Iron Dog 2024: Ambassador Team reaches Nome as Pro Class leaders expect to arrive at halfway point
NOME, Alaska (KTUU) - The first Iron Dog snowmachine to defrost in the Nome garage Monday did not belong to a Pro Class contender who had trekked through the Western Alaskan wilderness at speeds upwards of 100 mph, but rather to an Ambassador Team member who had spent the last 1,000 or so miles visiting various checkpoints and sharing their appreciation of what these communities do for the race.
Among the Ambassador Team members is DeeDee Jonrowe, who has pulled into Nome on a sled before — 32 times actually, as a perennial Iditarod finisher.
However, rather than trotting in with a team of sled dogs, she pulled in with her thumb on the throttle of an Iron Dog sled; a piece of machinery that cannot be mistaken with her signature pink get-up.
“This has been a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal,” Jonrowe said Monday after taking off her helmet. “It has everything that the Iditarod throws at you, only in an Iron Dog way that is just different.”
Jonrowe made stops along the same checkpoints along the Iron Dog trail she made during her mushing career where she was able to reconnect with the community. The two historic races across Alaska share similarities such as the route and the way it tests one’s durability and endurance.
“They don’t get a lot of sleep either, they’re not getting a lot of rest,” she added. “They’re physically challenged to manhandle these machines. I might be able to manhandle a sled, but that and the sled are two different things.”
Jonrowe said this year’s ride will likely be a one-and-done for her, but gave credit to the teams.
“I might be like a vet for a dog team but these guys are like rock star mechanics too,” she said. “There is so much to this sport other than riding, which I also had challenges with.”
For former Iron Dog racer Cory Davis, Nome typically served as the halfway point of the 2,500-mile race, but as an ambassador this year, he can just enjoy the ride while getting a chance to embrace the communities he either blew through or slept through as a competitor.
“I’ve always wanted to do this, go for a ride and check it out,” the 2017 Iron Dog champion said. “A lot of times when I am coming into the [checkpoints] there is no energy left, I don’t have a whole lot to say, I just really want a bed, so it’s been a lot of fun to enjoy it and be able to chat with people.”
For current Pro Class teams, top racers are expected to arrive in Nome Tuesday afternoon after being released from Kotzebue in the morning, while Wrench Day and the halfway banquet are set for Wednesday.
Follow the Iron Dog trail through tracker on the official Iron Dog website.
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