Chaos of the Pre-Race.

• Before start of race - everyone - flustered - last minute checks/details.
• The plan: all participating mushers + dogs brought to town center Anchorage on 1st saturday of March - leave - two minute intervals.
• about 12 - 14 hundred dogs.
• mushers/dogs came 2 days prior - attened meetings - discuss trail, what gears allowed (by rule - require actic sleeping bag, good parka, two day supple - food - dog+musher, candy bars, two day worth - dog booties, first aid kit, spare batteries, axe, snowshoes).
• Need to travel prepared but light - something Paulsen didn't understand then.
• Paulsen told "no rookie should start the Burn after dark" - area where trees burnt by forest fire - just after Rohn River checkpoint - 100 miles - falling wood/ashes.
• Paulsen told - watch out for "suckholes" - frozen whirlpools - some huge.
• Paulsen ask so many questions - people start to stare.
• Iditarod - no one to make a trail for you or really help you - at times - all on your own.
• tradition - night before race - banquet - all mushers must go - lasted untill 3am.
• Given maps/instructions - starts/directions.
• Morning of race - rare sunny day - Anchorage, Alaska - admire beauty of mountins with lead dog Cookie - his closest/most trustworthy dog.
• Start: TV/Media crews, thousands - people and dogs, crammed - Fourth Street.
• Dogs barking, excited - loud, teams leaving one by one.
• Switched lead dogs - Cookie switched to Wilson (who has lead and raced before).
• Dogs too excited - started 2 seconds too soon.
• Instead of following road out of Anchorage, Wilson refuse to turn - race through city, ripping through yards/garbage cans/roads, couldn't stop - crashed into things - stopped, turned around, tried to find way back on track.
• Later discussed/laughed about.
• Cookie sniffed - took shortcut through town - back on track, after 4 1/2 hours - first checkpoint - met by handlers/Ruth.