Sled-dog mushing is in the blood of Alaskans.
A lively and beloved sporting event throughout our state, mushing is a source of fascination and fun for recreational mushers and a livelihood for the professionals. It’s also a vital link to rural Alaska’s long heritage of sled dogs as partners in transportation and survival. Between January and April, Alaska’s passion for sled dogs is writ large in the mushing competitions that traverse our state. This is what we call race season, and as this February newsletter rolls out, we’re right in the thick of it.
In fact, as this article hits the printer and the web, KNOM has just finished covering one of the first major sled dog races of the season: the Kuskokwim 300, often called the “K-300,” which is an approximately 300-mile-long competition starting and ending in the southwestern Alaskan city of Bethel.
The K-300 is always of interest for race fans throughout the state, but this year, it was a special source of pride for KNOM, since its competitors included two of our own: current volunteer engineer Rolland Trowbridge and volunteer alumna (and current Nome resident) Tara Cicatello. Rolland has spent years getting ready for competitive mushing in Alaska, and in the past few months, he’s been assisted by Tara, who returned to Nome after her one-year stint as a KNOM volunteer to work in Rolland’s kennel. (They’re pictured with Rolland’s wife Deb, moments before their flight to Bethel for this year’s K-300.)
Thank you for enabling us to cover the K-300 and each of the races (including the 1,000-mile Iditarod, in March) that so inspire and excite our region.