A dog’s day
To finish the 1,049-mile Iditarod dog sled race is no small feat; Mitch Seavey has finished the race 17 times, taking first place in 2004. At his training camp in Seward, Seavey and his family introduce visitors to this unique Alaskan competition and the dogs that make it all possible.
We’ve arrived at the Seavey’s complex this morning for a tour of the kennels and the “Ididaride” experience. As soon as we get off the bus, we can hear the excited barks and howls of the dogs that live and train at these facilities and have been conditioned to love visitors.
Half of the group immediately loads onto sleds to begin their ride. My half starts with a visit to the kennel, where several female huskies have just given birth to litters of puppies. Our guide tells us about how the dogs are raised and trained and then hands the puppies out to group members for cuddle encounters and photo stops.
After visiting with the dogs, we learn a little about the Iditarod race itself, and our guide dresses a volunteer in a full set of racing gear. Soon, though, we’re divided into groups of six and climbing onto specially built carriages that will transport us on our dog-team ride through the woods.
The dogs seem even more excited about the ride than we are. The team driver says that these creatures are born to run, and he has to exercise control over the dogs to make them stand still. They get their chance soon enough, though, hauling us careening through a 2.5-mile wooded path alongside Box Canyon Creek at the foot of Resurrection Mountain.
The sled ride makes a great end to my Alaskan adventure. Although the bank groups will board a seven-night cruise in Seward, I’ll be headed back to Anchorage for an overnight flight home. With any luck, I’ll sleep through most of the long flight east, dreaming of Alaska’s wilderness wonders.
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