A frosty Mike Ellis brought his sensational Sibes into the Gold Coast community of Unalakleet shortly after the sun rose on Monday morning. When the dogs were parked, Ellis took off booties and let the dogs roll around on the snow for a bit to cool off. Once Mike put straw down, the huskies including …
Team Baker, both John Baker and Katherine Keith bootie in a similar and very unique manner. The dog lays on its back and extends all four feet into the air. The musher slips the booties on and secures the elastic velcro all while looking at the belly and chest for harness rub. Kill two birds …
Monica Zappa stretched each and every dog and then spent time massaging all her athletes while on the required 24-hour rest in McGrath. She’s big on going the extra mile in dog care and the dogs love the special attention. Born to Run, Sanka
Look at this handsome pair of athletes at the front of Monica Zappa’s team. She’s been raising a competitive team since moving to Kasilof in 2010. Growing up in Cumberland, Wisconsin Monica has been around sled dogs most of her life. Both parents have run the long distance John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon from Duluth, …
The ceremonial start offers great opportunities to photograph mushers and dogs. Sometimes the dogs are doing goofy things. Take for example this pair of Alaska Huskies. They provide a new definition for “wheel dog” as they sit patiently awaiting their turn under the start banner. In the mushing world, wheel dogs are the canines hitched …
How crazy is it that you can be right in the middle of all the Iditarod action but not know what’s happening along the trail? I’ve worked as a communications specialist at Skwentna Checkpoint for eight years and the same has been true for all eight years. The race runs through the checkpoint sitting below …
Thank you Brent Sass! Sounds strange to say thanks to a guy who wisely withdrew from the Iditarod after sustaining a head injury during the Yukon Quest. Sass and Allen Moore were on track for an exciting finish. Prior to the finial checkpoint of the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest, Sass and Moore were playing leapfrog on …
There are words that sound alike but are spelled differently. They are called homophones. In the written language, spelling a homophone correctly is important to convey the desired meaning. Take the sentence, “I see the mountains beyond the sea.” Mix the words see or sea up and the sentence has no meaning when reading it. …
Musher and musher mentor Vern Halter is into making a better sled, a 4-runner sled. Toyota makes a 4Runner SUV but I’m sure it wasn’t Vern’s inspiration. Halter who operates Dream-a-Dream Dog Farm and Training Center is always considering ways to make sleds faster, steer better and more agile. Thus He designed and built a …
Siberians may not have the speed necessary to win the Iditarod but they have the character to win your heart. These handsome Siberian Huskies reside with Jon and Jona Van Zyle at their kennel and art studio.
