The three-time champion from Big Lake settled for second place this time. The runner-up prize of $50,000 is nice, and Buser thinks the finish may have prevented him from seeking costly psychoanalysis.

"The money I saved not going to a shrink these last nine days, maybe I'm money ahead," he said.

Buser, 40, crossed the finish line on Front Street shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday, about 8 hours and 40 minutes after winner Doug Swingley of Lincoln, Mont. Buser's official time was 9 days, 23 hours, 10 minutes.

After being forced to drop four of his 16 dogs from the starting lineup within the first 300 miles of the 1,100-mile marathon, Buser doubted he would finish at all.

"I was in trouble between Rohn and Nikolai," said Buser. "When I was sitting at the Salmon River (about 10 miles outside of the Nikolai checkpoint), I didn't know if I was going to make it to McGrath."

Nome was still nearly 800 miles away.

Buser huddled with his dogs near the trail, and a new team leader emerged. Kira, a dog who'd never led before, took the team all the way to Nome.

"She's a funny little dog," said Buser. "I knew she had leader capabilities."

She had to grow into them in a hurry. First, Kira had to learn that a wooden lath marked the trail. Then she had to learn not to run right into it.

"She's a bit of an airhead," said Buser.

Buser thinks he lost so many dogs early in the race because he overtrained them.

He seemed more frazzled at the finish than ever. Covered with freshly fallen snow, Buser said he pedaled, poled with his ski poles and ran as much as he could to help his shrunken dog team. At one point, he was so discouraged he didn't want to call home for fear that contact with loved ones might prompt him to scratch.

Instead, he persevered and recorded his sixth finish of third or higher since 1991.

"The Iditarod is a soul-searching experience," said Buser, one of only three mushers to have won the race since 1992.

This is Swingley's second triumph; he first won in 1995. Buser won in 1992, 1994 and 1997. Jeff King of Denali Park won in 1993, 1996, and 1998.

"We are three guys who are doing whatever it takes to win," said Swingley, 45, whose victory made him the oldest champion. Dick Mackey, the 1978 winner, was five months younger.

Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage, Alaska
Friday
March 19, 1999