Iditapod

Ryan Redington in Nome

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 11:21:00 -0800

This bonus Iditapod episode features the full recording of a press conference with 2023 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion Ryan Redington, right after he and his dogs crossed the finish line in Nome on Tuesday, March 14. This was recorded by Alaska Public Media's Lex Treinen, and you’ll hear him and some other reporters asking Redington questions about all different parts of the race.

S7E11: The all-Indigenous Iditarod podium

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 14:07:00 -0800

Alaska Native mushers took the podium in the 2023 Iditarod, with the Knik Kid, Ryan Redington, winning his first championship and Bethel's Pete Kaiser and Aniak's Richie Diehl mushing into second and third place. The race's top 10 were all into Nome by Wednesday morning, and we have an update on Rookie of the Year honors, as well as three Dogs of the Day, two listener questions and a story about collecting dog pee. Also: This'll do it for Season 7 of the Iditapod. Thanks for coming along with us on this thousand-mile journey!

S7E10: An Iditarod champ from the founding family

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:33:00 -0800

The 40-year-old Ryan Redington has won his first Iditarod and the first championship for the Redington family, on his 16th try (and after six previous scratches). "I've just been on pins and needles," said his mom, Barb, at the finish line. We'll hear Redington's finish itself in this episode, and from Alaska Public Media's Lex Treinen about the finish and how Redington arrived there first. The dog friends that did the leading into Nome -- Sven and Ghost -- are our obvious picks for Dogs of the Day. And we have a listener question about dog-human friends, with a fun answer from a friendly musher.

Live call: Ryan Redington wins 2023 Iditarod

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 13:26:00 -0800

Ryan Redington claimed his first Iditarod championship a little after noon Tuesday with six dogs in harness and an official race time of 8 days, 21 hours, 12 minutes and 58 seconds. We have a whole bunch more coverage of Redington’s finish and the rest of the race at alaskapublic.org, and we’re still working on a full episode of the Iditapod. But, for now, we’re going to go to Nome and the raw, live radio coverage from our partners at KNOM radio. Here’s KNOM’s Davis Hovey with the live call from the finish line.

Morning report: Ryan Redington poised to win

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 09:13:00 -0800

We have a quick bonus episode here for you, as Ryan Redington is on the home stretch to Nome, looking like he's going to claim his first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race championship. This is our morning Iditarod report, it has some different theme music, but it’ll set things up for the finish.

S7E9: Hanging onto a lead and an Iditarod dream

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 12:39:00 -0800

Ryan Redington has a secure hold on first place in the 2023 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, heading into the final 100 miles of trail. Meanwhile, one rookie musher had some trouble holding onto his dog sled, after falling asleep, falling off and getting a fortuitous lift. We have a listener question, not about losing a dog team, but about losing stuff along the Iditarod Trail. And it's a twofer of Dogs of the Day: Riley Dyche's smart and mellow Elway and Mike Williams Jr.'s smart and hyper Viper.

John Suter in Anchorage

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 11:59:00 -0800

In this extended interview, we hear more from John Suter, an Iditarod finisher who famously had a team that included poodles. Suter ran the Iditarod with poodles in 1988, '89, '90 and '91, finishing each year ahead of other teams racing more traditional sled dogs.

S7E8: The champ has scratched. Long live the champ.

Sat, 11 Mar 2023 18:13:00 -0900

Reigning Iditarod champion Brent Sass has scratched from this year’s race, due to what race officials described as “periodontal health” issues. So 31 teams remained in the race Saturday, and in this episode we hear from the chase pack-turned lead pack about how they were feeling about heading up the Yukon River, plus more from the top rookies in this year’s race. We have a powerhouse Dog of the Day with a funny, uh, pungent name, and a listener question about sled dog breeds that led us to the famous poodle musher.

S7E7: Rollin' on a river (the Yukon, that is)

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 14:35:00 -0900

Iditarod teams are passing through the village checkpoint of Anvik and onto the Yukon River. We have that, as well as stories from earlier on the trail about how mushers were setting their teams up for these runs earlier in the checkpoint of Iditarod and about the tiny village of Takotna reopening as an Iditarod checkpoint this year, after closing down due to COVID. Then there’ll be an update from Jason Mackey about carrying his brother Lance Mackey’s ashes along the trail, a Mackey Dog of the Day named COVID and a listener question about what the mushers are listening to, if they’re listening to anything at all, aside from, you know, dog feet and sled runners.

Jessie Royer in Takotna

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 08:33:00 -0900

Iditarod veteran and frequent top 10 finisher Jessie Royer talks to Alaska Public Media's Lex Treinen in Takotna.

S7E6: Run, rest, eat and repeat

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 12:45:00 -0900

In this episode, we hear from Iditarod mushers in the midst of their required 24-hour layovers and from our current Red Lantern musher. We also have a chat with a former top 10 musher who’s returning to the race and running a team of mostly rookie dogs, plus a look at the Iditarod's new pilot program for tracking dropped dogs. And as always we have our Dog of the Day -- not a new dog but a dog who got a new name -- and a listener question with answers from several mushers this time. (Hint: This one might make you hungry).

S7E5: The dog days of Iditarod

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 13:29:00 -0900

Iditarod mushers are making decisions about where to stop for their mandatory 24-hour rests, some opting to take that break earlier than planned, as the teams continue to contend with warm weather. The village of Nikolai is also fully open to visitors for the first time in three years of COVID-19 restrictions, and that's where some mushers were dealing with busted sleds and their own bruised bodies. In this episode, we also get into how the race shapes up after those 24-hour layovers and how the weather is expected to change for the cooler. Plus, we have a speedy Dog of the Day, Matt Failor's Mach 10, who's learning to slow down, plus a listener question, a musher answer and a follow-up to yesterday's question about adopting retired sled dogs.

S7E4: Hot doggin' and leapfroggin'

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 14:55:00 -0900

Iditarod teams are contending with warm weather in the thousand-mile race, many choosing to run in the cool of night as much as possible. We'll talk about that in this episode, plus a little about what other sports some mushers have participated in outside of mushing. We have another Dog of the Day -- this time, a trusty leader named JoAnna -- and, as always, a listener question.

S7E3: One paw in front of the other

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:44:00 -0900

Iditarod sled dog teams are into the first 200 miles of trail, after the race clock started ticking Sunday. Mushers are pacing their dogs and there's a lot of leapfrogging going on out there, as they follow their own run-rest schedules. In this episode, we have a look at the competitiveness of the small field, and we have our Dog of the Day -- a big boy named Boomer -- as well as a listener question about day jobs, for those who do not list their fulltime occupation as "dog musher."

