Meredith Mapes who completed her rookie Iditarod in 2018 is working on a special project for Iditarod XLVII.  She’s sharing bits and pieces from the rookies of the race.  Follow her stories to get the inside scoop on what rookies are thinking and the challenges they face.  Meredith knows as her rookie experience is fresh in her mind.

I’m taking this opportunity while sitting in McGrath waiting for the teams to arrive here to familiarize myself with the rookie class of 2019.  They are a very interesting group and bring a wide variety of experiences to the trail.  Thought I’d share brief bios with you race fans as well as some interesting current information.

The first group of rookies have experienced the wonderful musher meal served at the Finger Lake Checkpoint by the Dixon’s of Winter Lake Lodge.  They’ve experienced the Happy River Steps and most likely have their own stories to share as they rest their dogs on Puntilla Lake.  They are looking forward to the climb over Rainy Pass and the descent into the interior through the Dalzell Gorge.  These mushers are in the one down and one to go group. 

Richie Beattie, running in 31st place currently, is resting in Rainy Pass.  Richie grew up in Michigan then moved to Washington State.  There his vocation was carpentry, his avocation was climbing mountains.  He claims the mountains called him to Alaska. In 2000 he packed up his six huskies and came to Alaska.  His dream may have been two-fold, climbing and mushing.  Richie and his wife, Emily have bred, raised and trained all of the dogs on the Beattie Iditarod team.  For recreation Richie turns to fishing, hunting, hiking and biking.

Running in 32nd place is Sebastien Dos Santos Borges.  French born, Sebastien started mushing in 1998 at the age of 25.  He started racing with shelter dogs and still has some in his team.  He considers his dogs to be part of his family and they are his true friends.  He is an adventure reported and says that his hobby is athletics.  Sebastien is running Iditarod to pay tribute to his great dogs.  Sebastien is resting in Rainy Pass.

Quebec born Ed Hopkins is running in 34th place and resting in Rainy Pass.  Ed became interested in sled dogs after watching the first Yukon Quest finish in Whitehorse.  Before building is first team in 1987, Ed volunteered for the Yukon Quest as a trailbreaker.  He also handled dogs for Iditarod veteran, Harry Sutherland.  Ed is married to Iditarod and Quest veteran, Michelle Phillips. As an Iditarod rookie, Ed is no stranger to long distance mushing as he’s finished the Yukon Quest four times.

At the age of 12, Jessica Klejka decided she’d run Iditarod and here she is!  Jessica grew up in Bethel and ran the family dog team.  At first her younger siblings were her passengers but eventually, all of them took to the runners.  Jessica is the 2008 Jr. Iditarod Champion.  Hers was the closest finish in Jr. Iditarod history.  By 2 seconds she claimed victory over Cain Carter. Jessica earned her veterinary medicine degree from Washington State University and now practices in Big Lake, AK.  Klejka is running in 36th place and resting in Rainy Pass.

Three more rookies are on the trail between Finger Lake and Puntilla Lake.  They’re currently experience one of the most challenging sections of the trail with another one to look forward to after leaving Puntilla Lake.  

Holding 41st place, Blair Braverman grew up in California but had her first mushing experiences in Norway.  As a teenager, Blaire went to Norway to attend a folk school to how to drive and care for dogs and herself in the Arctic.  She has a BA in Environmental Law and an MFA in Nonfiction Writing.  Blair has authored a book and currently writes as a magazine columnist.  She learned about mushing as a kid and established her own team in 2014.  She likes figure skating and wilderness adventure.  Blair has departed Finger Lake checkpoint and is on her way to Rainy Pass.  In the next couple of hours she’ll encounter some tough technical portions of the trail.

Martin Apayauq Reitan, a 21-year-old Inupiaq and Norwegian musher, is the youngest contender in Iditarod XLVII.  AS a youngster, Martin lived in Norway during the winter and Kaktovik in the summers.  He’s started mushing at the age of four with one dog and a small dog sled. Martin has raced in Norway and in Alaska.  Martin works for Kaktovik Tours as a boat captain taking people to watch and photograph polar bears.  Martin says, “Traveling around rural Alaska is special to me because that’s how my Inupiaq ancestors used to travel.”  Martin finished his rookie Yukon Quest in February of 2019.  He earned Rookie of the Year Honors.  Martin currently holds 42nd place and is perhaps descending the Happy River Steps on his way to Rainy Pass as I write.

Niklas Wikstrand was born and raised in Norway.  He says he became interested in mushing after watching the movie, Iron Will.  Niklas took a course called “Mushing & Outdoors Life” at a Norwegian folk school.  He spend one year as a handler and soldier in the Norwegian Air Force-K9. Niklas has worked as an Arctic Nature Guide in Svalbard taking guests dog sledding, kayaking, hiking, skiing, snowmachining glacier walking and camping.  He came to Alaska in 2016 to handler for Peter Kaiser for a year which turned into 3 years.  Niklas will have a Kaiser team on the trail.  Niklas holds 44th place and is on the trail between Finger Lake and Rainy Pass.  Undoubtedly he’s heard of the challenging Happy River Steps.  He’ll be telling his own stories about the steps very soon.  

The final group of rookies is sitting in Finger Lake.  They’ve taken care of their dogs and may very well be enjoying the excellent musher meal inside the Winter Lake Lodge Kitchen.  They have both the Steps and the Gorge to look forward to.  They’ve heard stories, received advice, read the Don Bower’s Trail Notes.  For them, the only thing left is to just do it.

Alison Lifka journeyed to the Last Frontier just 3 days after graduating from college with a degree in Environmental Science. Her goal was to find sled dogs and adventure.  She first learned of Iditarod when her father followed the race.  At one time, Alison worked as kayak guide in Prince William Sound. The Kayak is beached and she focuses on dogs all year long.  She spends her winter handling for Iditarod mushers and her summers working on the Juneau Icefield.  Lifka is running young dogs from Linwood Fiedler’s kennel.  Alison is in 50th place.

Ryan Santiago in 51st place was born and raised in California.  He earned a degree in history then began working for large distributors in the restaurant industry.  It wasn’t the life he longed for.  Ryan decided to stop participating in life and start living it.  He adventured abroad in Nepal and New Zealand. He began working with sled dogs at Nature’s Kennel in Michigan.  Two years later, Ryan decided to move to Alaska.  He now works for Seavey’s Iditaride Sled Dog Tours.   He’s running a team of young Seavey dogs to Nome.

While Victoria Hardwick calls Bethel, AK home now, she was born and raised in Washington State.  Being outside was her favorite past time.  She spent a great deal of time with a copper-colored dog named Beau.  Beau was harnessed and pulled Victoria around on roller blades.  She is passionate about dogs, being outdoors and adventure. She says she can’t imagine a more perfect adventure than racing across Alaskan wilderness with my four-legged family.  Hardwick is running in 52nd place.

Meredith Mapes will have more on these rookies and their experiences along the trail.  Stay tuned.