Mush!

Saturday saw the start of the World Sled Dog Championships over a 26 km track around Anchorage, starting in the Main Street and going out into the sticks, past the end of our road, and back to the town centre for the finish.

They don't actually shout Mush!, but they do call Haw! for left and Gee! for right. The shots show the start, the dogs coming along the trail at the end of our road, and on the way home. Note the sign at the top of the 3rd picture to remind the dogs what becomes of the slow runners! Anchorage's finest were also on patrol to issue tickets to every dog sled that went through the red light.

This was the celebration of the 75th Fur Rondy (rendezvous), when the trappers used to come in to the town with their winters catch to flog them in a huge fur auction. Furs were the reason that Russia took an interest in Alaska in the 19th century, and they thought they had pulled a fast one when they sold Alaska to the USA for $7million, as they thought the fur resources were depleted. What a different world it would have been if Russia had all the oil that Alaska has produced.

Alan