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Iditarod volunteers make a difference It’s natural to attribute the howling success of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to its dogs and mushers, but the event might not happen without its volunteers. My husband, Justin, and I worked with the Iditarod in 2022, and it was exhilarating to be the backbone of something so big, in conjunction with so many other passionate people. Janis Young, from Washington, says she’s been volunteering for 22 years because it’s a big reunion. “The dogs, people, mushers, villagers, snow, cold, storms, lack of sleep, hard work, northern lights…I look forward to seeing my Iditarod family each year. It just feels good to help put on this race.” Young is just one of the nearly 2,000 people who come from near and far each year to help with the challenging logistics of running the Iditarod in early March. Volunteer crews hold various responsibilities—communications, logistics,…

2021 Iditarod Champion Dallas Seavey. Photo by The Iditarod/Dave Poyzer Dallas Seavey became the 2021 Iditarod champion and a five-time winner when he crossed the finish line at 5:08 a.m. Monday morning. It took him 7 days, 14 hours, 8 minutes and 57 seconds to finish the approximately 848-mile race. Seavey is now tied for the most Iditarod wins with Rick Swenson. Seavey already has a distinguished mushing career. He was the youngest Iditarod racer ever when he ran at 18 years old in 2005. He also became the youngest person to win an Iditarod in 2012. Chad Stoddard of Anchorage won Rookie of the Year when he finished 23rd after about nine days and four hours. Victoria Hardwick won the red lantern award when she was the final musher to cross the finish line at 12:22 a.m. on March 18. Hardwick and her team took 10 days, 9 hours,…

MULTI-USE TRAILS CONNECT ALASKANS On the North side of the Alaska Range, I skidded and bounced down the Dalzell Gorge struggling to keep my expedition-loaded fat-tire bike upright. Mounds of frozen dirt and icy roots flung me sideways and I squeezed both brake levers, trying to stay on two wheels and not wrap myself around a tree. Suddenly, the decline steepened; I spotted a glimpse of bare ice ahead, and let off the brakes to avoid skidding out. After a while, the trail leveled out into a meadow blanketed in crusty snow. The frosty branches on the black spruce trees glistened in the morning light. I lowered my bike and yanked out my camera. A dog team was behind me, coming fast, and I wanted a photo. Through the forest above me, could hear the dog driver gently encouraging his team to slow down. “Wooo. Easy…easy. Good girl.” I flipped…