I have been videoing my adventures on the Iditarod Trail for 10 years.
In 2010, our friend, Macgellan had me start recording “Aliy Cams” after telling me: “Of course people would be interested in seeing what is happening first hand while you are out on the race! Duh.” Competitive dog mushers – 10 years ago – didn’t think about those kind of things. Macgellan made it easy for me because he set me up with a fantastic camcorder, a powerful battery backup and a sled mount. As I raced down the trail I could just press ‘RECORD’. He would download, edit and upload all my content. He used his ‘Macgellan YouTube Channel’ to link these videos to the original SPK Dog Log. You will find some of my older SP Kennel videos, as well as the oldest Iditarod “Aliy Cams” on the Macgellan YouTube Channel – SPKennel Playlist. We got amazing responses to my videos. They made mushing across the Alaskan wilderness an interactive experience for people who would never get on a dog sled or adventure out into the Alaskan wilds. After Macgellan got my foot in the door, both my feet have since stayed stuck in that door frame and I have been recording Iditarod “Aliy Cams” ever since.
Moira came to SP Kennel and she continued in Macgellan’s footsteps. She knew the importance of reaching our fans and dog lovers with these videos. (I mean how can you NOT fall in love with Junior when you meet her as a puppy in: “Winter is Here” video, see her and her brother in lead in a mushing video: “Team Up Close” and then see her have puppies of her own: “Here is a Puppy Fix”.) So we have continued to record, edit and upload videos in and around SP Kennel as well as documenting my Iditarod races with ‘Aliy Cams’
During the 2020 race I captured some fun video footage. I looked through all those videos in the last 2 days. I will start to edit individual video segments then hopefully add a story or two to go along with that footage and post that on the website. For now, I put together a 2020 ‘Aliy Cam’: Iditarod Summary Episode. Hope you enjoy. Here it is:
Many of my 10 years of videos are catalogued for public viewing on the SPKDogLog YouTube Channel. You can use their Search Engine on our Channel in order to look up: “Aliy Cam” or “Iditarod” and view some of the older videos. There are some from 10 years ago and as of today, there will be the 2020 Aliy Cam Iditarod Summary Episode.
As you search and sort through my Aliy Cam Iditarod videos you can see that some of the more popular Episodes are 2012 “Aliy Cam” Mushing thru Dalzell Gorge and 2011 “Aliy Cam” Iditarod Happy River Steps. Those are fun ones!
There are some lesser viewed Aliy Cams that I personally love to rewatch. One is the Iditarod 2014 “Aliy Cam”: No Snow because it’s just crazy that I mushed dogs in those conditions. Another is from last year and shows the Shelter Cabin between Elim and Golivin and you can see the amazing power of the coastal storms from this video AliyCamID2019Episode19. Another favorite is ID: AliyCam2016 “Camp Spot” because it was an very emotional time for us that race and Schmoe stayed awake in order to keep watch over all of us. He was a GREAT dog! I could go on and on…
Take note that some Aliy Cam years are harder to “Search for…” on YouTube.com because I didn’t use the words “Aliy” and “Cam” separately in the video titles. Some of the titles words are words squished together like the 2016IDAliyCamDalzell. Perhaps one of my next office jobs is to sort all my videos into Playlists on my YouTube Channel. Yikes… I can dream, right?
That was a great recap video of the trek!! My favorite part…..PIDDLE PIDDLE!!!! In all seriousness, great shots of the moon, sun, villages and trail!!!! It was one heck of a historic race….with the pandemic bearing down midway, and the fierce storm at the finish for the Elim 11!!! Thank you for making this and reminding us of all the great SPK videos out there to watch! Oh….and congrats on your SIXTH Sepalla Humanitarian Award!!!!! You Rock!!!!
Awesome video Aliy!
Yes, thank you to Macgellan for getting both your feet in that doorway and to Moira for keeping it going. Thank you for taking the time and effort to continue the videos.
I hope you and Allen are enjoying a great deal of time with your wonderful four footed family. 🙂
This will help me get through the next month of shelter in place.. at least I live in the northern Rockies so can go out for drives and hikes.