Brent Sass interview in Fairbanks

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:57:00 -0900

In this extended, pre-Iditarod interview, reigning Iditarod and Yukon Quest 550 champion Brent Sass talks to Iditapod reporter Lex Treinen about Sass's hectic life at his homestead north of Fairbanks, in Eureka, about his newfound confidence going into this year’s Iditarod and his philosophy about dog mushing.

S7E2: Iditarod kicks off with a chilly start

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 20:15:00 -0900

Iditarod mushers took their sled dog teams on an untimed, celebratory fun run from downtown Anchorage on the city’s trails, with hundreds of fans cheering along the way. We hear from mushers and fans – maybe the pitter patter of little dog feet – as well as a joyful bride, a grumpy bear, a curious moose (or three), a former Miss Alaska and her mom, who had a fox on her head, and more!

S7E1: Springing back as Iditarod begins anew

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 11:53:00 -0900

That's right, it's Iditarod time, and we're back with another season of Iditapod. In the first episode of our seventh season, host Casey Grove and trail reporters Lex Treinen and Ben Matheson discuss the smallest field in race history and how a quarter of the mushers in the 2023 Iditarod are rookies. We also recap last year's race, talk about the legacy of the late four-time champion Lance Mackey and we even have a Dog of the Day, a spunky little leader named Dusty.

Aaron Burmeister interview in Nome

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 11:14:00 -0800

Veteran Iditarod musher Aaron Burmeister talked to Alaska Public Media’s Jeff Chen at the Nome radio station, KNOM, roughly a day after Burmeister finished his 21st Iditarod. Burmeister talks about stepping away from the Iditarod, about how his race went this year, and how much dog mushing has changed over the many years he’s been a competitive musher.

Brent Sass interview in Nome

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 11:55:00 -0800

In this hour-long interview, we hear more from 2022 Iditarod champion Brent Sass about how he’s forged a unique bond with his dog team, how he draws inspiration from his idols like Susan Butcher, and how his life in his remote homestead has made him the musher he is. Alaska Public Media’s Lex Treinen sat down with Sass, along with a group of other reporters, and Sass’s dad Mark at the Nome Nugget newspaper in downtown Nome.

S6E10: Bringin' it home to Nome

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 15:18:00 -0800

Since the Iditapod left off, after Brent Sass's epic first Iditarod victory, teams have continued to arrive in Nome, including a fun race for 3rd and 4th place, two Yukon-Kuskokwim mushers in 5th and 6th, an impressive 7th place finish for a second-year musher and a Nome local coming home to finish in 8th before stepping away. We're also going to step away, but not before we answer another listener question and bring you one last Dog of the Day.

S6E9: The fresh prince of Iditarod

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 16:46:00 -0800

Iditapod goes on a deep dive talking about "old school" Eureka musher Brent Sass, who won his first Iditarod championship early Tuesday in Nome. That was despite howling wind that almost caused him to stop in the final miles, with five-time champ Dallas Seavey still in pursuit, just about an hour behind. We'll take you to the finish line, plus Sass's Golden Harness dogs Slater and Morello are the subject of our listener question AND the Dog(s) of the Day.

Morning report: Brent Sass wins his first Iditarod

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 08:36:00 -0800

The 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has a new champion, as you'll hear in this morning Iditarod report from Alaska Public Media. Dog musher Brent Sass and his team of 11 dogs pulled into Nome early Tuesday, passing under the famed Burled Arch finish line just before 5:40 a.m. to win the 50th running of the Iditarod. The 42-year-old Sass and his Alaskan huskies arrived to throngs of cheering race fans lining the finish chute on Front Street for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic hit two years ago.

Brent Sass interview in White Mountain

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 14:34:00 -0800

Alaska Public Media's Lex Treinen caught up - just in the nick of time - with Brent Sass, who mushed into White Mountain and a mandatory eight-hour rest in the lead, in a great position to win his first Iditarod.

S6E8: A new Iditarod champion?

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 13:34:00 -0800

The Iditarod - and Iditapod - are heading into the Nome stretch, as Eureka's Brent Sass has maintained his lead, aiming for his first win with five-time champ Dallas Seavey still on his tail. We’ll have more about the race at the front, as well as more about musher mistakes, how things are going for the top rookie - Hanna Lyrek - and the speedy team of Dan Kaduce. Plus… more pizza? Yep, and another peppy dog of the day, a listener question and an answer from the trail.

Hanna Lyrek interview with Lex Treinen

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 18:46:00 -0800

In this extended interview from before the 2022 Iditarod, 22-year-old Norwegian musher Hanna Lyrek told Alaska Public Media's Lex Treinen about competing in Norway's biggest sled dog race, the Finnmarksløpet, how she got her dog team to Alaska, her goals for the Iditarod and... about her dogs, of course! (We also have a story posted right now at alaskapublic.org about Lyrek's experience so far in the Iditarod).

S6E7: March to the coast

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 19:47:00 -0900

Well, we’ve got a race, folks. Obviously, with 45 mushers out on the Iditarod Trail vying for positions, we’ve got a race. But at the very front, it’s looking like a real battle setting up between Brent Sass and Dallas Seavey for first place. As the frontrunners head for the Bering Sea coast, we’ll have a look at the teams reaching the Yukon River, we’ll talk about a pretty big scratch, women mushers, a bit about superstition, and of course we have a dog profile and a listener question.

S6E6: Yukon do it

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 13:49:00 -0900

With the northern lights dancing above, we talked to Iditarod leader Brent Sass as he danced through the Ruby checkpoint and onto the Yukon River, skipping a gourmet five-course meal in favor of more comfortable cold temperatures for his dogs. We'll also hear more from Sass and his fellow competitors on their 24-hour layover earlier, and from the back of the pack, a trio of women, who banded together in a snow storm. Plus we have a dog profile and THREE listeners asking the same question, with an answer straight from the musher in question and a separate listener... answer?

S6E5: Halfway there, fully committed

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 13:27:00 -0900

Iditarod mushers and their dog teams are now either in the middle of their mandatory 24-hour layovers or back out on the trail, if they opted to do that earlier. We've got the frontrunners at the Cripple checkpoint, as well as a chat with the folks who 24ed in McGrath, now making up the chase pack. There's also an old-timer for our Dog of the Day, a couple listener questions about how to get into dog mushing and, related, what it means to be a handler.

Apayauq Reitan interview with Shady Grove Oliver

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 07:45:00 -0900

Kaktovik dog musher Apayauq Reitan, the first out trans woman to compete in the Iditarod, talks to Iditapod colleague and Alaska Public Media contributor Shady Grove Oliver - originally for a piece in the Guardian newspaper - about Reitan's goals for this year's race, what it's like to mush dogs, her Alaska Native culture, coming out as trans and a lot more.

