Aliy Cam Iditarod 2020: Episode 1 and 2

These Aliy Cams are a fun and interactive way I try to share my team’s experiences on the Iditarod Trail. In the 10 days, 7 hours, 28 minutes and 30 seconds that we traveled the trail I tried to capture the real images from the wilderness, the weather and the trail.

My dogs are the center of the videos. The race revolves around them. Their individual positioning in the team varies throughout the race. I moved them around depending upon their moods and energy. Their positioning also depended upon the trail and weather conditions or other random influences. The dogs on the team are: Amber, Bruno, Chevie, Cloud, Dutch, Decaf, Five, Jefe, Junior, Kodiak, QT, Rodney, Spark, and Violet. If you watch closely, you’ll get to know their gaits or their ear “bobs” or their little quirks.

2020 Aliy Cam Episode 1 – “First Morning”

It is about 8 in the morning on the day after the Restart of Iditarod 2020. You can see that a few of the dogs still have their HeadLite collars lite up. Often I run through the darkest hours with over half of the team lit up. I absolutely love these collars. As you can see we are mushing directly towards the Super Moon. We are in the foothills of the Alaska Range and still an hour or so from the Finger Lake Checkpoint. The Team is Junior and Dutch in lead, Spark and Amber, Violet and Kodiak, Rodney and Five, Jefe and Bruno, Chevie and QT, in the rear was Cloud and Decaf.

2020 Aliy Cam Episode2 – Rainy Pass Foothills

This video is from late evening on the second day of Iditarod 2020. The Alaska Range is out in front of the team. The view is spectacular. This is truly a breathtaking spot in the world – especially with a clear sky and a Super Moon. These are just the foothills before climbing high up into the mountain pass. I had put puff jackets on the dogs before leaving Rainy Pass Checkpoint. This turned out to be smart because there was a sudden ground blizzard with 40mph winds in the high plains before the pass. The Team: The Team is Spark and Dutch in lead, Junior and Amber, Violet and Kodiak, Rodney and Five, Jefe alone, Chevie and QT, in the rear was Cloud and Decaf. (Bruno showed signs of dehydration and cramping so I left him in the care of the Rainy Pass Veterinarians. He flew back to Anchorage before our dog team left the Checkpoint. Bruno was 100% in less than 24 hours and was home at the kennel days later.)

Please Note: when I turn on my video camera it’s like bringing another person onto the team. I often talk like there is someone else present and will explain where we are or what’s happening. From a dog’s perspective this doesn’t make sense. They hear me talking to “someone” and often look back to see who’s there. I sometimes had to use my ‘cheerleader voice’ to keep them focused ahead instead of wondering what the heck I was doing behind them.

The race took my dogs and I over 10 days to complete. In total, I recorded only one hour of video. So these Aliy Cams are only a tiny segment of that experience. I also did not video during the most challenging trail or the worst blizzard conditions. I was too busy clinging my handlebars or navigating hazards. I also never recorded a video when I felt like it would intrude in our personal space.

Here is a map so that you can follow along.