In this March 6, 1999 file photo, soap opera star Susan Lucci takes a ride in the sled of musher Rick Mackey at the start of the 27th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska. | Article: Mark Thiessen, AP - Photo: Al Grillo, AP - Alaska Public Media
Rick Mackey, the winner of the 1983 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, has died of lung cancer, his daughter told The Associated Press Wednesday. Mackey, who died Monday, was 71.
The Mackey name is closely tied to the history of the Iditarod, the grueling race that takes mushers and their dog teams 1,000 miles across the Alaska wilderness to the finish line on the Bering Sea coast. Rick’s father, Dick, won the race in 1978, and his late brother Lance won an unprecedented four straight championships from 2007 through 2010.
Rick Mackey was diagnosed with lung cancer two...
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Iditarod musher Ramey Smyth at the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ceremonial start in Anchorage Saturday, March 7, 2020. | Article: Ben Townsend (KNOM - Nome), Image: Joey Mendolia (Alaska Public Media) - Nome, Alaska
The Iditarod Trail Committee announced that veteran musher Ramey Smyth will build the new Burled Arch for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The selection comes after the previous arch, a fixture of the race’s finish line in Nome, collapsed unexpectedly on April 28.
Smyth has a long history with the Iditarod, entering the race 27 times dating all the way back to 1994. Smyth is also the owner of Smyth Logwork and Construction, a log home builder based in Willow. The Smyth family has been building log homes since the late 1950s, according to their website. Iditarod...
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The pup is now back at Point’s Unknown safe and sound. | Article/Image: Robb Coles, Northern News Now - Hovland, Minnesota
When a pet goes missing, it can be a stressful, frightening experience for animals and the humans who love them.
Losing one in a remote area you’re visiting makes matters even worse., a reality a North Shore woman recently experienced.
Linda Newman operates a business called “Points Unknown” near Hovland on the North Shore, offering dog sledding and wilderness adventures.
However, on a one-day trip to the vet in Ely in mid-April, she lost one member of her pack.
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Sled dog racing is growing in popularity across the country, however, the past two winters have seen the cancelation of some of the sport’s premiere races due to warmer weather and poor conditions. But you can still see these canine athletes in events that don’t need snow.
It’s called the Sucker River Mud bath. A dryland sled dog race in its inaugural year. Held in a remote location 6 miles East of Grand Marais, these races focus more on speed and use a variety of different vehicles, all powered by dogs. Race organizer Jana Roberts is very pleased with...
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