2005 Iditarod

The ceremonial start of the 33rd annual Iditarod dog sled race across the U.S. state of Alaska began in Anchorage on March 5, 2005 at 10 AM AKST (19:00 UTC), and restarted in Willow the next day at 2 PM (23:00 UTC). After covering 1,161 miles (1,868 km)http://www.iditarod.com/trailinfo/racemileage.php?id=3 of wilderness, musher Robert Sørlie, an airport firefighter from Norway, crossed the finish line under the "burled arch" in Nome on March 16 at 8:39 AM AKST (17:39 UTC). After taking care of his dogs, and an inspection to make sure all the mandatory equipment was in his sled, Sørlie was declared the winner by Race Marshal Mark Norman, with a time of 9 days, 18 hours, 39 minutes, and 31 seconds and won USD $72,066.67 and a new truck. When asked how it felt to win a second time, Sørlie said "it feels good, I'm ready for breakfast"http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=sportsNews&storyID=7924830, live on the Alaska superstation. His team of dogs averaged 4.65 mi/h (7.58 km/h). The Red Lantern in last was Phil Morgan, an Alaska Airlines pilot, and when he crossed the finish line on March 21 at 8:02 PM AKST (March 22, 5:02 UTC), the Widow's Lantern hanging on the burled arch was extinguished, which signalled the end of the race.

March 7: Alaska Range

The heat and soft snow slowed the race, and the glare off the snow was blinding during the dayhttp://www.cabelasiditarod.com/coverage_2005/cov05_mar08_03.html.

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Finger Lake:http://www.iditarod.com/raceupdates/racecheckpoint.php?id=30 Melanie Gould arrived first at Finger Lake on March 8 at 5:38 AM, followed by Hendricks at 5:50 AM, and then Swenson and Jonrowe an hour later. Dallas Seavey was the last to arrive at 6:59 PM. Jonrowe was the first depart, at 7:02 AM, followed by Swenson a minute later, and Lance Mackey, Mike Williams, Robert Sørlie, and Buser within the hour. The top 10 (15) departed within 2 hours, and the top 30 within four hours.

Related Topics:
Finger Lake - March 8

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Happy Valley Gorge leading up to Rainy Pass is hazardous in regular years, but in 2005 the trail conditions were miserable, especially for the mushers at the back. Snowmobiles threw up frozen wakes, and the leading dogsleds riddled the trail with potholes, some more than 3-foot (1 m) deep.

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Other notable crashes on the way to Rainy Pass:

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• "Visual interpreter" Paul Ellering lost two-way communication with Scdoris when his radio was destroyed in a crash.http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/6250967p-6128087c.html http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/6254053p-6131360c.html http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/6250940p-6128067c.html http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/6250940p-6128071c.html http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/6250967p-6128087c.html
• Jacques Philips caught his hand between a tree and the handle bar on his sled while coming up Happy Valley Gorge. His hand was either broken or dislocated, and required medical treatment so Philips scratched in Rainy Pass on March 7. In 1985, Philip became the first French musher to race in the Iditarod, and is a three-time winner of the European Alpirod dog sled race.http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/6250967p-6128087c.html (pdf)
• Judy Merrit fell and was knocked unconscious while traversing the Happy Valley Gorge. She remained at Rainy Pass lodge for two days, before scratching on March 9, citing a concussion, persistent headaches, and fatigued dogs. (pdf) http://www.trailriverhuskies.com/ http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw112760_20050309.htm http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/more/03/09/iditarod.wednesday.ap/ http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/6250940p-6128071c.html http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/6250967p-6128087c.html http://www.canada.com/sports/story.html?id=2592489a-ff8f-41e1-aba9-802140c2c376 She later said "the steps and the gorge are my dragon".http://www.ktuu.com/CMS/templates/master.asp?articleid=12364&zoneid=8

Rainy Pass:http://www.iditarod.com/raceupdates/racecheckpoint.php?id=31 While making the long climb to the Rainy Pass Lodge on Puntilla Lake, DeeDee Jonrowe hit a snowmobile sitting on the trail, and sheared off a bolt connecting the runner to her sled.http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050308/APS/503080888 She still arrived first, on March 7 at 10:27 AM. Dallas Seavey, the last to arrive at 10:53 AM the next day, lost two runners on the way in. Former runner-up Ramy Brooks was the first to depart, at 12:11 PM, but nobody else left within the next two hours. The top 10 all left within 6 hours, and the top 30 within 8 hours.

Related Topics:
Rainy Pass - March 7

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From the lodge, the route crosses through Rainy Pass in the Alaska Range, then descends into the Interior. A helicopter observed a woman crashing multiple times along the steep descent known as the Dalzell Gorge.http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7143464/

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Rohn:http://www.iditarod.com/raceupdates/racecheckpoint.php?id=32 Sørlie starts to set the pace across the Interior. He is the first to arrive in Rohn, on March 7 at 7:08 PM, followed by Buser almost two hours later. Brooks is again the first to depart, at 10:42 PM, as the early leaders start to pull away from the pack. The top 10 depart in 6 hours, and the top 30 in about 9 hours.

Related Topics:
Rohn - March 7

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On the way to Nikolai, Swingley broke a runner and lost a pad on his sled while negotiating the wildfire badlands of the Farewell Burnhttp://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/6254053p-6131367c.html. Scdoris suffered scratches and a large bruise on her hip after crashing into a tree, after her snow hook snagged on the ground.http://www.adn.com/front/story/6261908p-6138765c.html http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1111230395317980.xml

Related Topics:
Wildfire - Badland - Snow hook

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Sonny Lindner from Michigan became the third to scratch on March 8, citing health problems. Lindner was the 1984 winner of the Yukon Quest.(pdf)

Related Topics:
March 8 - Yukon Quest

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