Sunday morning and Jason makes the short journey from his home in Wasilla to Willow Lake.
The real race starts here. Yesterday was great. The crowds, the ceremony, but today is the beginning of over a week of trekking across Alaska from here in Willow to Nome, a distance of almost 1000 miles.
Jason readies his sled again. He has some items that he must take, his mandatory items, which are a sleeping bag, an axe, snowshoes and eight booties for each dog.
These items are checked along the way and at the end of the race. Each musher must have these items with them.
The dogs are staked out again ready to be harnessed and bootied ready for the race. As yesterday, the mushers go out at two minute intervals. Jason wears bib #20, so will start 36 minutes behind bib #2, worn by Jessie Holmes.
Patrick Mackey helps with the dogs. Jason makes sure the sled is ready to go as the start time grows closer.
He says his goodbyes to friends, family and to his wife, Lisa, who he wont see for well over 9-10 days, depending on trail conditions etc.
Behind Jason’s sled he will be dragging a “caboose”, basically a small dog kennel on runners, which allow him to take a dog from the team and transport it to the next checkpoint if it is having problems running.
Mushers will be able to “drop” dogs at checkpoints. These for whatever reason are dogs that won’t be continuing in the race. They are flown back to Anchorage and looked after until the musher finishes the race and returns.
Jason’s sponsors, Sean and April Gilchrist, who are responsible for the graphics on Jason’s sled and truck, stand and watch the proceedings as Jason and his team of handlers get everything ready for him to get to the start line in time.
Jason’s dad, the legendary musher, Dick Mackey, is here in Willow to support his son on his first Iditarod since 2017.
Dick is also here representing the Mackey family as they pay tribute to this years Honorary Musher, Lance Mackey, Dick’s son and Jason’s brother.
Bronze sponsors, Rick and Dawn Ressler from Elk River in Minnesota are here again to support Team Top Notch.
Rick will be handling Jason’s team to the start line of this years Iditarod.
Spectators number in their thousands. They are all here to see the mushers leave the start chute one by one on their journey to Nome. Further down the trail, spectators have bbqs with hotdogs and beer as mushers pass them at almost 10 mph. This is not just a local community event, this is now a global newsworthy item.
Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach, chats to the assembled media and VIP guests who stand close to the start line.
Sponsors banners line the start. These include GCI, Northrim Bank, Air Transit, Donlin Gold, Harvest Midstream, Hilcorp, Bristol Bay, Lynden, Northern Air Cargo, Ryan Air, City of Nome, Capstone, Odom, Alaska Waste, Providence, AK Mining, Alaskan Brewing, Blood Bank of Alaska, Broadway Signs and Anchorage.
Without these sponsors the Iditarod would not happen. It is with their continued support that allows for this race to continue every year.
It’s race time, and the first musher leaves the start line. Bib #2 Jessie Holmes.
Other mushers leave the start chute, including grandson of the races founder, Ryan Redington, Richie Diehl, Matthew Failor and rookie, Eddie Burke Jr.
And then it’s Jason’s turn. Team Top Notch line up at the start. The dogs are hopping on their back legs, eager to get running.
Jason says his last goodbyes to his family and thanks his handlers for their help.
This is it. This is what the past year has been building up to. Bib #20 is about to start the 1000 mile trail to Nome.
Jason is on his way to Nome.