Thanks for the entertainment. Keep safe.
Sharon
Years back I was looking at the Iditarod website. They listed the mushers’ websites. I looked at a few and found your blog. Close to that time Mac had come on board. It made a difference because I didn’t know anything about the Iditarod, mushing, or Alaskan life. I loved the videos and all of the information that your blog that you gave about everything from caring for the dogs, to cutting up salmon steaks, to how you hook them up, etc. I remember Mac’s videos of the pre-race activities, which gave me a glimpse of all that you had to do just to get to the starting line. And then you posted the Aliy Cams. The most impressive to me was the one about the Steps. It helped me understand why it was such a challenge. Of course I enjoyed seeing the race from your camera. I hope you know how valuable your blog is. It is educational, informative, and fun. I go through a huge withdrawal when the racing season is over. Anyway, thank you for all that you and your team does for this website. Best to you and your dogs. Stay healthy!
Wow, what a fun ride-a-long. Thanks for giving me something to do and revisit past videos while under those stay at home orders!
Good dogs!
Thank you Aliy for sharing your experience with those of us who can only live through these videos. It has been most interesting over the years to watch as you persevere through so much each year, and allow us to follow along. You have been the inspiration for my 60-something parents to ask year-round about what you are doing now, how the race is going in March, and again if I know how your summers are going. You have taken two people who smiled politely at the thought of the Iditarod and Yukon Quest and made them into very avid fans.
Hello Delaware,
Don’t ever stop taking videos on the trail!!! It is an awesome experience to ride along with you and the `Team’ , through the Alaskan wilderness. We received your postcard on March 31. Thank you very much, for taking the time to send it out to everyone. Hoping for the `TRAIL NOTES’ soon. We enjoyed reading every page from last years Iditarod. Be safe up there. and hugs to ALL of the fantastic four legged athletes.
Thank you,
Oh Aliy, this is one of you very best video jobs – pictures (stills) interspersed and the “music” of the wind set it up for your essay at the end.
Whets our appetites for the visual and I am sure beautifully expressed written explanations to come of what was going on along the way of your 10 day 7hr plus journey!!!
It is such a privilege to be allowed to share your mushing career and get to see Alaska.
Thank you so very very much!!!
And congratulations again for win #6 of the Leonhard Seppala award!!!
Great video! So much snow all along the trail this year. Since I started following SP Kennel (maybe 7 or 8 years ago), I don’t think I’ve seen that much snow all through the race.
The Aliy Cams have been awesome! You are right, it gives your fans a view of Alaska that most will never see. And it’s so pretty, beautiful sunsets, beautiful landscape. And as you say, a beautiful dog team too!
Thanks for the abbreviated look of your 2020 ID! And I also congratulate you on your 6th Leonard Sepalla humanitarian award!
I watched the Camp Spot video with great sadness and great pride that year. A tragic event turned a winning race into a test of the human will to persevere. I applaud those who encouraged you to get back on the trail; you still managed to be third.
To me, that is amazing and sad.
You have had your share of bad luck and yet glorious races, nonetheless, I reckon.
I love the Happy Steps because you are going down what I would term fairly steep hills all the while telling us that the “steep” part was to come. I have seen Insider videos of you taking those steps – such grace and beauty.
I forgot about 2014 and no snow. A lot of people were really banged up that year!
PS .. As I watched the section between Unalakleet and Old Shaktoolik, I was reminded that you often love the Blueberry Hills. When asked which section of the trail was his most favorite, Thomas Waerner said that section was it.
The view from the top of Mt. McKinley must have been amazing – the sweep of the grey clouds, blues, white interspersed with dark foliage ..
Thank you so much for posting your Ali cam 2020 Iditarod travelogue. We just watched it & it’s given me a hopeful feeling again during Covid crisis. I needed that this morning in a bad way. You just don’t know how seeing you & these beautiful, all-heart athletes makes the rest of us feel, like “we can do it”, “hang in there”, “never give up”, etc. We love you, your dogs, & your team Aliy!