Here’s installment number two in the Rookie Review series. These rookies all grew up in the lower 48 – Montana, Minnesota, Michigan and North Dakota. One has run the Jr. Iditarod, two are adventurers and one is a physical therapist. They have worked hard to learn the sport as well as the intricacies of dog care and are ready to head to Nome.
Charmayne Morrison learned about the Iditarod when growing up in Montana. She was fascinated and soon bought a sled. She harnessed her two dogs to the sled and that was the beginning of her life with dogs. While her kennel grew, so did her love for the amazing canine athletes. Morrison began mushing at the age of 14. She competed in the Jr. Iditarod as a high school senior.
Charmayne established Morrison Racing Kennel in 2014 with the goal of developing a mid and long distance racing team and eventually taking on the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest. Now she’s combined kennels with the Gregers of Anduril Kennels in Bozeman. She operates sled dog tours in Paradise, Montana. She has participated in the Montana Race to the Sky 300 and earned gold in the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown 8-dog Championship. Charmayne says her mushing highlight is developing the dogs that she has bred into race veterans. When there is time, she enjoys riding and back country camping with her horses.
Emily Ford of Duluth, Minnesota has always wanted to live in Alaska during the winter. To Emily, Alaska seemed to be the wildest place to go on untamed adventures. She headed to Alaska with her partner, Anna Hennessy, and landed at Shameless Huskies Kennel is Willow for Anna to pursue her dream of running the Iditarod. Emily fell in love with the dogs and the adventures of mushing but felt that being a handler was her as far as she’d go in the sport. After entering the Goose Bay I50, she realized that racing long distance might also be in her future. After completing the Copper Basin 300 and the Kobuk 440, Ford was Iditarod qualified.
Emily is an experience hiker with lots of miles on her hiking boots. In the winter of 2021 she solo hiked the 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail through Wisconsin. As she runs the Iditarod, her dream is to show that the outdoors is for everyone regardless of race, gender Identity or upbringing. She says, “Following in the footsteps of North Pole expeditioner Matthew Henson and Iditarod finishers Becca Moore, Newton Marshall and Ralph Bradley, I want to continue to represent black people in cold places.”
Samantha LaLonde, Michigan born and raised, was introduced to sled dogs while attending Northern Michigan University. She went with a friend to volunteer at the UP 200. That event coupled with her life-long love for dogs sent her down the slippery trail of falling in love with sled dogs and the sport of mushing. After graduating with a degree in Outdoor Recreation leadership and Management, Sam found her way to Alaska to pursue outdoor adventures.
Samantha has held a variety of jobs in the mushing world. She’s been a guide at Alaska Icefield Expeditions on the Mendenhall Glacier and for Spirit of the North Dog Sledding in Big Sky, Montana. She’s worked in Two Rivers at Ryno Kennel and ATAO Kennel and for Dallas Seavey Racing in Talkeetna. Samantha has completed the Willow 300, Copper Basin 300 and the Yukon Quest 300 to become Iditarod qualified.
Sydnie Bahl was born and raised in Minot, North Dakota. Bahl holds a doctorate in physical therapy. Wishing to pursue a life of adventure, Sydnie and her husband Nick moved to Alaska. After meeting Iditarod veteran Cindy Abbott and listening to amazing stories of mushing dogs and traveling the Iditarod trail, Bahl visited Dream a Dream Sled Dog Farm and toured the training facility with Abbott and Vern Halter, Dream a Dream owner/musher/mentor. Bahl was hooked and began working with Halter and Abbott the very next day.
Bahl has completed the Goose Bay 150, Copper Basin 300 and Yukon Quest 300 as Iditarod qualifiers. She recognizes how the sport preserves the cultural heritage of sled dogs in Alaska. Participating in races honors the lineage of the dogs and iconic mushers. Her journey is part personal passion and part respect for the canine athlete. Bahl enjoys nurturing and training the sled dogs who have an innate love for running and working as a team.
Comeback tomorrow to meet more of the rookies. As you ready for the start on Monday, March 3rd? Is your Insider subscription up to date? Do you have your race guide? Both are available at Iditarod.com.
