Pancakes provide fuel for Iditarod dreams

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Alaska Star

Kate Tracy

A local veteran's organization is hosting a fundraiser to help one rookie musher achieve his own veteran status.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9785 in Eagle River will host a pancake fundraiser 9 a.m. Saturday to help send Mike Suprenant of Chugiak to Nome in the 2007 Iditarod sled dog race.

Suprenant has been an Iditarod volunteer since he was stationed in Alaska as a U.S. Air Force avionics technician in 1998.

"I've been to some of the villages, and that was really cool, and I thought (the Iditarod) would be a great way to see the state," he said, adding that he loves the overall experience of being out on the trail and seeing a side of Alaska most never get a glimpse of.

Suprenant, who signed up as a rookie for the 2007 Iditarod, began mushing in 2000 and is a member of the Chugiak Dog Mushers.

"I really like the quiet," he said. "It is a challenge. I guess it is pretty hard, but I don't look at it that way. I think the most important thing is to keep the dogs happy and keep them doing it."

Suprenant, who houses 28 dogs in his kennel and is training 20 dogs for the Iditarod, said the goal for his rookie run is to get as many happy dogs across the finish line as possible.

"I'm not going to push anybody past where they can go," he said. "I'd like them all to get a positive experience out of it so I can have a stronger team next year."

Getting them across the finish line includes keeping them well fed along the way, which can be quite costly.

He estimated it costs about $20,000 to get through the race, which factors in some basic supplies like a sled-Suprenant bought an old one from Jeff King-but doesn't include annual kennel costs.

Suprenant said the dogs eat about $4,000 of the Iditarod budget, because that's what it costs to buy and ship 60 pounds of dog food to each checkpoint along the trail.

"I hope there's a good turnout," he said of the pancake fundraiser.

Meanwhile, his focus is on training and completing his qualifiers.

According to official race qualifying rules, rookie Iditarod mushers must complete the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race before signing up or complete two qualifying races totaling at least 500 miles with additional finish or time specifications.

Suprenant said he plans to run either the Klondike or Copper Basin 300 or the Don Bowers Memorial Sled Dog Race in January to qualify and is confident the team is up to the challenge.

"The team, so far this year, they're already doing almost double the mileage I was running them last year," he said, adding that he likes to run them on different trails to break up the monotony and vary the training.

"I emphasize keeping the speed up. I prefer to have them run hard, then rest, stick with that, and then when they mature a bit, run them longer and then they might possibly be able to step up into the league with some of these other guys, Jeff King, Doug Swingley," Suprenant said.

He added, "Everybody think snow. I think realistically that's the real critical thing. You can put a lot more miles on them and get them in better shape."

Suprenant separated from the Air Force in 2003 and works for the Corps of Engineers on Elmendorf Air Force Base when he's not driving the team.

He is one of three local mushers to sign up for the 35th Iditarod sled dog race.

Two veterans and one rookie from Chugiak-Eagle River entered the race, which begins with the ceremonial start in Anchorage March 3. A total of 87 mushers have signed up so far, according to the official Iditarod Web site, www.iditarod.com. Dec. 1 is the sign up deadline.

The race begins in downtown Anchorage and, if there's enough snow, travels to Eagle River for the ceremonial first leg. The competitive portion of the race begins March 4 in Wasilla.

This marks the 11th Iditarod run for veteran musher Jim Lanier, 66, of Chugiak. He placed 43rd as a rookie in 1979. Lanier, a pathologist, has been in the top 25 three times. This year, he finished 41st and had the honor of spreading the ashes of friend, Col. Norman Vaughan, along the trail.

Eric Rogers, 59, of Eagle River finished his 2006 rookie run in 68th place and is writing a manuscript recounting his experience titled "A Rookie's Journey," and subtitled "How a Theoretical Physicist Went to the Dogs in the Wilds of Alaska."

Rogers sent the manuscript to about 30 agents and publishers in July, and a local academic publisher recently asked to see it.