Yesterday I got asked what my dogs did after I finished the race last year – I finished on Saturday morning, my dogs and I flew home on Wednesday after the banquet. So what did we do for three days? We gave dog sled rides! My host family, the Owens family, does dog sled rides for volunteers and fans while they’re in Nome. My dogs were super happy to be able to stretch their legs on a short 2-mile loop the day after finishing the race, and the next few days after that. And it was extra fun for the volunteers to be pulled by dogs that had just finished the race.

I also had some dogs that finished the race two years ago with another musher, and after he finished I took all of my girls on long daily walks down to the sea ice and back – pretty fun to feel how strong they are just a day after finishing the Iditarod, the dogs are in the best shape of their lives and they have so much fun exploring Nome!

So that’s what sled dogs can do after they finish the Iditarod, before they fly home!