… the sled dogs, that is.

There is no doubt that the highlights of my trip are all centred on the dogs; visiting them before the start of the Iditarod; watching them leap into action when it was their turn; being at a checkpoint when they arrived; witnessing the love and care given to them by their musher; and even having our own team when we ran dogs ourselves.

Before the ceremonial start of the race in Anchorage, the mushers congregate in one of the cordoned-off streets with their mobile kennels.

At this point the mushers have been allocated their bib numbers at the Banquet, and so they know the starting order. As the time approaches the dogs will be taken out of the truck or car, and the final preparation begins.

While in their kennels the dogs sleep and relax. But the moment they are taken out, it all changes! They get so excited, and they voice their enthusiasm…

At the ceremonial start I took this video, where you can see the dogs leaping and pulling on the leads to get going!

And then it’s all smiles when they are on their way.

Even back home at the kennels, when there is not a race about to happen, the dogs still get exuberant. When they get a notion that there’s a running opportunity afoot, they make it known that they want to be a part of it by howling to get attention.

While most of the time we were watching other mushers and their teams, we also had a couple of opportunities to drive a team ourselves. The Iditarod mushers and their teams make it look so easy! That’s because they have had months (usually years) to form that bond where they all support one another, musher and dogs alike.  However, when I was mushing, I quickly realised that the dogs are actually in control of everything (and so they should be! Considering how much of a novice I was.)

Take this photo, for instance. You can absolutely understand from the look on this dog’s face, what he is thinking:

“So, what’s the problem, here?? Let’s just get going!!!”…..

And even during the race, when they stop at a checkpoint they sometimes just want to keep going! I took this video at Rainy Pass checkpoint.

A funny moment occurred at this checkpoint. The volunteers had set up a BBQ for lunch. As you can imagine, the tantalising smell of cooking sausages was wafting through the air. I was standing between the checkpoint and the BBQ, when one dog team started to head straight towards the BBQ. It was clear that they had caught the aroma as well. Despite the musher calling out ‘haw’ (which means left) numerous times, and in increasing intensity, the dogs were unwavering in their determination to get some of these sausages!!! The musher finally had to stop the team, anchor the sled, and walk up to the lead dogs. He then grabbed the lead and walked them so that they were heading past the BBQ. Then he walked back to the sled, took the anchor out of the snow, and headed off again, all the while continuing to shout ‘HAW’. It was quite the hilarious sight, especially for those of us who found ourselves in the path of some very determined sled dogs! (Listen out for the musher calling out “haw” in the video)

The volunteers play a critical role in ensuring the success of the Iditarod. There are many behind-the-scenes roles which are carried out by volunteers. The volunteer vets are on duty 24/7, having to meet the teams regardless of the time of the day or night, as the dog teams are required to present themselves for inspection and examination at every checkpoint. The book “Four Thousand Paws” by Lee Morgan provided me with some incredible insights into what it was like to be an Iditarod vet.

The dogs themselves know the drill when they stop. When the musher lays out the hay, the dogs know exactly what this means; food, sleep and a visit from a friendly vet.

And it seems that the “going-to-sleep” routine is the same for any dog, no matter where they are…..they love to turn in circles until they find just the right spot!….

You might have noticed that the dogs wear booties. This is obviously to protect their feet; from the harsh conditions underfoot, but also from the build-up of snow and ice between their toes which can end up as painful and abrasive ice balls. The teams tend to have their own signature booties, usually in black and a neon colour. The booties are held on the dogs’ paws with a piece of Velcro around the top.

It was such an amazing experience to be in Nome at the end of the race, watching the teams arrive after travelling 1,000 miles of extraordinarily difficult wilderness. Without fail, every musher made it a priority to feed a special treat to their dogs. Sometimes it was steak! (As far as I could tell it was always frozen, though!)

I also took some photos of some of the dogs with their “travel beards” Hahaha

One of the special moments was when Jessie Holmes, the 2026 Iditarod Champion (and also the 2025 Champion), chatted to a small group of us. Jessie had brought with him his two lead dogs, Polar and Zeus. Both dogs ran in the 2025 Iditarod as well, when Zeus was only 2 years old, and described as a powerful emerging leader. In the 2026 race, Jessie put Zeus in the lead position with Polar for most of the race, affectionately recounting how the young Zeus took to the role with pride and determination, eager to prove that he was worthy of the honour. Nine year old Polar was again leader in the 2026 race, described by Jessie as the one with the “brains”.

It was truly delightful to watch the two dogs on the stage with Jessie. Both of them would look lovingly up at Jessie. Polar would settle down and snooze amidst the activity (obviously a veteran of the limelight). Zeus was a little more distracted by the attention, wandering around Jessie while he spoke, or checking on Polar beside him, before finally settling (for a little while). He was only three years old after all.

I’m going to finish with a photo of Wendell taken by one of my friends on the trip. (Thanks, Leeanne, for your spectacular photo!) Wendell is the proclaimed mayor dog of Talkeetna. Although I’m not sure that this is exactly correct, as the mayor of Talkeetna is currently Stubbs, the cat!?!