Northern Light Media

Alaskan Roads and Trails History

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Helen Hegener

Alaska’s history can be defined in large part by the network of trails and roads which criss-cross the state, threading through the seemingly endless forests and across the wide tundra lands; winding over great mountain ranges and bridging tumultuous rivers. From the Valdez-to-Eagle Trail to the Iditarod Trail to the trails which became the Glenn Highway, the Seward Highway and others, there have always been pathways through the wilderness, whether made by animals on the move, natives seeking better hunting and fishing, or pioneers prospecting for gold.

The roads and trails, some long abandoned and others still in use, have played a large role in Alaska’s history, providing not only access and a means for the delivery of freight, mail and passengers, but also providing jobs for untold thousands of men and women. Surveying, mapping, building and maintaining the roads and trails of our state have given many a reason for being here, and for many others a reason to stay.

Alaska Highway

The 352-mile Richardson Highway, which links the coastal town of Valdez with the Interior towns of Delta Junction and Fairbanks, began as the aptly-named Valdez-Fairbanks Trail, and before that much of it was the Valdez-Eagle Trail, one of the first inroads to the Klondike gold fields in Canada, built by the U.S. Army in 1898.

The southernmost part of the Glenn Highway, which runs 328 miles from Anchorage to Tok, near the Canadian border, was originally part of the Iditarod Trail, which linked the seacoast town of Seward, on the Kenai Peninsula, with the seacoast town of Nome, on the Seward Peninsula (still with me?). The longest stretch of freeway in Alaska, and the only road access to Anchorage for most of the state, runs primarily along the Glenn Highway, beginning in north Anchorage, continuing onto the Parks Highway just south of Palmer, and ending in Wasilla, for a total of approximately 38 miles.

Crossing Thompson Pass on the Valdez-Fairbanks Road

This history of the roads and trails of Alaska is a fascinating study, full of colorful characters and epic events. Follow a few links and spend some time learning more about the roads and highways we all use, and those who built and used them before us. It’s an important part of our history – and our future.

For more information:

• A list of Alaska Routes

• The Milepost

• The History of Alaska’s Roads

• The Evolution of the Richardson Highway

• Iditarod National Historic Trail

• Alaska State Parks Trail Maps and Guides

• Alaska Road Commission

Posted in Alaska History | Tagged Alaska Highway, Alaska Road Commission, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Glenn Highway, Iditarod National Historic Trail, Iditarod Trail, Nome, Richardson Highway, roads, routes, trails, U.S. Army, Valdez | 1 Comment

The Matanuska Colony Barns

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Helen Hegener

In 1935 the U.S. Government transported 200 families from the Great Depression-stricken midwest to a valley of unparalleled beauty in Alaska, where they were given the chance to begin new lives as part of a federally-funded social experiment, the Matanuska Colony Project. As part of each family’s farmstead, a magnificent barn was raised, a sturdy square structure 32′ by 32′ and soaring 32′ high. Today these Colony barns are an iconic reminder of what has been called the last great pioneering adventure in America.

The history of the Colony barns is told in this book, beginning with an introduction to many of the barns built by the earliest pioneering farmers in Alaska, then sharing an overview of the 1935 Matanuska Colony Project (detailed in the book of the same title), with dozens of black-and-white and color photos. The details of construction are highlighted, with prices for everything from the hinges on the doors to the cupolas on the roofs. And then the barns are introduced one-by-one, those still in use today, those falling into disrepair, and those which have been lovingly restored for future generations to admire. There are half-barns, double barns, many moved across the valley barns, and the unusually magnificent arch-roofed barns, of which four were built and only two remain.

From the back cover: “Anyone who travels through the eastern part of Alaska’s dramatically beautiful Matanuska Valley soon finds a Colony barn enhancing the landscape. These striking Valley landmarks are the enduring legacy of an all-but-forgotten chapter in American history, when the U.S. government took a direct hand in the lives of thousands of its citizens, offering Depression-distraught farm families an opportunity to begin again in a far-off land with government financing and support. Central to every Colony farm was the barn, a core structure integral to the operation of these family farms.”

