I-Kid-Arod

Today we held the first (hopefully annual) I-Kid-Arod at the library. It was such a fun day! Dale and Mary brought Bandit, Cogs and Klondike. They had a trail set up outside the library to represent the Iditarod Trail. The kids were divided into teams. They were timed on harnessing the dogs and then transporting a duffle bag with serum (a carton of eggs) to "Nome". The kids acted as the dogs (due to liability reasons, they could not have the dogs running with the kids on the sled). Then we checked the duffle bag to see if the serum made it safely without breaking. After all the teams ran, Dale's young apprentice Dylan actually did a run with the dogs as a demonstration. At that point, everyone went inside for refreshments and awards. All the kids got I-Kid-Arod medals, made by Mary and a certificate. 
After warming up, any kids that wanted to were able to go back outside and try out the snowshoes. 
A lot of work went into this event and we are so thankful for Dale and Mary's enthusiasm for kids and sled dogs and their willingness to share it. We are also thankful for our librarian Becky and all she does to provide such fun activities for the kids in the community.

{Getting directions and team assignments}

{The "serum"}

 {Nater and Cogs}

 {Alex posing as a dog}

{Go Team Go!}

 {Nater is one of the dogs for this team}

 {Alex getting ready to harness Bandit}

Probably the funniest moment of the day occurred when Alex was harnessing. They counted down and said "Go!". Alex started putting the harness on Bandit and all of a sudden I heard laughter. 

I looked over and Alex's team...and the sled...were gone. 

They heard the word "go" and thought it meant them. They didn't stop until they got to the finish. 

It was so funny. 

{Niyah gets to harness Cogs"}

{Checking the serum}

 {Yah! The serum survived the trip to Nome!}

{Lots of yummy refreshments}

 {Receiving Awards}

The story of the Red Lantern and the Widow's Lamp from the official Iditarod page.

History of the Red Lantern

Often the “Red Lantern” is confused with the “Widow’s Lamp.” They are not the same. An article several years ago inAlaska magazine states that the first red lantern was awarded in the 1953 Fur Rendezvous Race. According to Alaska,

“Awarding a red lantern for the last place finisher in a sled dog race has become an Alaskan tradition. It started as a joke and has become a symbol of stick-to-itiveness in the mushing world.”

The Story of the Widow’s Lamp

During the days of Alaska sled dog freighting and mail carrying, dog drivers relied on a series of roadhouses between their village destinations. Since these mushers ventured out in most all kinds of weather, for safety reasons they found the idea that pilots rely on, known today as the flight plan. Word was relayed ahead that a musher and team were on the trail, and a kerosene lamp was lit and hung outside the roadhouse. It not only helped the dog driver find his destination at night, but more importantly, it signified that a team or teams were somewhere out on the trail. The lamp was not extinguished until the musher safely reached his destination.

In keeping with that tradition, the Iditarod Trail Committee will light a “Widow’s Lamp” at 10:00 a.m., on the first Sunday in March, in Nome at the trail’s end. This lamp, which will be attached to the Burled Arch, our official finish line, will remain lit as long as there are mushers on the trail competing in the race. When the last musher crosses the finish line, officials will extinguish the “Widow’s Lamp” signifying the official end of the Iditarod for that year.

All too often, public and media think of the race as being over when the winner crosses the finish line, yet there are still teams on the trail. Let it be remembered, Iditarod is not over until the last musher has reached Nome and is off the trail.

 {Dale extinguishing the lamp at the end of the race}

 {We even got to try snowshoeing again}