S6E4: Playing catch up

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:37:00 -0900

Our Iditapod crew gets caught up - to get you caught up - as sled dog teams in the 2022 Iditarod race through the third full day of mushing the 1,000-mile trail. We'll hear about some of the most technically difficult sections and get an update on who is where... for now. We'll also hear from mushers Aaron Burmeister and Apayauq Reitan, among others, and we also have a bully of a Dog of the Day and a listener question about how to find the trail (because sometimes it's not so obvious).

Bridgett Watkins interview with Lex Treinen

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 08:45:00 -0900

**Warning: This extended interview discusses a violent encounter with a moose and might not be suitable for all listeners.

Alaska Public Media's Lex Treinen gets all the details of rookie Iditarod musher Bridgett Watkins' run-in with a moose while on a training run near Salcha, in Interior Alaska, in early February.

S6E3: Different strokes for different folks

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 13:42:00 -0900

As Alaska Public Media reporters Jeff Chen and Lex Treinen head out on the trail, Iditapod host Casey Grove updates some of the early Iditarod standings. Plus, we have a story of an ER nurse whose training for the Iditarod helped him cope with the trauma of working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Lex also brings us a report on the Sunday restart in Willow, as well as another dog profile, and we have a couple questions with a couple different answers (watch out: one involves some math).

S6E2: A joyful, more normal Iditarod start

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 18:31:00 -0900

The 2022 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off Saturday in Anchorage with its usual fanfare, after not holding a ceremonial start in 2021. Alaska Public Media reporters Casey Grove, Tegan Hanlon, Lex Treinen and Jeff Chen were out in the snow with the mushers, dogs and race fans, including plenty of kids and other trailgaters.

S6E1: Iditarod gets back on track

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 15:13:00 -0900

Iditapod is back for the 50th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Host Casey Grove and fellow Alaska Public Media reporters Tegan Hanlon, Lex Treinen and Jeff Chen discuss last year's pandemic-altered Iditarod, some of the mid-distance sled dog races this season, as well as COVID-19 protocols (and already a scratch/switcheroo), scary moose encounters and the heartwarming story of an unlikely Iditarod dog.

S5E4: A familiar champ for a unique Iditarod

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 23:31:00 -0800

Dallas Seavey has won the 2021 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, tying Rick Swenson's five first-place finishes for the most ever. Will he be back next year to vie for a sixth? That is the question... Also, a sleepless but not tired Alaska Public Media reporter Tegan Hanlon fills us in on the scene at the finish, including interviews with Seavey and Aaron Burmeister, who took second.

Raymie Redington interview with Quince Mountain

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 23:00:00 -0900

**Note: this interview is from 2020. Dog musher Quince Mountain sat down with Raymie Redington, son of Iditarod founder Joe Redington Sr., to talk about dog mushing, the history of the race and a lot more.

S5E3: Bouncing back to Willow

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 19:32:00 -0900

Since we left off, an Iditarod musher has tested positive for COVID-19 and been withdrawn, Dallas Seavey has taken the lead in his return to the race and, instead of leaving problematic sections of trail behind, mushers are heading back over them, on a modified, out-and-back trail. We talk to three-time champion Mitch Seavey, who's a spectator this year, as well as Iditapod co-founder Zachariah Hughes in McGrath, and we get an Iditarod veteran's take on a listener question about dog booties.

Talkeetna interview with Dallas Seavey

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 15:11:00 -0900

Alaska Public Media's Tegan Hanlon talks with four-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey in February in the dog lot at his Talkeetna-based kennel. Seavey is back in the Iditarod this year after taking three years off following a scandal in 2017's race, after which the Iditarod said two of Seavey's dogs had tested positive for a banned pain-reliever, then later cleared him of any wrongdoing.

S5E2: Slip slidin' away

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 22:20:00 -0900

We rejoin the Iditarod something like 48 hours in, and, on what sounds like a hard and fast trail, mushers are pacing themselves for the shorter 850-mile race. There've been a total of three scratches so far, none bigger than Aliy Zirkle, who suffered a concussion and upper body injury in the Dalzell Gorge and had to be flown out of Rohn by helicopter. Also, we catch up with our pal Zachariah Hughes in McGrath.

S5E1: Mission Iditarod: COVID Protocol

Sat, 06 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0900

The 2021 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is going to look a lot different, one year into a global COVID-19 pandemic. (The Iditapod’s going to be pretty different this year, too, as we'll explain). The ceremonial start is canceled, so the race begins Sunday in Willow under strict COVID-19 protocols, with a shortened trail that doubles back on itself, a challenge to sled dog teams to cross the Alaska Range not once, but twice, plus coronavirus testing along the way and less access to indoor spaces at checkpoints... This Iditarod is certainly going to be unique.

Anchorage interview with Katherine Keith

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 14:25:00 -0800

Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes talks with veteran long-distance dog musher and past Iditarod competitor Katherine Keith about her book, "Epic Solitude." It chronicles her journey from a teenager in Minnesota, falling in love with rugged wilderness adventures, while simultaneously struggling with mental health issues and more loss than anyone should have to deal with in a lifetime.

S4E15: The newest Norwegian champ

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 15:25:00 -0800

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has another new Norwegian champion: 46-year-old Thomas Waerner. His team arrived in Nome at 12:37 a.m. Wednesday to an enthusiastic, if smaller, crowd. And Waerner still has to figure out how to get home, what with travel restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic. Iditapod host Casey Grove talks with Alaska Public Media's Tegan Hanlon and Zachariah Hughes about what might have been the weirdest Iditarod ever, in terms of what was unfolding outside the race while it was happening. We also have a question about what the dogs dream about, and a dog profile about a pup conceived on the Iditarod Trail.

Update on Thomas Waerner win in 2020 Iditarod

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 07:05:00 -0800

This is a quick report from our morning radio coverage of the Iditarod. It's called a radio module, and it details Norwegian musher Thomas Waerner winning the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race at 12:37 a.m. Wednesday, March 18. Waerner's team logged a time of 9 days, 10 hours, 37 minutes and 47 seconds.

S4E14: Hitting close to Nome

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 11:08:00 -0800

It’s Tuesday, and we have a two-fer on dog profiles here on the Iditapod. And as we anticipate Norwegian musher Thomas Waerner winning the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Nome early Wednesday -- barring any unforeseen changes -- we have a story about the modified Shaktoolik checkpoint, a remembrance of an all-star volunteer checkpoint leader in Unalakleet and a little about how a major, longtime sponsor of the Iditarod has announced it’s pulling out. (Maybe not all in that order).