• The Matanuska Colony Barns: The Enduring Legacy of the 1935 Matanuska Colony Project, by Helen Hegener, photographs by Eric Vercammen, Stewart Amgwert, Albert Marquez, Dave Rose, Joanie Juster, Ron Day and others. Foreword by Barbara Hecker. Introduction by James H. Fox. 140 pages, full color. ISBN 978-0-9843977-4-7. Includes Colonist families listing, maps, bibliography, resources, index. List price $29.00.

Order from the publisher or from your local bookstore via IndieBound. Also available at Amazon. To order via check or money order, mail to Northern Light Media, Post Office Box 298023, Wasilla, Alaska 99629. To order from the author via credit card or Paypal, CLICK HERE and send payment to helenhegener@gmail.com

Posted in Alaska History, Books | Tagged Alaska, Albert Marquez, Barbara Hecker, barn, barns, Breeden, Colony farm, Colony Project, Dave Rose, Eric Vercammen, Great Depression, Havemeister, Hegener, Jim Fox, Joanie Juster, Matanuska Valley, MATI, Northern Light Media, Palmer, Ron Day, Stewart Amgwert, The Matanuska Colony Barns | Leave a comment

Iditarod National Historic Trail

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Helen Hegener

The 2015 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is over, but the Iditarod Trail is much more than just a sled dog racetrack. This network of over 2,300-miles of winter trails, which first connected ancient Native Alaskan villages, opened the territory for the last great American gold rush, and it now plays a vital role for travel and recreation in modern-day Alaska. Multiple groups use the historic trail every year, from the super-fast Iron Dog snowmachiners to long-distance trekkers and modern-day explorers seeking adventure in the Alaskan backcountry.

Portions of the Iditarod National Historic Trail from Seward to Nome are open to the public, and while the northern stretches of trail are generally impassable in the summer, you can explore the Historic Trail year-round on foot, by auto, or by rail between Seward and Knik, especially in the Chugach National Forest on the Kenai Peninsula, and Chugach State Park right outside of Anchorage.

Iditarod waterfront, 1911

National Historic Trails commemorate major routes of exploration, migration, trade, communications, and military actions that formed America, and only 16 trails in the U.S. have been honored as National Historic Trails. The Iditarod is the only Alaskan trail in the National system, and the only Historic Trail celebrating the indispensable role played by man’s best friend in America’s Last Great Gold Rush. Without the dependable sled dog hauling freight, passengers, mail and more, the history of Alaska and the north country would have been quite different.

One of the many resources available free from the BLM Alaska site for the Iditarod National Historic Trail is a downloadable PDF of the beautiful and informative full-color, 24-page Visitor Guide by Alaska Geographic, which details the route, the history, and the current projects along the trail. Of special note are the numerous easily accessible sites of interest along the present-day trail, especially between Seward and the Mat-Su area, and the wonderful old historic photos with their interesting descriptions.

Several other free guides are also available, including Chugach National Forest, Denali National Park, and the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Alaska Geographic’s visitor guides include detailed maps, trip planning information, wildlife viewing opportunities, and much more. Developed in coordination with agency partners, these guides offer up-to-date information to enhance your visits to these popular destinations in Alaska.

For more information:

• Iditarod National Historic Trail

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Iditarod Trail at Wikipedia

• Alaska State Trails Program – Iditarod Trail

Posted in Alaska History | Tagged Iditarod, Iditarod National Historic Trail, Iditarod Trail, Knik, National Historic Trail, Nome, Seward | Leave a comment

Along Alaskan Trails

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Helen Hegener

Along Alaskan Trails, Adventures in Sled Dog History, by Helen Hegener, is a collection of true stories about Alaskan sled dogs and the role they played in the development of the north, with dozens of historic photos from the archives of the Alaska State Library, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and other sources.

The history of Alaska was in large part written behind a team of sled dogs. Or, more accurately, thousands of teams of sled dogs. Man’s dependence on these canine workhorses of the north can be seen in photo after photo: A dog team carrying passengers on the Richardson Trail, a dog team hauling freight across the Iditarod Trail, two dog teams loaded with the U.S. Mail and bound for Anchorage from Seward, a dog team on patrol from Fort Gibbon near Eagle, a dog team making its way along the frozen Yukon River to the next missionary stopover…

U.S. Mail team on the Yukon River. Photo: University of Alaska Fairbanks, John Zug Collection UAF 1980-68-252

Among the tales shared in this book is the story of an intrepid Japanese musher who blazed a wide swath across Alaska, an Archdeacon who wrote the classic Ten Thousand Miles with a Dogsled, legendary mushers such as Scotty Allan and Leonhard Seppala, Arctic explorers like Ernest de Koven Leffingwell, and intrepid adventurers like Slim Williams and Mary Joyce.

