Here are some of the questions we are most frequently asked about what it’s like to participate in the Iditarod. Do you have a question that is not answered in this section? Please send an email to blacksprucedogsledding@gmail.com. We want to hear from you!
What are your goals for racing?
Our #1 goal is always to finish with a happy, healthy dog team. That is the most important thing to every musher. We love our dogs, and we want them to be well. But we also know that happy, successful dogs this year, will go on to be happy, successful dogs next year, too! It’s important for our dogs to have positive experiences while racing.
Another common goal is for mushers to beat their previously fastest race time. In 2024, Jeff finished the Iditarod in 9 and 1/2 days. This year, his goal will be to finish in just 9 days.
Someday Jeff would like to win the Iditarod, of course!
Every year, the goal is to finish with a happy, healthy dog team. That is the most important thing to every musher.
Another popular goal is for mushers to beat their previously fastest race time. For example, in 2019 Jeff Deeter finished the Iditarod in 10 days and 20 hours. In 2020, his goal was to finish in under 10 days.
Someday we would like to win the Iditarod, of course. But it’s important that when we set goals for ourselves we make those goals realistic and measurable. Based on our experience level, and the experience level of our dogs, it’s not realistic for us to have a goal of winning the Iditarod yet.
What is your favorite part of the Iditarod trail?
Jeff really loves bad weather! His favorite thing on the Iditarod is when there are lots of storms with high wind and falling or blowing snow. This makes the race trail particularly challenging. It can be hard for the dogs to see where they are supposed to step, and hard for Jeff to keep the sled from tipping over. But he loves the challenge! Even though sometimes it’s scary and difficult, a challenging trail makes the race exciting. And a musher can feel proud of themselves and their dogs for being able to make it through these tough parts.
How do you withstand the cold temperatures, and the storms?
Cold temperatures can be challenging, but our winter clothes are designed specifically for the conditions we face. Did you know that our parkas are handmade by a woman who lives in Fairbanks? Having appropriate clothing is critical, as is eating a lot of high fat and high carb foods to create energy and keep us warm from the inside out. Hot coffee and tea are our favorite drinks while mushing down the trail.
Storms are very exciting, and the thrill of battling the elements typically keeps us plenty warm. If it is very windy and snowy, we have to focus to stay on the trail, and we may also help the dogs through the snow by pedaling and running with the sled. Moving our bodies keeps us warm and awake.
Cold temperatures can be very difficult, and our winter clothes are designed specifically for the conditions we face. Did you know that our parkas are handmade by a woman who lives in Fairbanks? Having appropriate clothing is critical, as is eating a lot of high fat, high carb foods to create energy and keep us warm. Hot coffee and tea are our favorite drinks while mushing down the trail.
Storms are very exciting, and the thrill of the elements typically keeps us plenty warm. If it is very windy and snowy, we have to focus to stay on the trail, and we may also help the dogs through the snow by pedaling and running with the sled. Moving our bodies keeps us warm and awake.
What is the most challenging or scary part of the Iditarod?
The most challenging part of the Iditarod is going for many days without good sleep. On a 5 hour rest, mushers are only taking about 1.5 hours of sleep. And we do that for many days on end. Even on our 24 hour rest we still have to wake up every few hours to feed and stretch our dogs. They get very hungry, even when they are sleeping, and their muscles need to be massaged and warmed up so they don’t feel stiff and sore when they start to run again.
The scariest parts of Iditarod are usually The Steps, The Dalzell Gorge and the Farewell Burn. These areas are all between Finger Lake and Nikolai, so they come fairly early on in the race, when our dog teams are still fairly large and have lots of energy!
First, the Happy River Steps is a series of steep drops that you mush through in the Alaska Range. Basically you start up really high in the mountains when you leave Finger Lake. Then you drop down some very steep and narrow cliff edges, down to the Happy River below you.