S4E13: A Norwegian coasts up the coast

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 14:04:00 -0800

As front-of-the-pack Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race mushers head up the Bering Sea coast from Unalakleet to Shaktoolik and Koyuk, Norwegian musher Thomas Waerner has put his sled dog team solidly out front. There's still a group of competitive mushers behind him, though, and as we like to say often, anything can still happen. We'll hear a little from Waerner about what will likely be a difficult time getting his dog team home to Norway amid coronavirus-related travel restrictions, as well as from 2019 Iditarod champ Pete Kaiser about how a stomach-flu-like sickness hit him on the trail.

Cripple Creek interview with Lance Mackey

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:22:00 -0800

Four-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey talks with Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes at the Cripple Creek checkpoint about having a more successful race in 2020 than some recent years.

S4E12: Whistlin' to Shaktoolik, and some mid-pack collegiality

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 17:12:00 -0800

Norway's Thomas Waerner was the first to Unalakleet and the coast of Alaska in the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. But there's a storm coming and several good teams behind him. Meantime, back up the trail in Galena, Alaska Public Media’s Zachariah Hughes observed the collegial bonds among two mushers running in the middle of the pack who are at very different stages in their race and in their lives. That and much more, including another dog profile, on this latest episode of the Iditapod.

S4E11: Iditarod CEO says 'things can change minute by minute'

Sat, 14 Mar 2020 17:09:00 -0800

While Iditarod sled dog teams continue to mush toward the coast, the Iditapod is at home hiding under a table, in a makeshift recording studio. But we still have a report from the trail about how the mushers are learning about changes at checkpoints due to concern from coronavirus. Also in this episode: How Jessie Royer's sled caught fire, an interview with Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach, Snack Attack with Ben and Zach is back and much more.

S4E10: The last sport standing

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 15:28:00 -0800

Welcome to the Iditapod, a podcast about - what else? - the Iditarod, which is, perhaps the only major sporting event still happening -- anywhere. Yep, hanging out by yourself with a pack of dogs is starting to seem better and better every day. It’s Friday the 13th, and there’s plenty of scary news out there to worry even the least superstitious among us. We talked coronavirus with new Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach and have a story from the trail about mushers’ first reactions to hearing about the virus's impacts elsewhere. We also have a story about John Schandelmeier and how the heck he got into this race, as well as a listener question, an answer to that question, and a dog profile.

Update on Iditarod coronavirus concerns and Royer first to Yukon

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 09:25:00 -0800

This is a brief report from our morning radio coverage at Alaska Public Media. We call it a radio module, it’s only five minutes, and it'll sound a little different. But as we’re working on a full episode of the Iditapod for Friday, which will include talking to Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach about coronavirus concerns, we figured this is the fastest way to bring you some important news since we last left off.

S4E9: Coronavirus concerns and the Last Great Race

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 13:13:00 -0800

When it comes to concern about the coronavirus, the Iditarod is no exception. In Nome, the city council is considering calling off Iditarod festivities, and we’re also hearing about a big announcement coming from the Iditarod itself, though we’ve been told by someone close to the race that they are not going to be canceling the rest of Iditarod altogether. Meantime, we have a more positive update about Jeff King's health status, a race update, a story about a volunteer passing time tinkering on an old chainsaw, a listener question about who's the best dog whisperer and another dog profile, this one about Juke, in Karin Hendrickson's team.

S4E8: All the Iditarod feels

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 15:27:00 -0800

The Iditarod can be a cathartic experience, with all those good dogs, bad dogs, #uglydogs... In this episode we catch up on the race and discuss how it's nearly impossible to analyze who's really in the lead as mushers start to take their mandatory 24-hour layovers at different checkpoints. Alaska Public Media's Tegan Hanlon has a story about Jeff King's substitute Sean Underwood, AKPM's Zach Hughes and Ben Matheson take in the Blood Moon in Takotna, we have a somewhat surprising answer to a listener question, and Brent Sass talks about his lead dog, Jeep.

Anchorage interview with Sean Underwood

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 07:35:00 -0800

Alaska Public Media's Tegan Hanlon interviews Sean Underwood. The 28-year-old musher found out four days before the start of the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that he'd be competing in the event. Long-time musher and four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King had to drop out of the race at the very last minute, and tapped Sean, one of his dog handlers, to fill in. And, to be clear, it wasn’t just filling in for a 1,000-mile sled dog race, but also for some of the events leading up to it. We sat down with Sean in a restaurant at an Anchorage hotel last Friday, right before a meet and greet that he was suddenly headlining with three-time Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey. We talked about how Sean got into sled dog racing and the exact moment when he found out that he’d be launched into this year’s Iditarod.

S4E7: Home, home in the Alaska Range

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 12:20:00 -0800

With plenty of snow on the Iditarod Trail this year, some of the more technical runs have not been as difficult as years past. But the Happy River steps and the Dalzell Gorge are always a challenge, and Alaska Public Media's Tegan Hanlon joins Iditapod host Casey Grove to discuss why we call both of those sections "technical." Also in today's episode, reports from KNOM's Davis Hovey and Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes in Rainy Pass, as well as KNOM's Ben Matheson on the newly rejuvenated roadhouse in McGrath.

S4E6: Sparky Doo Dah and the Rookies

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 14:05:00 -0800

It’s Monday, and Iditarod sled dog teams are heading into their second full day of racing after the official start yesterday in Willow. From there they mushed west to the Yentna checkpoint about 50 miles into the race, on to Skwentna at about 80 miles, and the front-of-the-pack teams are already heading up and up and up into the Alaska Range, toward the mountainous checkpoint of Rainy Pass. We hear about the rookies in the race, a clip from Quince Mountain on what it's like to be the first openly trans Iditarod competitor, and Aliy Zirkle tells us about one of her leaders, Sparky.

Anchorage interview with Quince Mountain

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 10:51:00 -0800

Happy Monday. Today, we have an extended interview with friend of the Iditapod, Quince Mountain, who’s out there on the Iditarod Trail right now. Quince came in for a rather lengthy interview last week. We talked about his past and present, including Quince’s experiences being transgender. As far as we know, he’s the first openly trans person in the Iditarod. We talked about how, in an event that sees all genders competing against each other and not separated into categories, it doesn’t mean that much to the race itself, but that, as Quince says, means a lot to some people in terms of inspiration. We also talked about the origin of the Ugly Dogs, that’s a Twitter hashtag and kind of a group of fans who follow Quince and his wife Blair Braverman, who finished the Iditarod last year. And we talked a little about Quince’s expectations for his race, and about how Quince was on the reality TV show Naked and Afraid.