And the dogs! From Baldy to Balto, Togo to Wolf, Chinook to Rembrandt, these are the dogs who blazed across Alaskan trails and into the history books. From the fiercely-argued conflict between sled dogs and reindeer, to the spooky apparitions along the Iditarod Trail, this book captures the fascinating stories of the dogs of the north.

Ben Atwater arriving at Lake Bennet from Circle City with U.S. Mail, 1909.

The history of Alaska would be very different without the criss-crossing trails of thousands of sled dog teams. Sifting through hundreds of photos of Alaskan dog teams makes clear their important role in the history of the northland. Before cars and trucks, there were sled dogs. Before ships, trains, and airplanes, there were sled dogs. In every part of this great land, from the misty fjords of southeastern Alaska to the farthest northern tip of the continent, sled dogs were the most dependable – and often the only – form of transportation. The dog team made travel and moving loads over otherwise impassable trails possible. In The Cruelest Miles (2003, W.W. Norton & Co.) Gay and Laney Salisbury wrote: “On the Alaskan trail, sled dogs becsme partners in a game of survival. Drivers depended on their dogs so that they could make a living as freighters, mailmen, and trappers, and relied on the animals’ skill and intelligence to get them safely across the rough, dangerous terrain.”

Their stories are gathered and shared in this splendid collection of well-researched essays and historic photographs.

• Along Alaskan Trails, Adventures in Sled Dog History, by Helen Hegener. Published in July, 2012 by Northern Light Media (ISBN 978-0-9843977-2-3). $19.00 postpaid (also available at Indiebound and Amazon). To order via check or money order, mail to Northern Light Media, PO Box 298023, Wasilla, Alaska 99629. To order via credit card or Paypal, CLICK HERE and send payment to helenhegener@gmail.com

Posted in Alaska History, Books | Tagged Baldy, Balto, Chinook, Fritz, Helen Hegener, Iditarod Trail, Jujiro Wada, Leonhard Seppala, Mary Joyce, mushing, mushing history, Northern Light Media, Scotty Allan, Slim Williams, Togo | Leave a comment

Arthur Treadwell Walden

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Helen Hegener

“Let me tell you about this man Walden.” These words, found in the introduction to Arthur Treadwell Walden’s classic book, A Dog-Puncher on the Yukon (Houghton Mifflin Co., 1928), are the reader’s invitation to meet one of the most respected and heralded pioneers of the Klondike and Alaskan gold rushes, a man who, as the Introduction explains, “…reached the country of the Yukon in the early part of ’96, when Circle City was the center and the Birch Creek mines the magnet.”

Walden traveled north with his collie dog, Shirley, up the Inside Passage and over the Chilkoot Pass, down the Yukon River through the fearsome Whitehorse Rapids and downriver to Circle City, at that time “…the banner town of the interior.” He learned to drive dogs across the vast white wilderness and became a musher, “…making trips with freight and mail and passengers behind his dogs.” Walden would later write knowingly in what was a good description of himself: “The dog driver was a good deal like the old-fashioned sailor. He never expected to stay anywhere for any length of time. He was constantly thinking either of turning back or of striking off for some new region. he hood-winked himself with the delusion that he was out there for the money. In reality, it was the adventurous life which appealed to him.”

From the Circle Mining District Arthur Walden traveled east to the Klondike when gold was discovered near Dawson City in 1897, and two years later, when gold was discovered in the black sand beaches of Nome, Walden traveled down the Yukon River to the new goldfields. Again from the Introduction to his book: “Here was a man who had the zeal to seek the utmost of new experience, the nerve to dare what most men would shrink from, the mental background to appreciate what he saw, and a sense of humor to lighten even the times when he flirted with death. And by good fortune, he hit upon the Alaska of the gold rush, unique, vivid, splashed with color like a bizarre canvas.” Walden’s adventurous tales and colorful descriptions of the north and its inhabitants gave his book an enduring quality, and it’s still considered a northland classic. The history is accurate because Arthur Walden was there, he lived the history, and he wrote what he knew to be true: “In comparing the richness of the Birch Creek Mines with the Klondike, it is interesting to know that a prospect at Birch Creek which had yielded twenty-five cents to the pan was considered above the average, while on the Klondike they found as much as five hundred and six hundred dollars to the pan.”