The next challenge is the Dalzell Gorge. A gorge is a skinny cut between two sheer mountains, with a river running through it. We mush alongside the river for a little while, then we have to cross over the river a few different times. It is hard to control your sled in this area because the trail is very narrow with super sharp corners and lots of open water. After you leave the Dalzell Gorge you get to take a break in Rohn.
Then, when you leave Rohn, you enter the Farewell Burn. The Burn is difficult because it usually has very little snow cover. This is a windy area, and it sits the “rain shadow” of the Alaska Range. A rain shadow occurs when precipitation comes off of the ocean and dumps itself all out on the front side of some mountains. Once the clouds are all empty of their rain or snow, they drift over the tops of the mountains and don’t have hardly any precipitation to leave on the backside. This is why the Farewell Burn is famous for having no snow. This area can also be very, very icy with lots of driftwood, boulders and gravel bars getting in the way of the sled.
How many hours do you actually race? What do you do during breaks while on trail?
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run both day and night. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail. A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 8 hours, but then resting for only 3 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting for 3 to 4 hours… And so on. There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to get some extra sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
How does the food situation work? For you and the dogs?
We send most of our human food and dog food out on the trail ahead of time in “drop bags.” These bags are labeled with our names, and left at each checkpoint along the trail. Each bag weighs 40-50 pounds, and we send about 3 bags to each checkpoint. These bags are mostly full of human food, dog food, dog booties, gloves, batteries, dry socks, heat packs, runner plastic, dog blankets and foot cream for the dogs.
Sometimes the volunteers at the checkpoint will cook for us, too, and that is really nice!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
How many times do you feed your dogs during the race? What is their favorite thing to eat while racing?
When running down the trail, the dogs will stop briefly to eat a quick snack every two hours. The snack is usually ¼ pound of raw, frozen beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! During rests, the dogs eat bigger meals with warm water and dry kibble, in addition to more raw meat!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
How fast do the dogs run? How many miles a day do you travel on the trail?
We like the dogs to run at about 9 miles an hour. But sometimes the trail conditions allow us to go a little bit faster, or make us go a lot slower. On a very slow trail, with lots of deep snow, the dogs may only be able to travel 5 or 6 miles per hour.
On average, we cover a little over 100 miles in each 24 hour period.
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
If something happens to one of your dogs along the trail, how is taken care of?
If a dog gets sick, injured, or tired while running down the trail, we can stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
Do you listen to music to pass the time while racing? What do you listen to?
Many mushers listen to music, podcasts or audiobooks while on the trail. Jeff mostly listens to books. His favorite ones have a lot of action, adventure, or complex story lines.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
Do you see any wild animals when you're racing?
Yes, we see lots of ptarmigan, grouse, snowshoe hares and foxes. We also see moose, lynx, and sometimes even caribou or wolves! We don’t usually see any bears while we are racing because they are all hibernating.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
How do you feel when you finish the Iditarod?
We have a lot of feelings at the finish of the Iditarod. Of course we are pretty happy to get to the finish line because it means we can finally get a good rest, but we also feel a little bit sad for such a fun trip to be over.
After Jeff’s first and second Iditarods he felt a huge sense of accomplishment for having worked towards and finished something really challenging. All finishes are rewarding, but the first couple of Iditarod finishes are the most special.
At the end of every race we always feel a huge sense of gratitude for our dogs for being so loyal and committed.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
How long do you train before the race?
Our serious training starts in early September. Our first runs in September are only about 4 miles long, but we build the miles up every week, and by January the dogs should be able to regularly run for up to 75 miles with only short breaks every couple of hours to eat their snacks.
The dogs run about 4-5 days a week, and have 2-3 days a week of rest or free play time.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
How much time do you spend with your dogs?
We don’t have any other jobs besides being with our dogs, so we get to spend lots of time with them. In winter, our typical day starts by going outside to feed the dogs and clean up their poop. This usually takes about an hour. Then we go inside and eat breakfast. (That’s right: a musher always takes care of their dogs before they take care of themselves.) After breakfast we hook the dogs up and we go for a training run. It usually takes about an hour just to hook up, and then our training runs are usually between 2 and 8 hours long! At the end of the day we feed the dogs dinner before we feed ourselves. Then we go to bed, and we do the whole thing over again the next day!
