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Iditarod party, Alaska Style

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Posted

You've got to love Alaska for knowing how to maximize our carbon footprint at a sled dog race. I flew out to Long Lake in Willow today to meet up with a bunch of friends and watch the official start of the Iditarod. It was great fun, bonfires, smorgasboard of food, all kinds of vehicles from airplanes, helicopters, airboats, snowmachines, 4 wheelers, you name it! Usually about 6 planes in the air at any one time and snowmachines going everywhere, but folks were pretty cautious all in all. Until about the time all the dog teams had gone through. It's just not a party without Life Flight you know. Unfortunately one guy had a little too much and bit it big time right near my plane as I was getting ready to take off. He went over the handlebars and got partially run over by his sled; busted ribs, broken nose and who knows what else. He was conscious and insisted that he didn't need any medical help; just need help so he could stand up. I guess he wasn't hurting bad enough yet and needed some help to be sure he could identify all the places with broken bones. Pretty amazing what shock and alcohol can do to our view of reality in these situations.

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Posted

Looks like a fun time to get together, but snow machines and booze can be a real problem sometimes. Rumor has it that same guy was involved in another life and death emergency last year too.

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Posted

Randy, wish I could have been there! looks like it was GREAT weather and a great day to be flying!

No Doug, that was me 2 yrs ago :lmao:

I am not going to cast any stones at the alcohol and snowmachine thing... I spent 2 great weeks at the cabin indulging a bit more than I should have and there just seems to be something about the cabin that makes alcohol, the bonfire and snowmachines just come together... after all, the fire pit needed to be dug out cause it was under 3' of snow.. that snow just has to go some place right? Me thinks a single large pile of snow with a nice angled face seems to be logical. After the logs are stacked, the fire is lit and the flames are 10-15' high it only seems logical to us that there needs to be a snowmachine flying through those flames :lol: Note to self.. there is a reason why the pros also have a LANDING ramp..

:BC:

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Posted

Man I need to get up there for some of this. I've been following that race since I was a kid. Very cool you were able to get there for the start. Thanks for the pics Randy!

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Posted (edited)

Man I need to get up there for some of this. I've been following that race since I was a kid. Very cool you were able to get there for the start. Thanks for the pics Randy!

Joey,

If you ever get to Anchorage, there is a narrow, curved, green painted bridge that goes across Tudor Blvd.

It was put there for the dogsleds to cross the busy 4-lane street. Think it cost $4 million? - They like their dog races!

ED in MO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

You've got to love Alaska for knowing how to maximize our carbon footprint at a sled dog race. I flew out to Long Lake in Willow today to meet up with a bunch of friends and watch the official start of the Iditarod. It was great fun, bonfires, smorgasboard of food, all kinds of vehicles from airplanes, helicopters, airboats, snowmachines, 4 wheelers, you name it! Usually about 6 planes in the air at any one time and snowmachines going everywhere, but folks were pretty cautious all in all. Until about the time all the dog teams had gone through. It's just not a party without Life Flight you know. Unfortunately one guy had a little too much and bit it big time right near my plane as I was getting ready to take off. He went over the handlebars and got partially run over by his sled; busted ribs, broken nose and who knows what else. He was conscious and insisted that he didn't need any medical help; just need help so he could stand up. I guess he wasn't hurting bad enough yet and needed some help to be sure he could identify all the places with broken bones. Pretty amazing what shock and alcohol can do to our view of reality in these situations.

My brother and I went to the Iditarod in 2008 with a friend from Anchorage,then I got 3hrs of ski flying with Don Lee.

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