In 1902 Arthur Walden returned to New England and in 1904 he married his longtime friend and cousin by marriage, Katherine Sleeper, the daughter of a well-to-do Boston newspaper family. Kate owned the 1300-acre Wonalancet Farm and Inn in New Hampshire, and it was there Walden began raising and training sled dogs, and developed a new breed he called the Chinook, after a favorite dog from his gold rush days. He is credited for bringing the sport of sled dog racing to New England, and in 1927 the New England Sled Dog Club was founded at Wonalancet Farm, with Arthur Walden elected its first president.

In 1927 he helped train sled dogs and drivers for Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s Antarctic expedition. Walden was in charge of hauling supplies to Byrd’s base camp for the expedition. In the winter of 1927 the dogs, drivers and equipment began arriving at the Walden farm in Wonalancet, and in September, 1928, 97 dogs, along with nine drivers, sleds and equipment, traveled to Antarctica, arriving on Christmas Day. For the next three months Walden and his men freighted 650 tons of equipment and supplies from the ships to the base camp named “Little America,” nine miles inland. Byrd later wrote in his book about the expedition, Little America: “Had it not been for the dogs, our attempts to conquer the Antarctic by air must have ended in failure. On January 17th, Walden’s single team of thirteen dogs moves 3,500 pounds of supplies from ship to base, a distance of 16 miles each trip, in two journeys. Walden’s team was the backbone of our transport. Seeing him rush his heavy loads along the trail, outstripping the younger men, it was difficult to believe that he was an old man. He was 58 years old, but he had the determination and strength of youth.”

In 1930 Admiral Byrd presented Arthur Walden a large photographic album containing 542 photographs, which was put together by Admiral Byrd and other members of the 1928-1930 expedition to the Antarctic.

Tragically, Arthur Treadwell Walden died on March 26, 1947, after saving his wife Kate from a fire in the kitchen of their farmhouse. They are both buried next to a lovely chapel near their former Wonalancet Farm.

1935 Matanuska Colony Talk

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Helen Hegener

On the third Wednesday of May I’ll be giving a presentation about my book on the 1935 Matanuska Colony for the Palmer Historical Society’s History Night. Through photos, stories, and a look at the history behind the Colony Project, I’ll share what led me to write the book, how my research was done, and what I learned about this important chapter of Alaska’s history, when 200 families traveled north on a government troopship to carve their homes and farms from the Alaskan wilderness.

Although fraught with inevitable bureaucratic entanglements, frustrating delays, and a variety of other distractions, the Matanuska Colony actually thrived for the most part. Highways were built, the wide Matanuska and Knik Rivers were bridged, and the town of Palmer became the center of commerce and society in the Valley, and by 1948 production from the Colony Project farms provided over half of the total Alaskan agricultural products sold.

Join us if you can on May 20th, in the conference room in the Palmer Public Library, for a look at this all-but-forgotten chapter of Alaskan history. I’ll have books on hand for those who wish to purchase copies at the meeting, or you can purchase a copy ahead of time at Fireside Books in Palmer or online at my website or from Amazon.

Posted in Alaska History, Books | Tagged Alaska, Colonist, Colony, Fireside Books, Helen Hegener, Matanuska, Matanuska Valley, New Deal, Northern Light Media, Palmer | 1 Comment

The Huskies and the Reindeer

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Helen Hegener

From 2009 through 2013 the twice-weekly Team & Trail column, written by Northern Light Media’s Helen Hegener, ran in the online newsmagazine Alaska Dispatch, and featured news of interest to the mushing community, including sled dog race reports, news, photos, articles, history, personality profiles, book reviews, and much more.The articles about the personalities and the history of mushing were particularly interesting, and over the coming weeks I will be presenting some of them for our new readers, starting with this gem from December, 2009:

Excerpted from Along Alaskan Trails, by Helen Hegener [Northern Light Media, 2012]

