#iditarod 2022

[yourdailyqueer]

Apayauq Reitan

Gender: Transgender woman

Sexuality: N/A

DOB: Born 1998

Ethnicity: Native American (Iñupiaq)

Nationality: American / Norwegian

Occupation: Prof dog musher

Note: In 2022, she became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Iditarod

[sergeifyodorov]

so the iditarod. any fun facts?

the Iditarod Trail as we know it was originally a mail trail. in the far north, dogs have been used as freight runners since precontact times by alaska native peoples like the inupiat (in fact, the name for the "malamute" sled dog breed comes from the name for a group of the inupiat, the malemiut who lived on the seward peninsula.

as a draft animal dogs are, pound for pound, stronger and faster than horses, and in an environment like the alaskan interior a carnivore is much easier to feed than a hay-eating herbivore. they are also much better at navigating the winding, slippery, and often difficult trails -- there are places that snowmachines can't go, to this day, but dogs can. old mail trail runners would have teams of twenty or more dogs, hauling cargo like gold and mail and people through the interior. the town of iditarod itself, although now largely a ghost town, once was larger than anchorage!

the history of the iditarod race starts in the winter of 1925 when nome, a town on the icebound bering sea, suffered a diphtheria outbreak. without serum and with no way to get it there by other means -- icebound, so no boats, and the only pilot who could make the trip was on the other end of the continent -- they organized a trail relay, seven hundred miles long. it took them six days.

fifty years later, with mushing considered a dying sport, they decided to resurrect the iditarod as a race, anchorage to nome, one musher and fourteen dogs. it's about a thousand miles long -- there's two different routes, which alternate every year.

uh list of fun trivia below the cut so i don't make this TOO long

specifying the two routes thing: the routes only diverge at about the halfway point and reconnect at about the three-quarter mark, at the checkpoint right before they hit the bering sea.

trail dogs wear little booties, not because their feet get cold but to protect them from things like fallen branches, and other hazards on the trail. mushers can go through hundreds of booties in a race.

the last musher to complete the iditarod is called the "red lantern," which is a tradition that apparently started as a joke and stuck. you may have heard of musher apayauq reitan, who made history as the first out trans person to run the iditarod? she was the red lantern in 2022!

the current general frontrunners of the iditarod are father and son mitch and dallas seavey. dallas is one of two people to have won the race five times.

four people have won four times, including susan butcher, one of the first women to win.

race times can vary HUGELY depending on year and musher. the records are about eight and a half days, but it's not uncommon for people to take two weeks. libby riddles, who won in 1985, had a winning time of 18 days!

[zulayawolf]

March 4 - bump. Moguls on the trail through the Iditarod trail's Farewell Burn in March 2022.

[toughgirlchallenges]

Sunny Stroeer: Completing the Iditarod Trail Invitational 1,000-Mile Race on Skis, Becoming the First Woman to Do So.

Sunny is a professional adventure athlete, guide service owner and story teller based in Kanab, Utah.  

After obtaining an MBA from Harvard Business School and pursuing a career as a management consultant in her twenties, Sunny decided to leave behind the business world in order to focus full-time on mountains, climbing and VLDs (very long distances). 

Today, she is a professional athlete and owner of two guiding businesses - AWExpeditions and Dreamland Safari Tours. 

She is also the founder of the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation that breaks down barriers for women+ to access mountaineering and the backcountry -- in the form of tens of thousands of dollars in expedition scholarships. 

Sunny first came on the Tough Girl Podcast on Jun 23, 2020. Sharing her story about being the first woman to circumnavigate and summit Aconcagua in a single push. 

You can listen to that episode Here

***

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Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women. 

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Use code TOUGHGIRL15 to get your 15% discount.  Click Here 

***

Show notes

Who is Sunny 

Working as a professional adventure athlete and running her own travel companies 

Sunny first came on the Tough Girl Podcast on Jun 23, 2020. First woman to circumnavigate and summit Aconcagua in a single push.

What happened in 2020 

Deciding to buy a tour company/guide service business

Using her MBA from Harvard

Thriving with the challenge and the uncertainty 

Pursuing her own adventures and being her own boss

Getting involved in running Fastest Known Times (FKTs)

Starting to focus on adventuring in Alaska

350 mile race on cross country skis - Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI), held in Alaska during Winter (2021)

Planning to head to the South Pole in the future 

More info about the ITI and how its structured, and what you can expect. 

The short version - 350 miles. The long version 1000 miles. You need to do the short version of the race before you can attempt to race the longer version.

The different modes of travel: Fat bike, dogs, skies, walking

The lessons learned from the recce before the bigger race

No mandatory gear list

Being able to connect with folks who had done the race before to get advice and tips

Leaving her comfort zone behind and moving into the stretch zone

Dealing with uncomfortable feelings

Reflection back on her first ITI in 2021 

Dealing with overflow

Not having a background in cross country skiing

Knowing that she able to keep herself safe in these extreme conditions

Dealing with broken bindings and having to hike the final 150 miles

Having a 10 day deadline to cover the 350 miles

Being pushed to her limits both physically and emotionally 

Going back in 2022 to ski the 350 mile distance again - gaining more experience and knowledge

Fat biking the race in 2023 with her husband

Feeling ready to commit to the 1000 miles race in 2024

Race strategy and plan (both adhoc and thought through)

Needing to complete the 1000 miles (approx 930 - 960 miles) in 30 days

Dealing with a stress fracture on her shin in the December and only having 5 weeks to train

Using both a backpack and a pulk/sled to transport gear. 

Dealing with the cold and trying to avoid getting wet in -30/-40 degrees

Aiming to travel slowly, keeping her heart rate low in an aim to keep from sweating

Dealing with wet and damp gloves and getting a little bit of frost bite on her fingers. 

