Mushers home in Nome--part 1

A much needed rest in the sun after
crossing the finish-line in Nome.

Well it has been a grueling and exciting race for the 66 mushers that started the Iditarod race on March 4th.  As part of our lesson on obedience we decided to follow a musher and see what it takes to care for the dogs and what was needed to cross the finish-line.

Both Josh and Shelby chose a musher to follow.  We read books about the Iditarod and watched a few movies to get an idea of what it would be like.  The movie Balto tells the story of the first run across the Alaska terrain to Nome to bring much needed medicine to the children of Nome sick with a deadly diphtheria epidemic in 1925.
Today, the Iditarod runs the 1049 miles from Anchorage to Nome commemorating the run with the medicine, helping to keep the tradition of dog sledding alive and encouraging good sportsmanship and care for the animals.

During the race the kids would check-in at each check-point as their musher arrived.  They had to hey would read an email "from their musher", and then answer questions to help their musher to the next check-point.  The had to figure out how many times the city of Kink fit into their town; how many skyscrapers it would take to reach Mt. McKinley and then make a banner to welcome them to Finger Lake.  

The made their own igloos.




They had to figure out what would be needed if their teacher were to run in the race next year and make a list or write a story about their teacher on the trail.  We looked a Inuit art and they had to sculpt their own carvings.  (They made cameras to take pictures of their musher crossings the finish line.
   

Josh constructed a sled.


And everyday they checked on their musher.....