March the 20th: Celebrating the Teams and Their stories from the trail

Awards for the Musher's Banquet-before they were awarded. Cups get given to the first 30 finishers; outstanding care of teams; sportmanship; best vet care;the yellow harnesseswere won by Velvet and Snickers of Baker's team; rookies that finish receive a belt buckle-somehow this was omitted from Angies Packet (see above)

This is our celebratory breakfast, complete with reindeer sausage and lots of calories!
Right March 22nd pick up of the team

It was so nice to know that Team Taggart was resting, eating and enjoying finishing the Iditarod- we all got together for breakfast at the Polar Cafe and enjoyed each other's company after feeding and walking and massaging the doggies. I looked into their eyes and thanked them each for a job well done. Now Pepe and Riot had joined the group from the Dodge Lodge. The dropped doggies west of Unalakleet were back with their team! There were some quiet shy ones, like Allison-there were some opera singers...and some regal ones like Carmack. Many wore their coats against the cold. Others curled tightly in their hay. We switched the dog houses against the prevailing wind so that snow would not build up in the entrances, they seemed to appreciate that.

It was a cold and rough night-the winds whipped the ground level and the arctic songs whirled in the air. Early this morning the last two teams arrived safely under the arch-before you knew it, the 39th running of the last Great Race was done. The widow's lantern would be extinguished at the banquest set for later that might at the recreation center (center court for the basketball hoops) and the last finisher received the red lantern award. Ellen Halverson, who had received the red lantern last year, was still humble.

Angie admitted to hardly sleeping- hardto readjust from the trail I would bet-but we were all jubilant to be with her and continued the congratulatory praises with a short toast " TO THE SPIRITS OF ANIMALS AND PEOPLE, MAY THEY CONTINUE FOREVER". At which point I told Angie I would be working on an epic poem for her and the team. She liked that.

It was that evening we attended the Musher's Banquet-wow, what an event-dog leds filled with strawberries-king crab legs, baked halibut,and prime rib. I nearly became comatose after eating. The sweets groaned on the tables behind us. Angie received an envelope with her official time and she talked at the podium about her experiences. It was a time to thank family, friends, colleagues, and sponsors. It was a blast!