The first two Iditarod Races were the only two to ever go the whole distance from Anchorage to Nome completely by dog power. All other Iditarods have included a lift by truck from a pickup area either at Eagle River or near Anchorage for a restart at one of several trailheads up in the Mat-Su Valley, in the early years at Knik Lake, later in Wasilla, and now at Willow, where snow is pretty much guaranteed.
The following is part of my account of the first day of the first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ever, the trailblazing run. The full account is related in my book, TRAILBREAKERS Pioneering Alaska’s Iditarod, Volume II, The Most Daring Iditarod Adventure of All Time, Founding The Last Great Race on Earth. I set down the route of that first race in some detail so that when we pioneers are gone, there will be a record for race history buffs and documentarians.