It’s crunch time. Yesterday began with a 6:30am departure from the office to set up for the Musher’s Meeting at the Millenium Hotel. Finding mushers and getting them to sit for their portrait this time of year, so close to the Iditarod race start, is a bit like herding cats. However, all portraits were captured!

The 2014 Iditarod mushers pose for an official group portrait as fans and Idit-A-Riders grab snaps with their iPhones and Ipads at the Millenium Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska.
After the Mushers Meeting, there was much running around including: cleaning of camera gear, charging batteries, preparing ExxonMobile posters for distribution on Saturday morning, editing images from the day, etc. Then it was onward to the Mushers Banquet at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center. The place was packed with fans, Idit-A-Riders, sponsors, mushers, mushers’ family members, and a few celebrities and governors. The energy in the building was electric.

Current Alaska Governor Sean Parnell with former Governors, Murkowski, Sheffield and Palin at the musher’s banquet drawing at the Dena’ina Convention Center

Hobo Jim enterains Iditarod fans during the dinner portion of the musher’s banquet drawing at the Dena’ina Convention Center in Anchorage
A 10:00pm return to the office is a fairly short day this time of year.