S4E5: An Iditarod restart switcheroo (and more snow)

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 21:29:00 -0800

The 2020 Iditarod began in earnest Sunday with the official restart in Willow, where, to the surprise of many, musher John Schandelmeier replaced his wife, Zoya Denure, who reportedly had some last-second health issues. What wasn't a surprise, at least for this winter, was more snow! We have a report on that from Danny Seavey, as well as a dog profile, a listener question and more. Host Casey Grove is joined by Alaska Public Media's Tegan Hanlon.

S4E4: Iditarod ceremonial start, and a participatory parade

Sat, 07 Mar 2020 22:46:00 -0900

The Iditapodders took to the streets of downtown Anchorage, and the trails of midtown Anchorage, for the ceremonial start of the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Alaska Public Media reporters Zachariah Hughes and Tegan Hanlon joined Iditapod host Casey Grove in talking to mushers, but then Casey hopped on a sled with Quince Mountain, riding the entire 11-mile course. AKPM reporter Liz Ruskin also joined in with an audio postcard from the trail-side parties.

S4E3: Without a King, but plenty of snow

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 16:27:00 -0900

On the eve of Iditarod 2020, we discuss four-time champion Jeff King dropping out due to a medical emergency, how his rookie handler is taking King's top-notch team, and how heavy snow along the Iditarod Trail (a trench in places) will surely affect this year's race. Host Casey Grove is joined in the studio by Alaska Public Media reporters Tegan Hanlon and Zachariah Hughes.

Anchorage interview with Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 11:24:00 -0900

This year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will be the first for its new CEO Rob Urbach, who took over in July.

In recent years, the Iditarod has struggled with sponsors pulling out, a so-called "dog-doping" scandal and accusations that its board of directors had conflicts of interest. In the meantime, the board has been overhauled and expanded, and there have been some new race rules put in place, as the Iditarod grapples with various issues and increased scrutiny.

Urbach came to the Iditarod after six years as CEO of USA Triathlon and, previously, had worked in sports marketing and management.

Now at its helm, Urbach says he first became a fan of the Iditarod about 20 years ago.

S4E2: Iditapod LIVE!

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 16:39:00 -0900

Instead of hiding in our cozy little radio studio at Alaska Public Media or out on the sparsely populated Iditarod Trail, we took the Iditapod to the Beartooth Theatrepub in Anchorage on Monday, March 2 for a live, onstage event, where about 300 people joined reporters Zachariah Hughes, Tegan Hanlon and Casey Grove for a wide-ranging discussion with Iditarod mushers Jessica Klejka, Matthew Failor and Jeff King.

We laughed, we didn’t cry somehow, and we did our best to explain some of the intricacies of dog mushing.

Also, an update: Shortly after this recording, Jeff King was rushed to a hospital to undergo emergency surgery that likely saved his life. He will not be racing in this year's Iditarod. We will have a more complete story about that soon here on the Iditapod.

Fairbanks interview with Brent Sass

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:13:00 -0900

Three-time Yukon Quest champion dog musher Brent Sass is headed back to Alaska’s other thousand mile sled dog race, the Iditarod, after some trial and tribulation. Sass is originally from Minnesota, and lived in Fairbanks in the Goldstream Valley before moving a little farther north to Joe Bush Creek near Manly Hot Springs. Sass joined us from Fairbanks, where he was getting ready before heading south for the Iditarod ceremonial start in Anchorage.

S4E1: Looking back at 2019 Iditarod, this year's 300-milers and Yukon Quest

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 12:53:00 -0900

... and we're back! Kicking off the 2020 Iditapod, host Casey Grove and Alaska Public Media trail reporter Zachariah Hughes discuss the 2019 running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, as well as the 2020 Copper Basin 300 (briefly) and the Kuskokwim 300 (at length). And Casey talks to three-time Yukon Quest champion Brent Sass about his recent victory in that other thousand-mile sled dog race and his impending return to the Iditarod.

Girdwood interview with Nicolas Petit

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 10:04:00 -0800

In this (probably) final bonus episode for Season 3 of the Iditapod, Girdwood's Nicolas Petit reflects on what happened that caused his dog team to stop between Shaktoolik and Koyuk and how he decided to scratch from the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Thanks to Mark Thiessen at the Associated Press for sharing this interview with us.

S3E17: Iditapod epilogue

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 10:31:00 -0800

The 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is over, and we left off in our last episode with a lot of loose ends. So here's to tying up loose ends, maybe a minor correction and hoisting the Red Lantern and other awards we failed to mention earlier! Also: We play "Can't Let It Go," because, frankly, we can't get over -- or done with -- the Iditapod. But we have to! See you next year!

S3E16: A new trio of elite women mushers

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 13:23:00 -0800

It happened, because Paige Drobny made it happen: The top 10 of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race includes three women for the first time ever. Fans of Drobny, Aliy Zirkle and Jessie Royer are ecstatic, as are some Bethel residents who were cheering on 2019 Iditarod champion Pete Kaiser. We hear from them in this episode, plus a lightning round of questions and... a couple special guests!

Ask a Climatologist: Iditarod edition

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 18:32:00 -0800

Like it is affecting a lot of things in the north, our warming climate is affecting the Last Great Race. There are some nuances, however, and to suss it all out, we brought in our resident climatologist, Brian Brettschneider with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who we hear from regularly on a segment on Alaska Public Media called Ask a Climatologist. Brettschneider says mushers and others on Alaska's western coast are seeing open water because a confluence of factors has caused historic low sea ice in the Bering Sea this spring.

S3E15: Kaiser Racing team hangs on for first Iditarod win

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:36:00 -0800

That’s right: Iditarod has a new champion. And it’s really looking like we’re going to have three women in the top 10 for the first time in 47 years for the Last Great Race. As for the pride and swelling hearts of Bethel, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, maybe all of Western Alaska, Peter Kaiser and eight dogs crossed under the Burled Arch in Nome at 3:39 a.m. Alaska time Wednesday trailed only 12 minutes later by the 2018 champ, Joar Leifseth Ulsom.

Nome interview with Pete Kaiser

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:03:00 -0800

After the excitement of the race finish, Pete Kaiser adjourned to the nearby Mini Convention Center for a brief question-answer session with reporters. The first half of the discussion was moderated by Andy Angstman, a race official and longtime friend of Kaiser’s from Bethel. You’ll hear a few questions from Angstman before it was opened up to reporters, all in front of several dozen fans and supporters there in spite of the early hour.

