The Iditarod Trail Invitational is a human-powered race by bike, ski, or foot each year that follows the Iditarod Trail.
The Nome National Forest features old Christmas trees and wooden cutouts, including a mermaid, all on the sea ice off the town’s coast.
Alaska Artist Jon Van Zyle and photographer Jeff Schultz work together to present a unique view of the state in their book, Double Vision Alaska.
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…
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DOGS
Fans make bets on their favorite mushers
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An Iditarod checkpoint o ffers a warm welcome [by Natalie Baumgartner] IN 1974, MCGRATH RESIDENT BABE ANDERSON WAS THE FIRST MUSHER FROM THE AREA TO ENTER THE IDITAROD TRAIL SLED DOG RACE. Over the years, 16 others from McGrath and surrounding villages followed in his footsteps. Notable competitors include second-place Finisher Eep Anderson and third-place finisher Ernie Baumgartner, as well as many others placing in the top 10. During the Iditarod’s early years, most everyone in town participated in some way. Local families hosted racers and their teams as they arrived in McGrath, 311 miles into the race, where the hospitality and strategic location along the trail made the stop a favorite for many to take their mandatory 24-hour layover. Local competitors helped fuel the excitement and community support in the early years, and normal day-to-day activity halted. Everyone in town attended large fundraisers for racers. Non-stop entertainment while the…
Mushers talk training, checkpoint protocols, and that special bond they share with their dogs.
[Cinthia Ritchie]