The Iditarod is over. Jeff King pulled into Nome early Wednesday morning and, by so doing, he pulled off his fourth Iditarod win.
The racers were out in some brutal temperatures this year. They like it cold–frozen snow doesn’t bog you down like wet, mushy snow does and the dogs don’t get overheated when it’s cold. But 40 degrees below? That’s a little nippy even for Iditarod mushers.
Thinking of the Iditarod has got me thinking of some of the mushers who have won their way into our hearts over the years.
Libby Riddles, the first woman to win, took a drastic risk and raced into a storm when the other racers had packed it in to wait out weather. She writes about her mushing career in a children’s book–Storm Run.
There are many Iditarod books you might enjoy:
- Dogs of the Iditarod, by Jeff Schultz
- The Great Serum Race : Blazing the Iditarod Trail written by Debbie S. Miller and illustrated by Jon Van Zyle
- Akiak : A Tale from the Iditarod and Togo both by Robert J. Blake
- Balto and the Great Race by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
- The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford
The book I’d like to highlight today, though, is written by Susan Butcher, a four-time winner of the Iditarod, now retired. She’s had two children’s books written about her, Susan Butcher and the Iditarod Trail by Ellen M. Dolan Susan, and Susan Butcher, Sled Dog Racer by Ginger Wadsworth. But now Susan has written a book, herself.
She’s chosen to self-publish Granite. I’m not sure why. I suspect it is her pioneering spirit that drives her, because I can’t imagine any publisher turning her down. She’s the darling of Alaskans, a great public speaker, a hard-working woman, and now she’s fighting leukemia. I have not read her book (It’s not out yet) and I have no information on the illustrator, but I am looking forward to seeing what Butcher has come up with. I’m interested, because everything she does, she seems to do with gusto. Not a bad way to live.
technorati tag—Susan Butcher
technorati tag—Iditarod
Following the Iditarod tangent. I read an article in today’s sports section about the race. Interestingly the winner and the second place finisher are over 50. The third place guy is 49. As reported in the article, experience counts. That was interesting for this 50+ writer! ; D
Becky