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History of Alaska
The Iditarod Trail checkpoints are full of contrasting histories -some are villages inhabited by Alaska Native families who have lived there for generations while others are gold rush towns created by an influx of foreigners seeking their fortune. In the villages of Nikolai, Anvik, and Kaltag I witnessed the challenges and hardship of living off …
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is run along the Iditarod National Historic Trail. The Bureau of Land Management and other entities that own the land which the trail runs through all work in conjunction with the Iditarod Trail Committee to run the race each year. It is Alaska’s only winter National Trail and was …
Today is Indigenous People’s Day. This designation provides the opportunity to stop and reflect on the rich heritage of the people and cultures that inhabited North America prior to European exploration. The Iditarod Trail crosses the Indigenous lands of the Athabascan, Iñupiaq, and Yup’ik/Cup’ik people. The Iditarod Race interacts with these vibrant cultures at many …
Ever wonder how the dog teams from the lower 48 – perhaps Michigan, Colorado or Montana get to Alaska to compete in the Iditarod? They drive and there aren’t many choices for routes. They take the notorious Alcan Highway. My black lab friend, Ellie, travels the highway frequently. Hoping that I might have the opportunity …
I can’t believe I’m actually standing at mile 0.0 of the infamous Alaska Highway! It’s my black lab friend Ellie and me traveling with Ellie’s human Pam Flowers. Oh this is so exciting, I can hardly keep from jumping and barking! From my last story you know the history of this storied road. It was …
We’re back on the road, looking at Dawson Creek and Mile Zero in the rear view mirror. This portion of the Alaskan Highway is also known as British Columbia Highway 97. Ellie has told me that we’re going to see amazing things today. We’ll be going up and over the Canadian Rockies and there’s bound …
We’re heading down from 4,250 feet, the highest point on the Alaskan Highway. Visibility at the summit was limited – maybe a quarter of a mile. We had to drive very cautiously. We have a saying in Wisconsin – if you don’t like the weather wait five minutes it’ll change. Lucky for us, the same …
Six hundred and five miles from Dawson Creek, we leave British Columbia behind. Ellie and I are quite excited about reaching the Yukon Territory. We’re now traveling on Yukon Highway 1. Watson Lake is the first settlement we come to – it’s known as the “Gateway to the Yukon.” Handler has filled us in on …
Drive on the top half of your gas tank. That’s the advice given to all travelers on the Alaska Highway. It’s a long distance between pumps and you never know if the gas stop that you’re expecting to be open will be open. The distance from Watson Lake to Whitehorse is 274 miles, not a …
The Alcan Highway is a part of every Iditarod for Ed Stielstra and his dog team. Musher, handler and dogs from Nature’s Kennel in the upper peninsula of Michigan have made the trek to the starting line of The Last Great Race seven times and will be heading to the start line again in 2013. …