Iditarod Trail dogs played in Alaska's history, Redington and his friends created an epic sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ultimately revived dog mushing in Alaska and around the world. After years of effort by Redington and the Alaska Congressional delegation, the Iditarod was designated as a National Historic Trail in 1978. National Historic Trails commemorate major routes of exploration, migration, trade, communications, and military actions that formed America. Across America, only 16 trails have been honored as National Historic Trails. The Iditarod is the only Alaskan trail in the national system, and the only
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race expedition to the South Pole and competed in the only Olympic sled dog race, became lost for five days after leaving Rainy Pass and nearly died. The trail down Dalzell Gorge from the divide is regarded as the worst stretch of the trail. Steep and straight, it drops in elevation in just , and there is little traction so the teams are hard to control. Mushers have to ride the brake most of the way down and use a snow hook for traction. In 1988, rookie Peryll Kyzer fell through an ice bridge into a creek and spent the night