Wednesday, April 12, 2017

More Tudor Crossing Photots

If you have seen one team go by you've seen them all?? Maybe to the jaded Anchorage residents but not to me. Every bunch of dogs looked a bit different and how they watched the spectators, took the sharp turn just past my vantage point and of course the mushers--their stance on the sled, their response to the crowds, and overall demeanor--there were no two alike. I just wish I could identify each and every team, but I can't. I'm not a pro photographer and my eyes were not the best that day so I felt lucky to get the level of shots I managed. I got the greater part of the women, pure luck! There was no way to quickly identify most of the mushers and teams. I could not always read the bib numbers, much less record them! So in some cases, my best guess--the numbers get fuzzy the longer you squint!

Bib 32 Hans Gatt

Bib 34 Jeff King

Bib 36, Allen Moore
(Mr. Aliy) SPK

Bib 37 Jessie Royer (5th w/ all16 dogs!)
Bib 52 Katherine Keith

Bib 56 Melissa Stewart (?)

Bib 58 Monica Zappa

Bib 73 Kristy Berington

Monday, April 10, 2017

At Tudor Crossing-Ceremonial Start

I want to get to some of the best parts! As I mentioned, I went along with some trail guards out to an area called Tudor Crossing. I took as many pictures as I could, trying to get every single musher. I did miss a few, some along in the 20s when I changed my vantage point and then three or four when the batteries suddenly failed in my camera--and of course one I missed was Aliy! Darn Murphy's Law!

I've gone through all of them and tried to enlarge to the point where I could read the bib number and identify the musher. For some it is impossible but I have positively identified quite a few. Those are some that I will share here.  The first shot is the area before the racers reached there and later I show the map that marks the route in Anchorage The rest are identified with bib number and/or name.

In most cases the mushers ran less than the full sixteen dogs. It is hard to control a very large team with the crowds, traffic etc so it is safer so most are running about a dozen. Also many use a second sled hitched behind the main one. Called a "tag sled" this also adds some drag, lets a handler or friend ride along and just allows a bit more fun.  All that is not done in the official race and there, most mushers start with the full sixteen dogs. You can drop one or more but not add any dogs once the race is underway. Cindy was one of the first I caught at the better vantage point, which is about where the trail appears in the  middle right of the other photographs. I will post some more on a separate entry shortly so I don't overload one section.

The diagonal line R toL is the trail.
Bib 31 Cindy Abbott (Red Ltrn)
Bib 20 Karin Hendrickson

Bib 15 Martin Buser(4 time champ)
Bib 16, Mitch Seavey ('17 winner) 
Deedee Jonrowe with her pink
Bib #22