Iditarad fascination ....

Each excursion  while touring through Alaska brought a greater admiration for the people who live there.  

When leaving the Steamboat Landing Dock, and watching the bi-plane landing on the water beside the tour boat, I didn't have the slightest idea as to what to expect from passing by the Iditarad Dogs.

Well, here's the story.  Susan Butcher was a dog musher who won the Iditarad 4 times!  Much like me, you might not know the details behind the Iditarad.  It's a 1,131 mile arctic dog sled race that takes place in the Alaskan wilderness!  And, it last 1-2 weeks!  Now mind you, I wouldn't want to be out in an Alaskan winter for  half a day! (Sorry for all the "!" marks  ..... it's just the way I feel.)Sadly, Susan died of leukemia ... but here in the picture is her husband David, who carries on her legacy by demonstrating to us tourists, what these wonderful dogs are about.

He explained that these dogs LOVE to "work".  And, by the barking and carrying on as these guys were hooked up, you could tell that all they wanted to do was work as a team and pull that ATV (no dog sled in this weather). I recall them jumping straight up in the air ... their energy levels were right up there too!

Here they are, happily working away.

And even after that long stretch of exercise, you can see their tails high and waging.  Job well done!

Once unharnessed, they are allowed to continue to run and jump and play in the water!  Their spirit  was captivating!

I'm not sure if I have it right, but this might be one of Susan's daughters.  At any rate, we were given the opportunity to hear more about these wonderful animals and to see them up close.

What a beautiful proud animal.  He's earned that distinction ... pulling a sled for over 1,100 miles (just for grins  ... that's from NY to Florida) in the dead of winter!  Be proud ... be VERY proud!  Thank you Susan!