River Steps. It could be lack of planning or logistics. It could be the musher’s health or an injury.

You will often hear of mushers wandering the trail dazed and confused after falling off their dog sled in a fit of sheer exhaustion. The dog team will trek on, leaving the musher where he stands. In a moment of terror the musher awakens and realizes what’s going on. “Where’s my dog team?” he cries and terror takes over him. His first concern is the safety of his dog team. The next is the safety of himself.

The sportsmanship of the race often means that a another musher will come to the aid of the driverless dog team and will tie them down. Another will often pick up the wandering musher and carry him back to his dog team or the next checkpoint.

The rules are clear on this and they allow a musher to catch a ride on another team’s sled or snow machine but it must be reported to the race marshal who may impose sanctions. This is only the case if a team is “driverless”.

Then we have Rule 36

It reads:

Rule 36 — Competitiveness: A team may be withdrawn that is out of the competition and is not in a position to make a valid effort to compete. If a team has not reached McGrath within seventy-two (72) hours of the leader, Grayling/Galena within ninety-six (96) hours of the leader or, Unalakleet within one hundred twenty (120) hours of the leader, it is presumed that a team is not competitive. A musher whose conduct, constitutes an unreasonable risk of harm to him/her, dogs or other persons may also be withdrawn.

While shrouded in controversy, especially in recent years, this rule is a back-of-the-pack musher’s worst nightmare.

If race officials deem a musher non-competitive, his Iditarod is done. His dream is over. At least until next year.

Or will there be a next year?

For many, this is a one-shot deal. They realize quickly they don’t have the resources, the support or maybe even the dogs to do the race again.

You will often hear many of the elite mushers talk about a race for competitors and a race for those that just want to complete the quest. To fulfill the dream if you will.

Will the Iditarod come to this? I don’t know. I hope not.

I, like many, Iditarod fans give much respect for anyone who attempts this race and feel their agony when they scratch or are withdrawn.

I often notice the smiles, hope, and and wide-eyed optimism at the ceremonial start and re-start of the race and wish them all well on the trail.

But for some, the race just becomes too much and they quickly realize the Iditarod truly is,

Some kind of monster…

Related articles
  • Iditarod 40: The infamous Happy River Steps (robertforto.com)
  • Iditarod 40: Mushing Radio day 4 coverage (dogworksradio.com)
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Filed Under: Alaska, Daily Post, Iditarod 40 Tagged With: alaska, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, dog, Dog sled, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, MUSH, Nome Alaska

I shop at Target for Mushing Gear

February 24, 2012 by robertforto Leave a Comment

Every musher has their secrets when it comes to training plans, feeding regimens, race strategy and the like.

But there is one thing that we talk a lot about and that is our gear. All of us have our favorites that stand the test of time and can handle the elements. Whether it be a debate about a parka from Canada Goose, Northern Outfitters or Wintergreen Northern Wear. Or our preferece of boots; Bunny Boots, Neo’s, pak boots or mukluks.

There is a general consensus that a little item that cost less about a buck can be a lifesaver. Knit gloves from Target.

In the past couple winters I have almost 2300 miles on the back of a dog sled. That is about the distance from Los Angeles to Detroit on a set of runners about the width of a ruler. In sometimes brutal temperatures of -30 below, you can get frostbite on your hands real quick.

I have found doubling up two pairs of these knit gloves does the trick and still allows me full movement of my fingers to work the snaps on the gang-line or putting booties on the dogs.

These gloves don’t last too long in these extremes, just a couple of days of chores if you are lucky. I have probably gone through 50 pair already but I wouldn’t use anything else.

When we are packing for races or long multi-day trips we pack a couple pairs in each drop bag so we will have a fresh pair when we need them.

As you can see by the photo I buy them in bulk at Target. While they cost just over a buck in the winter, I found them on sale today for .60 cents for two pairs. I think I bought 50 sets and plan on buying more on my next trip to town.

Already thinking about next year. We mushers do that too.

Related articles
  • Serum Run Boot Camp: Yentna Station (robertforto.com)
  • Mushing Radio presents Five Sibes (dogworksradio.com)
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Filed Under: Alaska, Daily Post, Mushing, Team Ineka Tagged With: alaska, Bunny Boots, Detroit, dog, Dog sled, Glove, Los Angeles, MUSH, Target

A year living in Alaska

August 5, 2011 by robertforto 3 Comments

“If you want the ultimate, you have to be willing to pay the ultimate price” 

-Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) in Point Break

Fortos' Fort in Alaska

I arrived to Alaska bright eyed and bushy tailed exactly 365 1/4 days ago. That is exactly one year in case you have trouble with math.

I was full of hope, optimism and dreams of the future. I had so many plans when arrived. Some of them have been met others are still a rigorous work in progress.

I learned a long time ago, not in some institute of higher learning–that I paid for out of my own pocket, but from the school of life–that nothing in life is free and things rarely come easy.

I have worked hard for everything I have ever done in life and I am proud to say that no matter what obstacles are thrown my way it is how I overcome it is what matters.

I guess you can say I really became a man when I moved up here. Yep, thats right, at the ripe old age of 39. It took me this long to really set my priorities in gear and get busy living instead of the opposite.

That brings me to my life up here in the Great White North. 

This past year was harder than I thought. I had never imagined that life would be so rough without my wife, my biggest fan and supporter, my wife, Michele, here.

We decided before we bought our house up here that she and the kids would stay in Denver at least until this summer so we could continue with our dog training business.

That has been bittersweet. 

A lot of good has come out of this past year. I have done a lot of work on the house, I have ran a heck of a lot of miles on a dog sled and I have accustomed to life in Alaska, never mind if it is 25 miles to the nearest grocery.

I am still learning that they do things different here and life is a lot slower than I am used to. But I love it here.

We’ll see what the next year brings and I hope that it teaches me as much as the last.

First Blog Post from Alaska:

The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams: August, 8, 2010

Follow my news and updates on Twitter, my whereabouts on Foursquare and  relationship status on Facebook. Or send me a telegram.

Related articles
  • 2010-11 Training Summary (teamineka.wordpress.com)
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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: alaska, denver, Dog sled, postaday2011, robert forto

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