Junior Mushers and a Glimpse of the Aurora
It has been so quiet around the house since Kayla and Colt left us. I’ve found myself sitting in silence and wishing for interaction with another adult when Steve is at work, or the sound of little boy laughter. I’ve looked through the photographs I took while they were visiting, and relived the happy moments several times. It was a great visit.
This past weekend, the Junior North American Championship Races were held at the Jeff Studdert race grounds at Mushers Hall. This is one of my favorite events of the year, because the mushers are cute kids! I especially enjoy the first competition, as that’s when the littlest mushers take to their sleds and are towed by one dog around the short track. Some of these children are only 3 years old, and they are so adorable!
When we first arrived (Lisa went with me), I recognized a little girl as being one of the first little mushers I watched back in 2005 - when she was only 3. I didn’t attend the race in 2006 or 2008 (we were in Homer in 2008), but saw her again in 2007. And here she was again - still racing, but this time encouraging her little sister. (I’m assuming it was her sister, as they looked very much alike and came from the same vehicle)
There were a few tumbles from the sleds, but the children were so bundled up in winter gear that no one was hurt. It did result in a few entertaining and comical moments to see sleds tip, and dogs take off running - sometimes not in the right direction. All in all, it was a really fun day! We stayed until the 2-dog race was complete. The children driving those sleds were older - I estimate them to be about 7 to 10 years old, but I’m not certain. There isn’t any information about this race on the Junior Musher Association website, to confirm my estimate.
