Two promising young woman mushers have pulled out of the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Sigrid Ekran, 29, of Norway, the 2007 rookie of the year who was even faster last year in her second race, was one of four mushers to scratch by the noon Wednesday deadline for mushers to withdraw and get their entire $4,000 Iditarod entry fee refunded.

Also sitting out the race will be Silvia Willis of Deshka Landing, who finished 26th in 2007 as the third rookie across the Nome finish line. Had Willis been four seconds faster over the course from Anchorage to Nome that year, she would have beaten the Iditarod's all-time winningest musher, Rick Swenson, in her debut.

Willis, 34, who was born and raised in Switzerland, finished 26th as a rookie and 22nd in her second race seven months ago. She and her husband Andy operate the Deshka River Lodge.

Andy Willis raced in 1996 and 1998, with 28th his best finish.

Before Ekran mounted the sled runners herself, she followed the trail to update the Web site of Team Norway, a collection of Norwegian mushers headed by two-time champion Robert Sorlie.

Kotzebue musher Louis Nelson helped Ekran prepare for her rookie race. She lived in a remote cabin in Eureka outside of Fairbanks, which used to be the home of the late Susan Butcher, before the 2008 race.

Trude Paulsson, the head of media relations for Team Norway, said by phone that Ekran could not race next year because her visa expires at the end of the month.

"She intended to get a new one," Paulsson said, "but Sigrid didn't have all her sponsors in place. She wasn't secure enough for the U.S. goverment to issue her a visa."

Ekran could not be reached for comment.

Instead of the Iditarod, Paulsson said Ekran will race in several of Norway's biggest races.

"She's definitely keen on coming back to Alaska for the 2010 season," Paulsson said.

After March's Iditarod, Ekran joined another sled dog expedition, teaming with veteran explorer Will Steger and five other dog drivers from three different countries on an exploration across Ellesmere Island to document global warming.

"The melting they saw was more dramatic than what's been observed," Paulsson said. "They hadn't predicted the old ice would have borken up and pushed into the shore. They had to use ice axes to hack their way through, (but they eventually) had to turn and go back."

Also withdrawing from the 2009 Iditarod:

• William Pinkham of Colorado, who's finished five Iditarods, placing as high as 31st.

• Rick Horstmann of Willow, who would have been a rookie.

Two other mushers signed up. Gary Paulsen, the 69-year-old author of children's books, had previously signed up and then dropped out before getting back in the race on Wednesday, said Chas St. George, the Iditarod's director of public relations.

Tim Hunt, a rookie from Michigan, joined the field too.

For the 2009 race, the Iditarod entry fee was raised to $4,000 and thus far 68 mushers are entered. That's a significant drop from the record 96 mushers who left Anchorage Fourth Avenue start line on March 1.