“I spent almost the entire winter freighting with my dogs to the outlying creeks, and so was away from civilization most of the time. There was more money in it than in ordinary freighting to the mines, and the life suited me better. I had to camp out, but this was less difficult now than formerly, as by this time we all had tents and stoves.”
— Arthur Treadwell Walden, “A Dog-Puncher on the Yukon” (Houghton Mifflin Co., 1928)

Archdeacon of the Yukon Hudson Stuck

The colorful history of sled dog travel has been well documented over the years, in books ranging from the classic “Gold, Men and Dogs,” by A.A. Scotty Allen (G.P. Putnam Sons, 1931), to Archdeacon of the Yukon Hudson Stuck’s “Ten Thousand Miles with a Dogsled” (1914). But one of the most compelling books ever written about sled dog travel in the north country is a newer title, published in 2003 by W.W. Norton & Company.

“The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic,” by cousins Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury, details the heroic relay dash of 20 men and more than 200 dogs who raced across 674 miles of Alaskan backcountry to deliver lifesaving serum and save the citizens of Nome from a diphtheria outbreak. The book includes some wonderful history of our state, and at one point the Salisbury cousins noted the central role of sled dogs in the history and development of the territory of Alaska: “…It was dogs and dog traction, for centuries the mainstay of Eskimo survival, that made this new world run. During the gold rushes, dogs brought the modern world to Alaska, hauling food, mining supplies, medicine, passengers, and gold across the network of rivers and trails that Eskimos and Athabaskans had been following for hundreds of years.”

Reindeer team in Alaska

Then, in the next paragraph, the Salisburys report a little-known aspect of Alaskan history: “In addition to trade goods, the gold rush brought some strange ideas to Alaska, and the most bizarre may have been the belief of some U.S. government officials that Alaskans would be better off living in Alaska without dogs. Ambitious entrepreneurs tried many alternative forms of transportation and communication that they hoped would be superior to dogs, including horses, goats, hot-air balloons, bicycles, ice skates, ice boats, ice trains. and passenger pigeons. But the favorite choice of several key officials was the reindeer.”

Sheldon Jackson

Incredibly, the primary proponent for reindeer was Dr. Sheldon Jackson, a Presbyterian minister and the head of Alaska’s fledgling education system at the turn of the century. A staunch supporter of reindeer who argued their qualities far and wide, Jackson even testified before Congress that dogs were treacherous and unreliable beasts, and claimed that they “require considerable food for their support, while reindeer are gentle, timid and eat little, foraging on the moss and spruce of the tundra.”

Fortunately for our canine friends, the aforementioned Archdeacon Hudson Stuck challenged Jackson’s assertions. He’d written compellingly in “Ten Thousand Miles With a Dogsled” that the husky dog was prized and called “the Friend of Man,” and he observed “There is not a dog the less in Alaska because of the reindeer, nor ever will be…” When the Canadian government introduced reindeer into Labrador under the direction of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, who stated his hope they would “eliminate that scourge of the country, the husky dog,” the Archdeacon Stuck responded, “Instead of the reindeer eliminating the dog, there is far greater likelihood of the dog eliminating the reindeer…”

After a few side paragraphs on feeding and caring for reindeer as opposed to dogs, the Archdeacon went on, warming to the argument: “Speaking broadly, the reindeer is a stupid, unwieldy, and intractable brute, not comparing for a moment with the dog in intelligence or adaptability.” He did, however, admit to the reindeer’s usefulness in one regard: “Wherein lies the success of the reindeer experiment in Alaska? Chiefly in the provision of a regular meat supply…”

Excerpted from Along Alaskan Trails, by Helen Hegener [Northern Light Media, 2012]

Links:

• Reindeer as Mail Carriers • November 1901 • Newspaper article: Boston College’s The Sacred Heart Review

• Alaska Reindeer Chronology • by The International Sami Journal

• Alaska Reindeer Herdsmen: A Study of Native Management in Transition
by Dean F. Olson, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1969

• Reindeer Research Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks

• History of Reindeer in Alaska, University of Alaska Fairbanks Newsroom

Posted in Alaska History | Tagged A Dog-Puncher on the Yukon, Along Alaskan Trails, Archdeacon of the Yukon, Archdeacon Stuck, Arthur Treadwell Walden, Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, Helen Hegener, Hudson Stuck, huskies, Northern Light Media, reindeer, Scotty Allen, Sheldon Jackson, Ten Thousand Miles with a Dogsled, The Cruelest Miles | Leave a comment

Alaskan Roadhouses

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Helen Hegener

My current writing project is a book chronicling the old roadhouses of Alaska, and I’ve been sharing progress reports at a site I created for the book which is titled, as the book will probably be titled, Alaskan Roadhouses. From the earliest tent-style roadhouses to today’s picturesque roadside lodges, Alaskan roadhouses are a colorful reminder of the state’s past, and many are still an important part of Alaska’s transportation network. With this new book I plan to share the history of these iconic Alaskan structures.

