For Team Kaiser’s eighth run to Nome, we will be looking for Number 25!
The Denai’na Center in Anchorage was filled to the brim last night with Mushers, Fans, Sponsors, and Organizers to begin the festivities for the 2017 Iditarod Trail Race. Pete was joined by his sponsors, Donlin Gold, Lynden, Ryan Air, and Northern Air Cargo for the event as well as his family and friends.
The annual Mushers Banquet draws everyone together to watch Mushers choose their position from the Official Mukluk. 72 Mushers are signed up and they drew positions based on when they signed up for the race. There were actually two drawings last night. If a musher signed up on the first day, they got to draw from positions 1 through 45 (45 mushers signed up on day one). The remaining mushers got to choose what was left (positions 46-72).
Pete drew right in the middle of the first group as did Richie Diehl, who drew bib 21.
This should be a pretty good spot for the first section of the race, which I heard from several people is loaded with snow. Mushers nearer the front could be breaking trail and mushers further back will be running in softer conditions that have been broken up by the teams in front. It will all be dependent on what happens in the next few days as the trail could setup harder due to the very cold night time temperatures they are seeing right now on the upper Yukon.
If you are in Anchorage join us for the largest celebration of Sled Dog racing in the world tomorrow morning at the Iditarod Ceremonial Start. It will be a little chilly, but totally worth it!
Our Prime Sponsor Donlin Gold will be there with a Facebook Live session at 9:45am, so be sure to catch that as well.
Here are the photos from the Musher’s Banquet:
