It was Harry Truman, I believe, who said, If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. A fine idea. Dogs and men have been fellow travelers for thousands of years. And Truman’s acerbic notions of Washington’s social climate notwithstanding, dogs do make fine friends.
They also make fine transportation. Just ask the folks at the Iditarod. OR, better yet and closer to home, ask the folks in Jackson, Wyoming where, in just a few days, the 2007 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race will take place, attracting dog-sledding fans and mushers to this cold corner of the country. The race is the largest sled dog race in the lower 48 (Iditarod is bigger) and the route has been expanded this year and will take mushers ALL the way to Park City. Too bad those arriving with heavy-breathing canines will have missed Sundance.
This year’s race goes from January 26th through February 3rd with the race kick off at the Jackson Hole Winter Carnival, said to be a fun and bark-inducing event itself.