The trail between Rohn and Nikolai is unique and challenging. During the clear, cold daytime the mushers can see Denali and Mt. Foraker. Try to imagine how beautiful these peaks are around sunrise and sunset when they are brightly lit by the sun over the dark landscape below or when they are rosy pink with …
I had a question about Rainy Pass so I was really happy to see Handler come into the dog yard. I’d taken careful notes on everything Handler told us about Rainy Pass but was confused as to how the checkpoint called Rainy Pass could be at 1,800 feet elevation but Rainy Pass is at 3,160 …
The distance from Finger Lake to Rainy Pass Checkpoint is about 30 miles with some really tough spots along the way. About ten miles out of Finger Lake, mushers are challenged with the Happy River Steps. It’s one of the very technical segments of the trail that calls up the very best sled driving skills …
The distance from Skwentna to Finger Lake, population 2, is 40 miles. Roughly, it’ll take four to six hours to cover the mostly uphill route although the run isn’t tough. The teams will run on rivers, lakes, swamps and wooded areas. Like I did, with Handler’s help, you can find out a lot about the …
The distance from Yentna Station to the second checkpoint, Skwentna is 30 miles. These are easy miles for the mushers and dog teams as the trail follows the Yentna River until joining the Skwentna River a couple of miles short of the checkpoint. Most mushers find the trail easy to follow but a few take …
The distance from the Willow restart to the first checkpoint, Yentna Station, is 42 miles. These are easy miles for the mushers and dog teams as most are on frozen river ice or well traveled snowmachine trails. Most of the traffic at Yentna station goes straight on through, stopping just long enough to check in …
Restart? How can a race have two starts? This is more than I can wrap my young dog brain around! It’s true though; Iditarod has TWO starts – the CEREMONIAL START in Anchorage and then on the following day the RESTART in Willow. Some folks refer to it as the REAL START. Once the teams …
One day this fall, Handler came into the dog yard and said, “Hey big dogs, do you want to hear about Anchorage and the Ceremonial Start?” We answered, “YES” with a loud and enthusiastic howl. Handler sat on the roof of my doghouse and this is what she told us. On the first Saturday morning …
How do you say Shaktoolik? I’m not sure if I’m saying Unalakleet correctly and how cold does it get in Unalakleet? What about Koyuk? I get these types of questions on a regular basis. Seems like it might be useful to create a guide with pronunciations and pertinent information for teachers and students. So …
Fall is here and there are plenty of signs beyond the date on the calendar. The days are shorter, the nights are cooler, the stars seem brighter and we have started fall dry land training runs! Here in Wisconsin, the temperatures are dipping into the 40s by morning so we are taking advantage of the …