As I wrote in a post at the site last week, there is really “no way a complete compilation would ever be possible, as the vagaries of time have swallowed up numerous once notable roadhouses. Trails have been shifted and moved by rivers changing course, or by men doing the same, and the roadhouses have shifted and moved with them. Locations have been reported for many years which eventually proved to be wrong, confusing historians and those who would record the often very sparse details.”

This book won’t be an easy one to research and write, but when it is finished I hope it will prove to be a worthwhile addition to the colorful history of our great state.

Posted in Alaska History, Books | Tagged Alaskan Roadhouses, books, Helen Hegener, history, Northern Light Media, roadhouse, writing | 5 Comments

Long Hard Trails excerpt

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Helen Hegener

An excerpt from the book, Long Hard Trails and Sled Dog Tales, by Helen Hegener, published by Northern Light Media. This chapter is about the 2008 centennial running of the All Alaska Sweepstakes race:

We were surprised to learn that only 16 teams had entered to vie for the purse, but among them were champion mushers whose race records left no doubt that they were there to win, including Lance and Jeff. It was interesting that both had agreed there was no rivalry between them in Steve MacDonald’s KTUU interview, when he’d queried them about what many people were wondering: “Is Mackey and King becoming a rivalry like we saw between Rick Swenson and Susan Butcher?”

Lance replied first: “I hope not. Nothing personal. He’s a competitor; I want to beat him just as badly as he wants to beat me. I don’t think it’s going to become a bad relation sort of deal.”

Jeff concurred: “I’ve raced Lance’s dad and his brother. It’s easy for me to remember that this is the third Mackey I’ve raced. It brings back a lot of memories. Lance was 10 years old when I was racing his dad back up in the Cold Foot, that’s a little bit of a shock for me.”

Long Hard Trails and Sled Dog Tales

• $20.00 plus $5.00 postage and handling.

• To order via credit card or Paypal, click the linked cover image on the left.

• To order via check or money order, mail your order to Northern Light Media, PO Box 298023, Wasilla, Alaska 99629

• Available on Amazon and through your local bookstores

• Contact the author

Posted in Books | Tagged All Alaska Sweepstakes, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, Jeff King, Lance Mackey, Nome, Northern Light Media, sled dog racing | Leave a comment

The First Iditarod on Kindle

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Helen Hegener

KINDLE EDITION LINK

The First Iditarod, Mushers’ Tales from the 1973 Race, is now available as a Kindle book.

Telling the story of the first race from the perspective of the mushers who ran it, The First Iditarod also includes the history of the Iditarod Trail, and the story of the founding of the race. Over the years an aura has developed around that first race, and most fans know the lore and the rudiments of the story, how it was Joe Redington Sr.’s pie-in-the-sky dream, how he wrangled others into sharing the dream with him and doing the groundwork necessary to make it happen. The history of how the race began can be found in almost every book about the event, because it’s a darned good story, colorful and compelling and full of true-life characters and exciting adventures. But the mushers’ unique individual stories are little-known.

“And they still don’t know what happened, because no one’s ever asked us.” ~Ford Reeves, who teamed up with Mike Schreiber to run the 1973 Iditarod

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To order the PRINT edition:

PRINT EDITION LINK

The First Iditarod: Mushers’ Tales from the 1973 Race, by Helen Hegener. Published in March, 2015 by Northern Light Media. 156 pages. ISBN-13 978-0-9843977-6-1 Format 6″ x 9″ perfect bound. $20.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling to U.S. addresses only. Additional postage required for foreign orders. Postal orders can be mailed to Northern Light Media, Post Office Box 298023, Wasilla, Alaska 99629. Thank you!