Breaking news: Bethel's Pete Kaiser wins 2019 Iditarod

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 06:44:00 -0800

A new Iditarod champion has been crowned. Bethel musher Pete Kaiser’s team of 8 dogs crossed under the Burled Arch in Nome at 3:39 a.m. Wednesday, March 13, 2019. A boisterous crowd of friends and family from the Bethel area traveled to Nome to celebrate Kaiser’s victory. The 31-year-old wins $50,000 and a new truck. It’s a career highlight for Kaiser, who has raced the iditarod each year since 2010. On three separate occasions he’s placed as high as 5th, but this is his first win. His run took 9 days 12 hours and 39 minutes.

S3E14: Kaiser poised for first Iditarod win

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:33:00 -0800

Heading into a final, mandatory, eight-hour rest in White Mountain about 40 minutes in the lead, Bethel's Peter Kaiser could be set up to win his first Iditarod in his team's 10th race. But anything can happen in that final 77 miles, and the defending champ, Joar Leifseth Ulsom, is not far behind. We also talk to some former champs about how they're in the middle of the pack and running a totally different kind of race. Plus: There's no sea ice! But there is Snack Attack with Ben and Zach!

Unalakleet interview with Martin Buser

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 09:10:00 -0800

This is an interview with longtime Iditarod racer and four time champ Martin Buser from Big Lake and comes to us by way of Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes in Unalakleet on Monday. Buser's originally from Switzerland and his voice and exuberance for mushing are ever-present in Iditarod. But he’s getting older.

S3E13: Heartbreak for Petit as team quits on the coast

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 15:37:00 -0800

The team of Girdwood musher Nicolas Petit stalled on the edge of Norton Bay, allowing Bethel's Pete Kaiser to race past, as well as several others. Petit had been leading for most of the race, and Monday afternoon, it was still uncertain if he'd even finish. We hear from Petit, and we hear from Kaiser who now might be set up to win his first Iditarod. That, plus explanations of Mushergrams, Teacher on the Trail and... whatever happened to Pilot Rob?

Breaking news: Petit stalls, Kaiser takes lead into Koyuk

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 10:51:00 -0800

Welcome to some breaking news on the Iditapod. Monday morning saw a huge lead change in the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, as the team of Girdwood musher Nicolas Petit has stalled on the coast, allowing Bethel’s Pete Kaiser, the race’s current leader, and at least three others to pass him. We hear from Petit out on the sea ice, via Iditarod Insider.

S3E12: Big push to the coast

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 20:39:00 -0800

Girdwood's Nicolas Petit stayed in the lead of the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Sunday after making a long 90ish-mile run from Kaltag to Unalakleet overnight. We hear from a couple Yukon-Kuskokwim-area rookies in this year's race, and a couple YK-area parents with kids in the Iditarod. Plus, a question about climate change and a conversation with Iditarod musher Kristin Knight Pace, who has a book out called "This Much Country."

Anchorage interview with Kristin Knight Pace

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 15:58:00 -0800

Iditarod and Yukon Quest musher Kristin Knight Pace joins Alaska Public Media's Casey Grove in the studio for an interview about her book, This Much Country, and what's in it, including how she survived a divorce to find her true self in Alaska, eventually mushing dogs in the toughest long-distance races in the world, and starting a family.

Takotna interview with Martin Apayauq Reitan

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 13:43:00 -0800

Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes talks with Kaktovik musher Martin Apayauq Reitan - a rookie in the 2019 Iditarod - in Takotna about his sled, damaged much earlier in the race at the Happy River Steps.

Our 2019 trail reporters reunite in Unalakleet

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 13:28:00 -0800

Because the theme of this year's Iditapod is "Fun and Friendship," and because Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes and KNOM's Ben Matheson were reunited in Unalakleet ahead of the 2019 Iditarod frontrunners reaching that checkpoint and the coast of Alaska, here's a conversation between Ben and Zach and some of their tales from the trail.

S3E11: Mushing the Mighty Yukon

Sat, 09 Mar 2019 16:26:00 -0900

Mushers headed north on the Yukon River on Saturday, with the front of the pack on their way to Kaltag, where they turn west and head toward the coast of Alaska. Bethel's Pete Kaiser had advanced his team to the front, and we hear more about how he's managed that from earlier planning, as well as about sled modifications and repairs happening on the trail. Also, Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes somehow works in an interview about Harry Potter books on tape with Martin Apayauq Reitan and Meredith Mapes.

Shageluk interview with Paige Drobny

Sat, 09 Mar 2019 13:02:00 -0900

Ester musher Paige Drobny and her Squid Acres dogs (squids, she would say) have moved into the top 10 of the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. At least, that's where they were Friday and Saturday, the highest position the team has had in and out of these later-race checkpoints, or maybe ever! Recorded with KNOM's Ben Matheson Friday in Shageluk.

Shageluk interview with Jessie Royer

Sat, 09 Mar 2019 10:43:00 -0900

Front-of-the-pack 2019 Iditarod musher Jessie Royer talks to KNOM's Ben Matheson on Friday in Shageluk about having to drop a dog, what she's expecting from the trail ahead and how she feels about mushing near the front as one of the race's most competitive teams.

Iditarod interview with Aliy Zirkle

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 13:59:00 -0900

Here's a quick, couple-minute interview with Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle recorded Thursday in the checkpoint of Iditarod, where she was taking her 24-hour rest. KNOM's Ben Matheson asked about Zirkle's move passing other teams taking their 24s earlier to take the lead.

S3E10: Making it to the Yukon River

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 10:57:00 -0900

Top teams in the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race are reaching the Yukon River on Friday as the race enters its fifth day, with snow and more warm temperatures in the forecast. Girdwood's Nicolas Petit and Norwegian-by-way-of-Willow musher Joar Leifseth Ulsom have continued to leapfrog each other, with Nic winning a five-course meal in Anvik. We hear more about the different strategies as they came into focus earlier in the race and take a listener question about team positions for dogs.

Ophir interview with Nicolas Petit

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 07:44:00 -0900

He's been running out in front of much of the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, so clearly Nic Petit is a hard musher to catch up with, but KNOM's Ben Matheson had a nice long chat with the Girdwood local and 2018 runner-up Wednesday in Ophir, where Petit took his mandatory 24-hour layover. They talked about Nic's strategy of camping out more and how the dogs are doing - including, yes, more poop talk - among other things.

Takotna interview with Matt Failor

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:03:00 -0900

An extended interview with Willow musher Matt Failor, with Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes in Takotna. Hear more from the man who named a litter of dogs after heavy metal bands about getting more attention after winning the Kuskokwim 300, how his Iditarod is going and how he saw a snowmachiner, trying to pass him, crash along the trail.

The true story behind Dillon, the would-be Iditarod dog

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 12:15:00 -0900

Iditapod contributor Quince Mountain checks in from Winter Lake Lodge, a.k.a., thewhere a sled dog that lives at the lodge broke his chain and went for a run following Iditarod teams all the way up to Rainy Pass. Dillon's used to runs of up to 10 miles, but this was a 30-mile haul! Quince talks to lodge owner Carl Dixon and its manager, Lisa Rattan, about what they say is the real story.

