Accepting entries for the 2014 race

We are already receiving a flood of applications from race veterans. Veterans can sign up for the 2014 Iditarod Trail Invitational from April 1-7. New racers can mail or e-mail their application starting April 8.
After we fill the 55 roster with race veterans we will select the most qualified rookies for the 2014 event.
Kathi Merchant

August 8th

Our summer is going well in Alaska guiding wilderness trips all over the state. The fireweed is blooming and fall is in the air. Won't be long before we see the first snow flakes fall in Alaska. The 2013 race roster has been full since April with many racers on a waiting list. We are planning to make a few more changes to our website this fall and winter. Anyone with ideas or interest in helping us with a new map  or image gallery is welcome to send us an e-mail or call us.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Kathi Merchant

Entering the 2013 Iditarod Trail Invitational race

We will start accepting entries for the 2013 race starting April 1 for race veterans
( finishes in a previous year) and entries from new racers starting April 8.
Send us your race and winter resume by e-mail or call.
Kathi Merchant/race manager
more info: http://www.alaskaultrasport.com

2012 ITI news links.

Great coverage this year on the race. Most appeared in the Alaska Dispatch by Craig Medred, but also Frontiersman, News Miner and Capitol City Weekly had an article.

Alaska Dispatch articles:

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/iditarod-invitational-king-alaska-adventure-races-kicks-sunday

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/iditarod-invitational-fat-biker-carries-dads-ashes-toward-alaska-interior

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/slow-going-iditarod-trail-ultramarathon-cyclists-hikers

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/epic-snow-along-trail-defeats-iditarod-invitational-veterans

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/aging-attorney-limps-rainy-pass-leading-iditarod-invitational

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/human-powered-iditarod-foot-soldiers-put-fight-bikers-will-win-again

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/chase-finally-alaskas-iditarod-ultramarathon

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/iditarod-invitational-alaska-ultra-distance-running-legend-geoff-roes-leads-across-farewell-

Frontiersman:

http://www.frontiersman.com/sports/willow-endurance-runners-conquer-miles-of-iditarod-trail/article_7fb2d944-69b3-11e1-8ddf-0019bb2963f4.html

Fairbanks News Miner:

http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/17791903/article-Invitational-becomes-Idita-ordeal-for-Fairbanks-competitors-?instance=home_features_lead_story1

http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/17703734/article-Fairbanks-cyclists-pull-out-of-Iditarod-Trail-Invitational?

Capitol City Weekly:

http://capitalcityweekly.com/stories/030712/out_965513941.shtml

Huffington Post by Kirsten Dixon:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kirsten-dixon/a-humanpowered-race-throu_b_1304331.html

Great video by Mike Curiak of last year's race.

Check out Mike Curiak's video he made last year during the Invitational race traveling by bike himself.
2011 Iditarod Trail Invitational race video

Fan Packages at Winter Lake Lodge available in 2012

Winter Lake Lodge is offering fan packages at special rates for race fans for the 2012 Iditarod Trail Invitational. Fly out to this remote lodge and check point of the Invitational race and watch the racers come through. Check out dog mushing with Carl and enjoy Kirsten Dixon's award-winning cuisine. Contact WithinTheWild directly at:
info@withinthewild.com

Winter has arrived in Alaska

Winter has arrived in Alaska. While Alaska's coastal villages got pounded with winds and storm surges in the last few days,Southcentral received a significant amount of snow recently.Temperatures have been well below freezing at night and the rivers are starting to freeze up. Lakes are freezing over and Alaskans are getting excited about winter travel.

" Ice on the large lakes means that winter has come to Alaska. Ponds become meadows, lakes are landing strips and our rivers return to being highways." I am quoting John Schandelmeier, longtime Alaskan here in a recent article in the ADN.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/11/07/2159580/ice-on-lakes-means-winter-is-truly.html

And he is right. Winter time is the time to travel to places in Alaska otherwise out of reach in the summer months.

It is also the time we have our race on the Iditarod Trail. And with the arrival of winter we are getting excited about the race. For about two months of the year this imaginary line in the Alaskan landscape comes alive with mushers, racers,bikers, skiers, runners,dogs and snowmobiles on the trail. We are looking forward to this time of year.

The race roster has been full with a long list of qualified racers.

We still hava spaces left in our winter training camp from January 23-27, 2012.
Upon completion participants receive approval to enter the 2013 Iditarod Trail Invitational.

See you in Alaska this winter.

Kathi Merchant