Alaska Map and Travel Guide

This post, I’m in Bethel, Maine learning how to be a musher. The word musher comes from the French word marche or marsh-ah meaning “go!” or “let’s go!” We have about, I would say 40 dogs here. And they’re just putting on harnesses now before we get ready to go sledding. Many of the dogs here are bred from direct Iditarod winner descendents. The Iditarod is the most prestigious dog sledding competition which takes place in Alaska and spans eight days. Kurt is on the best 60 mile team pulling his body weight up mountains, down mountains. And you’ll never hear any peep from it and then they wanna get up and do it again. Although Steve can’t get women to do what he wants, he can get the dogs to do it with a few basic commands like hike, whoa, gee and haw. Haw! haw! Haw! haw! Each dog has a particular job on the team.

Alaska Map With Cities

The most intelligent and fastest dogs are chosen as lead dogs and run in front of the pack. Behind them are the swing dogs, whose job it is to direct the team around turns and curves. At the back are the wheel dogs who are directly in front of the sled and usually the largest and strongest of the team. The rest are called team dogs. Sometimes good mushers will run uphill alongside their dogs to lighten the weight of the sled. Come on! Go, let’s go! I’m not in as good shape as your dogs are. I can’t run for long periods.

Alaska Map Images

Come on Forrest Run Forrest! Easy, whoa. Ok, whoo! Ok, up. I’m out of breath. I don’t know how these dogs do this for 70 miles a day, I really don’t. This is tough work. These dogs can pull more than their own weight and can run up to 36 miles per hour. They can easily run for six to ten hours straight. How far do you think I ran? oh, 25 yards. Steve believes that dog sledding is really about humans reconnecting with nature. Something that is often times lost in today’s society. I am now an American dog man. Yeah, does anyone believe her? Naw, she’s working on it, she’s working it but aspirations, confidence is what it’s all about. Doing good, 12 dog team.

Alaska Map and Travel Guide Photo Gallery



Alaska Map Juneau

I think one of the most difficult things is I’m gonna have to learn how to ride. Do I look like a motorcycle adventure rider? We’re 26 and 27 years old, about to go to the biggest party in the world. We don’t know what’s out there. It’s all the unknown. I lost my wallet. Lost Tiernan. I told him just to go without me and I’d catch up. Now I’m lost. We actually just met yesterday in the same way. We could take the motorcycles to the mall if you want.

Alaska Map Usa

I think this trip will shape the rest of my life. I’m proving my sense of self worth, I guess. It’s the most intense thing I’ve ever done, dude. If we get hurt out here or anything happens there’s nothing within miles. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, Argentina. This is not a very good place to crash or get hurt. I’m really hoping that I’m gonna find connections with people even though we have nothing in common. Everyone says, you know, “Oh, you’re only 27, you have all the time in the world.” But all the time in the world’s slowly going away.

Leave a Reply

four + one =