Day 70
   
   7/6/01
   Mile 5002
   Iditarod Race Headquarters, Wasilla, AK
   
   Blue sky this morning - I could finally get out of Talkeetna, now that
   the rain had stopped.  I climbed the shallow hill at the edge of town,
   and headed south with the view of Denali in my rear view mirror.  Who
   knows how long it would be before I saw it again?
   
   I spent an easy day cycling in the sun before coming to Wasilla.  I
   had intended to stay at the hostel here, but they were full, so I went to
   the Iditarod HQ instead to look around.  The Iditarod got started, in
   a way, in 1925 when an outbreak of diphtheria threatened the city of
   Nome, and a relay of dog mushers raced serum hundreds of miles to the town
   doctor.  Then in 1973 an annual race was held to commemorate the
   event, and now covers about a 1,000 mile course.
   
   There is also an annual event held here called the "Iditasport" where
   contestants depart just after the Iditarod mushers and attempt to
   cover the same route either on foot - or by *mountain bike*....hmmmm.
   
   Back in the days before snowmobiles, when sled dogs ruled the method
   of transport, the original course sported roadhouses conveniently spaced
   about a day's travel apart.  This allowed mushers a place to stop for
   the night for a warm bed.  But dogs required constant maintenance;
   daily feeding and care, plus the need to stockpile large amounts of food to
   last through the winter.  A snowmobile could be neglected for months
   without detriment, and eventually replaced dogs.  Now, of course,
   those pitstops have fallen into ruin since most long-distance traffic is by
   bush plane.
   
   After exploring the small museum, I went to campground behind it and
   set up my tent - just as it started to rain, again.

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