In summer, we are not going on training runs because it is too hot. So instead of running in harness, the dogs get to go hiking or swimming.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
How many dogs can you have for your team? What are your dogs’ names? Who are the leaders?
Each musher can start the Iditarod with a maximum of 16 dogs, but we usually have at least 20 or more in training all winter long. To see our dogs, and learn about each of them, go to our Meet the Dogs page.
To find out which 16 dogs we select for the race, ask your teacher, parent or guardian to check us out on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
Each musher can start the Iditarod with a maximum of 14 dogs, but we usually have about 20 or more in training all winter long. To see our Main Race Team and learn about each of them, go to our Meet the Dogs page.
To find out which 14 dogs we select for the race, ask your teacher, parent or guardian to check us out on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
How did you get your dogs? How many dogs do you have?
Most of the dogs we have now we raised from puppies. We bought the mom and dad dogs from other mushers who we really admired and had good racing teams. When the mom and dad dogs have puppies, we raise all of the puppies together in a group and use the mom and dad dogs and other adult dogs for training the puppies. Now most of our racing adult dogs are dogs we raised from puppyhood.
We continue to have puppies each summer to replace dogs who are getting old and retiring. (You can ask your grandparents about retirement.) When the dogs are too old for racing they can still train puppies for a little while. Then when they are too old to do that they just get to be pet dogs who come inside and be spoiled! Right now we have three dogs who live inside with us, and more than 45 sled dogs who live mostly outside, although they get to come inside sometimes, too.
Most of the dogs we have now we raised from puppies. We bought the mom and dad dogs from other mushers who we really admired and had good racing teams. When the mom and dad dogs have puppies, we raise all of the puppies together in a group and use the mom and dad dogs and other adult dogs for training the puppies. Now most of our racing adult dogs are dogs we raised from puppyhood. We continue to have puppies to replace dogs who are getting old and retiring. (You can ask your grandparents about retirement.) When the dogs are too old for racing they can still train puppies for a little while. Then when they are too old to do that they just get to be pet dogs who come inside and be spoiled! Right now we have three dogs who live inside with us, and more than 45 sled dogs who live mostly outside, although they get to come inside sometimes, too.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
What got you interested in dog sledding?
Jeff grew up in an Alaska Native village called Noorvik. Every April there is a 440 mile dog sled race that goes through that village called the Kobuk 440. The first time Jeff saw that race, at age six, he knew that dog sledding was something he wanted to do. Jeff was very lucky to live in a place where there were people around with me with sled dogs who could teach him.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
Why did Jeff take a break from racing between 2008 and 2018?
Jeff started mushing when he was 15 years old, and spent all of his teenage years focused only on running the Iditarod in 2008. He didn’t think about much else, or think about what he wanted to do with the whole rest of his life after Iditarod. In 2008 he completed the Iditarod at age 19. He was very happy with his accomplishment, but running the Iditarod is VERY expensive. As a teenager, Jeff’s parents helped him with a lot of the expenses, but as Jeff’s 20th birthday was approaching he knew he had to figure out how to pay for all of the Iditarods in the future, and also think really hard about if that was how he wanted to spend all his time and money. So between 2008 and 2018, Jeff did some traveling, and he went to college for a little while, and he mostly did a lot of thinking. He also met his wife, KattiJo in 2010, and she encouraged him to follow his dreams and get back into racing if that was what he really wanted to do. Training sled dogs takes a lot of time and patience (and yes, money!) so it was important for Jeff to find a partner like KattiJo who wanted to help and have sled dogs, too. Now we love training the dogs together.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
What other hobbies do you have besides dog mushing?
In winter we like snowboarding, but we don’t have a lot of free time to do that because we are usually very busy with the dogs. In summer we like hiking, camping, boating, and going to the beach to play Frisbee and swim.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
Does anyone help you with your dogs?