S3E9: Zirkle first to halfway. Plus: injuries, wildlife and litter names

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 10:44:00 -0900

Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle and all 14 of her SP Kennel dogs made it to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race's halfway point, the Iditarod checkpoint, for her 24-hour layover. Other mushers coming off their 24s are expected through there Thursday. Earlier on their breaks, mushers shared stories of injuries, sled mishaps and wildlife encounters, as well as sled dog litter-naming conventions.

Tough-as-nails Richie Diehl and his busted face

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 08:18:37 -0900

Aniak musher Richie Diehl talks in Takotna about hitting a tree -- face first -- earlier in the race and continuing down the trail. Interview by Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

Quince Mountain checks in from... Skwentna?

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 07:09:00 -0900

Braver Mountain Mushing's Quince Mountain is out on the 2019 Iditarod trail trying to catch up with the mushers on a snowmachine. Due to some technical issues, he was only in Skwentna for our Wednesday phone call. That's about 80 miles into the trail, and Wednesday saw leaders into the Iditarod checkpoint, which is about 430 miles into the 1,000-mile race. But.. Quince is alive and OK, and that's the important part. We talked about the journey so far, somehow even got on the topic of dog poop (again) and what it's like to see meticulously packed drop bags go unused during such a warm year.

McGrath interview with Aliy Zirkle

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 11:08:00 -0900

This is an extended interview with Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle in McGrath, recorded Tuesday, March 5, 2019 by KNOM Radio's Ben Matheson.

S3E8: Taking 24-hour rests, as Aliy takes the lead

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 10:27:00 -0900

In this episode, we have a race update as mushers start to take their mandatory 24-hour rests at different checkpoints, part of the strategy of running the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and we talk to the mushers at McGrath and Tokotna. Early Wednesday saw last year's runner-up, Nicolas Petit, in the lead for a time, heading into Ophir. But three-time second-place finisher Aliy Zirkle left that ghost town checkpoint before Petit and was mushing in first place prior to taking her 24. Plus, we answer a listener question about how the race accounts for a staggered start at the beginning.

McGrath interview with Nic Petit

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 07:40:00 -0900

This is a bonus extended interview with Nicolas Petit in McGrath, where KNOM's Ben Matheson caught up with him, along with... another reporter whose name we do not know yet! This interview was recorded Tuesday, March 5, 2019.

S3E7: Rainy Pass, race rookies and Rohn axe-throwing

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:57:00 -0900

In Episode 7, we talk to mushers making preparations at the Rainy Pass checkpoint, as well as some first-time Iditarod racers and... some volunteers staying entertained by throwing axes? Speaking of throwing axes (loosely), we also answer a question about what happens if you get hurt out on the trail.

Rainy Pass interviews with Jessie Royer, Matt Hall, Linwood Fiedler

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 07:27:00 -0900

This bonus Iditapod features three full interviews from the Iditarod's Rainy Pass checkpoint: Jessie Royer, Matt Hall and Linwood Fiedler. They were recorded by Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes on Monday, March 4, 2019.

S3E6: The first 100 miles

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:47:00 -0900

We check in from the trail, where mushers covered the first 100-plus miles from the Willow restart Sunday to the first checkpoints, Yentna and Skwentna, and on to Finger Lake. Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes talked to mushers at Skwentna overnight, and we take a listener question on sled design. Also, today's episode features an extended interview with Ester musher Paige Drobny, an Iditarod veteran and one of a record field of female mushers.

S3E5: Clock ticking after Willow restart

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 21:45:00 -0900

Fifty-two mushers headed out of Willow as the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began in earnest Sunday, March 3. Iditapod host Casey Grove is joined by KNOM's Ben Matheson and Braver Mountain Mushing's Quince Mountain for discussions of the restart, early-race strategy and some of the numbers of the Iditarod, including that this year's race features the highest-ever percentage of female mushers.

S3E4: The Ceremonial Start

Sat, 02 Mar 2019 20:11:00 -0900

We talk about why the Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage is a thing, hear what mushers are talking about this year, and visit with the Trailgaters. It's the last time anyone gets to catch their breath before the real start of the race. And maybe catch a few hotdogs, too.

S3E3: This year's race

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 20:19:00 -0900

We talk about trail conditions, which teams look like contenders for the Top 10, our Rookie Of The Year Picks, and the best ways to follow the race. Also, a quick intro to our team on the trail.

Extended interview with Brent Sass

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 12:00:00 -0900

As promised in Season 3, Episode 1, here's an extended cut of the interview with two-time Yukon Quest champion Brent Sass of Eureka, the location of his kennel, Wild and Free mushing.

S3E2: The racing season so far

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 15:38:00 -0900

We take a quick look back at competitive mid-distance sled dog races that many Iditarod mushers use as qualifier or tune-up races. And though he's not in Iditarod this year, we talk to Yukon Quest champion Brent Sass about that race, his plans to return to Iditarod next year and who he thinks could win this year. We also take a visit to Alpine Creek Lodge off the Denali Highway, a remote yet comfortable training ground for established and up-and-coming dog teams alike.

S3E1: An abridged history of Alaska mushing and 2018 Iditarod

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 11:12:00 -0900

Ramping up our 2019 Iditarod coverage, we look back at the history of dog mushing in Alaska, the dawn of long-distance racing and... yes, we talk a little about last year's race.

S2E16: Wrapping up from Nome

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 14:28:00 -0800

Alaska Public Media's reporter on the Iditarod Trail, Zachariah Hughes, talks from Nome about the scene there as race finishers mush into town, and KNOM interviews with third-place finisher Mitch Seavey shed some light on his race, including a tough trail along the Bering Sea coast and becoming better friends with Joar Leifseth Ulsom (the new champ!) and runner-up Nicolas Petit. Plus, we go rapid-fire with questions about how fast the dogs run, trail mail and the Burled Arch.

S2E15: A new Norwegian champ, and the runner-up reflects

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 10:18:00 -0800

The Iditarod has crowned a new Norwegian champion: Joar Leifseth Ulsom. The 31-year-old pulled under Nome’s Burled Arch at 3 a.m. Wednesday with eight dogs in harness to claim his first championship, taking the win in Iditarod 46. Ulsom is the first Norwegian musher to win the thousand-mile sled dog race since Robert Sørlie in 2005. Girdwood's Nicolas Petit arrived a little over two hours later, and he spoke to reporters about how his race went and where it went wrong.

