Sled Design – Breakage

While working on one of Aliy’s toboggans yesterday for a trip to the North Slope, the one she used to win the Yukon Quest International Dog Sled Race, I started thinking about the number of broken sleds in this year’s Iditarod. Broken sleds are nothing new. Trees frequently jump into … Read More

In an Out of the 24 Manditories

Allen arrived at Takotna at 2:34am. He had an excellent run from Nikolai. Really must have felt great after all the craziness that has happened to him. He got there before Aliy left at 4:52am. Talking to Allen, he says that Aliy’s team looked great leaving the check point. The … Read More

Aliy from her 24 in Takotna

I just spoke to Aliy. She had gotten a couple hours of sleep, gone back out to feed the dogs a second meal and then got herself some food. She says it’s beautiful there. The dogs are lying out in the sun, relaxing. She is working on putting the team … Read More

Allen in Nikolai

Allen gave me a call from Nikolai about an hour after he arrived. He has had a very interesting race so far!! When we lost him in of Rain Pass, Allen was dealing with one crazy situation after another. First, the race officials wouldn’t allow him to leave the check … Read More

Sled Design – The Rules

There are few limitations on the designs of the sleds for the Iditarod. Rule 15 of the Iditarod addresses sleds as follows. “Sled: A musher has a choice of sled subject to the requirement that some type of sled or toboggan be drawn. The sled or toboggan must be capable … Read More

Talked to Aliy in Nikoli

I talked to Aliy at 2:15pm. She is in Nikoli resting the dogs. She sounds good, but a bit worried about her dogs. The trail has been “the worst she has ever seen.” The lack of snow is leaving rocks stumps and trees exposed. The dogs are sore. The trails … Read More

Aliy in Nikoli

So much has happened in the last day. Aliy is now in Nikoli. She ran straight in from Rainy Pass. She has dropped two dogs. She dropped Skittles in Rainy Pass. She got to Anchorage last night at about 7pm. She hurt her right front triceps. She is doing very … Read More

The Team

All right. I have to calm down enough to write this. As I am putting this up, Aliy is running in 3rd out of Rainy Pass. She still has all 16 dogs. Yeah. Okay, down to work. Aliy’s team is Hoss, Heeler, Venus, ChaCha, Butterscotch, Oddball, Skittles, Manny, Kingston, Hawke, … Read More

Initial Observations on Sled Design

Having been peripherally involved with the sport of dog sled racing for a number of years due to Aliy’s participation, and having a technical leaning, I have found the design and evolution of racing dog sleds very interesting. Both the sled that Aliy will start on in Iditarod 35, 2007, … Read More

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