Sometimes we have helpers called “handlers.” Dog handlers are people who live with us, but aren’t family. Dog handlers help to feed and pick up after the dogs. They also help with some of the training and providing logistical support for races. Dog handlers are usually people who are really interested in learning about mushing. They may not know very much about mushing when they start working for a musher, but they get to learn by doing the work and helping out. Being a handler is a great way to learn how to be a dog musher.
Sometimes we have helpers called “handlers.” Dog handlers are people who live with us, but aren’t family. Dog handlers help to feed and pick up after the dogs. They also help with some of the training and providing logistical support for races. Dog handlers are usually people who are really interested in learning about mushing. They may not know very much about mushing when they start working for a musher, but they get to learn by doing the work and helping out. Being a handler is a great way to learn how to be a dog musher.
Most of the time if a dog gets sick, injured or tired while we are running down the trail we just stop and put them in our sled bag to give them a ride to the nearest checkpoint. When we get to the checkpoint we try to see if there is something we can do to help the dog feel better. Sometimes a good rest, a meal, a nice long massage, or some medicine can get them feeling better quick. If we can’t get them feeling better we will leave them in the care of volunteer veterinarians at the checkpoint and they will get flown home on an airplane. Most dogs heal up quickly and will run the Iditarod again next year!
When racing, the dogs eat a snack every two hours. A snack is usually ¼ pound of beef, chicken or salmon. This is a little bit bigger than the size of a hamburger or chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and without the bun! The dogs eat bigger meals whenever we are resting. We can’t feed them big meals when they are running because they can get really bad stomach aches and get very sick. On a six hour rest the dogs will eat two times. When the rests are longer the dogs can eat more meals and snacks. They love all kinds of food, but their favorite thing is frozen salmon!
Every musher sets up a different schedule of running and resting for their team based on the age of the dogs, experience of the dogs and the musher, and the difficulty of the trail. We run day and night, it doesn’t matter. At night we use really bright headlamps so we can see the trail.
A good schedule for young dogs or inexperienced mushers is “equal run and equal rest.” That usually means running for 6 to 8 hours, and then resting for 6 to 8 hours. Then running again for 6 to 8 hours, and resting again for 6 to 8 hours… And so on.
A schedule for a very competitive team that wants to win is something more like running for 6 to 10 hours, but then resting for only 2 to 4 hours… Then running again for 6 to 10 hours, and resting for 2 to 4 hours… And so on.
There are also some mandatory rests that are required on the trail, too, that all mushers must take. Everyone has to take two 8-hour rests and one 24-hour rest. This is a good time for us and our dogs to catch up on sleep, and for the veterinarians to look at our dogs and make sure everyone is happy and healthy.
When we are resting, we are either camped on the side of the trail or in checkpoints. Checkpoints are usually small, remote villages which are mostly populated by Alaska Native people. In the village, mushers will usually sleep in churches or school gymnasiums! Usually school is cancelled when the mushers are in town because the kids are too distracted to pay attention in the classroom, haha
When we rest on the trail instead of the checkpoint, we are just laying down in the straw with our dogs, or sleeping on top of our sleds. We have very warm sleeping bags and do not use tents. Tents do not provide any warmth, and they are just something extra and unnecessary to carry in the sled. In our sled we are really only carrying things that are crucial for survival – a cooker to melt snow into water, an axe to cut wood, booties for our dogs’ feed, and extra food and extra clothing for us and the dogs.
When we are resting we spend our time feeding the dogs, stretching or massaging the dogs, feeding ourselves and sleeping. We also like to talk to other mushers and ask them how their race is going and how their dogs are doing. But mostly if we have free time during a rest period, we are trying to get some sleep!
Have a question that isn’t answered here? Send it to us at: blacksprucedogsledding@gmail.com
In May of 2020, Jeff created this Iditarod race-recap video for Puckett’s Mill Elementary school, who were huge supporters of ours that year. Check out what he had to say about his 2020 race!