S2E14: The ol' Norwegian switcheroo, and the old guard passes the mantle

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:01:00 -0800

There was a major shakeup at the front of the 2018 Iditarod on Monday, when Joar Leifseth Ulsom slipped past previous leader Nicolas Petit while Petit lost the trail on the Bering Sea coast between Shaktoolik and Koyuk. The table is now set for Ulsom, first to White Mountain and only 77 miles from the finish in Nome, to win his first Iditarod championship and the first for a Norwegian -- or anybody else not originally from the U.S. -- since 2005. But, as we hear in this episode, a lead and a long rest at White Mountain hasn't always translated to a win. Meantime, many of mushing's old guard are happy to pass the mantle to the next generation of elite mushers (not including defending champ Mitch Seavey, still mushing near the front in third place).

S2E13: Onto coastal ice, DeeDee in UNK and oh snaps! Plus, Dallas Seavey in Norway

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 09:20:00 -0800

It's Monday and the frontrunners in the 2018 Iditarod are on the Bering Sea coast, venturing out on a trail over sea ice from Shaktoolik to Koyuk. Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes caught up with the top three -- Nicolas Petit, Mitch Seavey, Joar Leifseth Ulsom -- in Unalakleet on Sunday, as well as the legendary musher DeeDee Jonrowe, who scratched earlier in what she says was her last Iditarod after 36 total starts. We also hear from a Norwegian mushing reporter on four-time Iditarod champ Dallas Seavey's foray into the Finnmarksløpet, Europe's longest sled dog race.

S2E12: Petit leads, but how did we get here? Plus: Fantasy mushing..?!

Sun, 11 Mar 2018 12:29:00 -0800

As Girdwood's Nicolas Petit, Norwegian Joar Leifseth Ulsom and defending champ Mitch Seavey lead a chase pack to Unalakleet and the Bering Sea coast, we talk to Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes about how the 2018 Iditarod shaped up like this and how that chase pack got so bunched up. Also on today's Iditapod, we have a report from KCAW's Katherine Rose about a way for Iditarod fans around the world to get connected to the race: fantasy mushing.

S2E11: Scramble in Anvik, slog up the Yukon and Takotna survives on pies

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 11:51:00 -0900

With the Iditarod leaders on the mighty Yukon River and through the village checkpoint of Grayling, we hear about how weather prevented flying supplies to Eagle Island and caused the checkpoint to be downgraded to a mere "hospitality stop." That's why mushers scrambled to get mandatory rest in earlier and why they had to load up on supplies before one of the most formidable overnight trips of the race. Plus, back in Takotna, the village reflects on why it's been so steady as a checkpoint over the years, and we hear from KYUK's Johanna Eurich about what it used to be like covering the Last Great Race.

S2E10: First to the Yukon, Alaska Native mushers and a bison encounter

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:48:00 -0900

Friday morning saw Girdwood musher Nicolas Petit charge ahead leading the 2018 Iditarod to Anvik after passing teams resting in the ghost town checkpoint of Iditarod. As the first to reach the Yukon River, Petit is treated to a five-course meal. The main course is bison, which is an animal Whitehorse's Marcelle Fressineau encountered very much alive and not on a dinner plate farther back on the trail. We talk to Fressineau about how she fended off the bison with an axe, as well as some of the Alaska Native mushers in the race.

S2E9: Leaders into Iditarod, where to 24 and snack attack returns!

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 09:27:00 -0900

As Iditarod mushers decide when and where to take their mandatory 24-hour layovers, the leaders are in to the ghost town of Iditarod. And our trail reporters are breaking into their snack packs! Also, we hear from a Takotna elder about the moose he shot and fed at the village checkpoint.

S2E8: An icon drops out, 24-hour rests and dog-doping reignites

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 13:21:00 -0900

A lot has happened since the last podcast: Willow musher DeeDee Jonrowe has scratched in her 36th Iditarod, which she said would be her last. Meantime, front-of-the-pack mushers are taking their 24-hour layovers, so this is a good time to talk about how times are adjusted to correct from the staggered, every-two-minute race starts. Plus: More off-trail drama related to dogs and drugs! Sheesh! We talk to a fellow Iditarod reporter about what has been described as a confrontational encounter between the race's head toxicologist and a musher right before the official start on Sunday.

S2E7: Race day 3, and tricky mushing out of Rainy Pass

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 12:10:00 -0900

Things get pretty technical for Iditarod mushers heading out of the Rainy Pass checkpoint and into the Dalzell Gorge before Rohn and Nikolai. Plus, we hear from animal-rights activist and documentary filmmaker Fern Levitt, and we get four-time Iditarod Jeff King's take on criticism of dog mushing.

S2E6: Race day 2, plus Rookie of the Year contenders

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 09:06:00 -0900

In less than 24 hours, the Iditarod front-runners have made it to the Finger Lake checkpoint, 123 miles into the 1,000-mile race. But not before checking in at Yentna and Skwentna, the first two checkpoints after leaving Willow. And, even before that, KNOM's Davis Hovey caught up with two top candidates for Rookie of the Year: Two Rivers' Matt Hall and Nenana's Jessie Holmes.

S2E5: Race clock ticking after Willow restart

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 21:51:00 -0900

Mushers in the 2018 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race are officially on course for the 1,000-mile trek to Nome after the restart in Willow. We take a rather, uh, unique question from a listener, and Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes does whatever it takes to get an interview.

S2E4: Ceremonial start and the trail-side parties

Sat, 03 Mar 2018 22:24:00 -0900

The 2018 Iditarod kicks off with the ceremonial start in Anchorage and an 11-mile jaunt through downtown and the city's trails, past race revelers that call themselves "trailgaters." We introduce KNOM News Director and trail reporter Davis Hovey, and hear from DeeDee Jonrowe, Nicolas Petit and some of the folks along the trail.

S2E3: The season so far, and a look ahead

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 17:40:00 -0900

We look at two of the most dramatic races of the season so far, the Kuskokwim 300 and the Yukon Quest. Host Casey Grove speaks with KUAC's Zoe Rom, Ben Matheson, and Zachariah Hughes about what this year's mushing season can tell us about the Iditarod ahead.

S2E2: What the heck is happening?

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 20:09:00 -0900

We look at three major problems hitting Alaska's mushing community ahead of the Iditarod. ADN's Tegan Hanlon and Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes sit down with host Casey Grove to discuss the whirlwind of recent news, including a doping scandal, musher mutiny, and increasing pressure from animal rights groups.

S2E1: A look back at last year's race

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 19:06:00 -0900

Host Casey Grove speaks with trail correspondents Ben Matheson and Zachariah Hughes about the 2017 Iditarod, what stuck out, and what's ahead in this year's podcast.