Dealing with numb heels and maybe a little bit of nerve damage after the race

Highlights and magical moment from life on the trail

Being in her own thoughts for 14hrs or more a day

Food and nutrition on the trail

Feeling the pressure to reach the finish line before the cut off point

Making it across the sea ice before it flooded or melted

Being 200 miles from the finish on the North Shore

Becoming the first women to ski the ITI 1000

Recovery after the race (doughnuts & wine!)

How to connect with Sunny and to follow along with her adventures

Final words of advice and and wisdom to inspire and motivate women and girls 

Why you need to continually be pushing your comfort zone 

  Social Media

Websites: 

www.sunnystroeer.com 

www.awexpeditions.org 

www.dreamlandtours.net 

www.summitscholarship.org

Instagram:

@sstroeer 

@awexpeditions 

@dreamlandsafari 

  Check out this episode!

[darkwood-sleddog]

Apayauq Reitan, the first trans women to run Iditarod, finishes last and wins the “Committed Through the Last Mile” award. The award, given by Lynden, honors Apayauq for her perseverance and commitment to finish the race through unexpected challenges. The last half of the pack of those running Iditarod faced sudden and extreme weather that caused many competitors to have to scratch and be rescued by race officials.

Apayauq had seven dogs in harness at the time of her finish and although this was not her rookie Iditarod, this was her first one she ran out and proud as an Indigenous trans women.

[akdogdriver]

Dan Kaduce comes in 4th, with all 14 dogs 🐕🐕

Not many drive all their dogs to Nome, I believe this is the highest finish for a full team 😎

[tonichelleak]

Matt Hall and team run past the Alaska Native Medical Center during the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 50. March 5, 2022. Anchorage, Alaska.

[fidgetspringer]

Woooo! Brent Sass in first! 🎉

[suspiciousmammal]

Sled dog teams at the start of the 2022 Iditarod race (x)

[afeelgoodblog]

Top 7 Best News of Last Week - June 6, 2022

🐀 — Let’s read some good things that happened in the last 7 days around the world

1. Japanese man, 83, becomes oldest person to sail solo non-stop across Pacific

Yachtsman Kenichi Horie after more than two months at sea, arrived in the waters off the Kii peninsula in western Japan at 2.39am local time.

Having crossed the world’s largest body of water, he had an inspiring message for the world. “Don’t let your dreams just stay as dreams,” he told CNN over satellite phone as he made his way from Shikoku Island to Wakayama. “Have a goal and work towards achieving this and a beautiful life awaits.”

2. Kerala lesbian couple, separated by parents, reunited by high court

Adhila Nassrin and Fathima Noora had met during their student days in Saudi Arabia and later, they decided to live together, according to the petition filed in the court. But the relatives objected to the relationship.

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday allowed Adhila Nassrin and Fathima Noora, a lesbian couple, to live together on a habeas corpus plea.

3. Utah pets now have a safe place to stay if their owners enter drug, alcohol misuse treatment

A nonprofit animal shelter has partnered with Utah’s largest addiction program to protect pets for up to three months as their owners undergo treatment. The process starts with an application and documentation of the owner’s current situation, then a brief assessment of the pet — weighing and determining its general condition — along with vaccinations and ensuring the animal is fixed or planned to be fixed.

The pet is then matched with a foster, and the client checks in on their pet once a week via text. Ruff Haven has its fosters pass along photos and videos of the animal so the client can check in on their furry friend while separated.

- This is actually a huge barrier to treatment for people so really cool to see.

4. Water treatment plants would be ready for the removal of nanoplastics.

The biologically active, slow-flow sand filters of lake water treatment would remove nanoplastics from the raw water very efficiently. This was shown both in the laboratory and in larger, realistic tests and modelling.

The results are now in, and they include some reassuring findings. In a report published today in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, the researchers show that even if untreated water contained considerable quantities of nanoplastics, these particles were retained in sand filters very efficiently during water treatment. Both in laboratory tests and in a larger test facility located directly on the premises of the Zurich Water Works, the biologically active slow sand filter was the most effective at retaining nanoparticles — achieving an efficacy level in the region of 99.9%.

5. Electric Vehicles are measurably reducing global oil demand; by 1.5 million barrels a day

The new estimates from the research firm BloombergNEF help to show EVs are shedding their status as a niche climate technology.

Total transportation fuel demand was 43.7 million barrels per day last year, the firm said.

The amount EVs have displaced doubled over the last six years, BloombergNEF said.

6. After 3 months and 150 miles lost in the Alaskan winter sled dog Leon found safe in McGrath — Now reunited with pack

On Tuesday, McGrath locals notified Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race officials that the dog, had been seen visiting a local homestead where food had been left out for him

Early Saturday morning, a McGrath resident was able to catch Leon. Leon was safe, alert and “understandably skinny but seemingly healthy”.

7. Trained rats to be sent into earthquake debris wearing tiny backpacks with microphones

Rats are being trained to be sent into earthquake debris wearing tiny backpacks outfitted with microphones as well as location trackers to allow rescue teams to communicate with survivors during real earthquakes.

. . .

That's it for this week. Until next week, You can follow me on twitter. Also, I have a newsletter :)

Subscribe here to receive a collection of wholesome news every week in your inbox :D

[morczine]

The latest issue appeared on 2/2/2022, in an edition of 60 copies, with a screenprinted cover.

Central theme: 'absence'. we talked to/wrote about artists who took a long break, or really slowed down their pace, and eventually returned. or not.

content:

an interview with John Davis

an interview with Kate Wright of Movietone

an interview with Dana Hatch of Cheater Slicks

a write-up about The Iditarod

reviews of two new Linda Smith releases

reviews of two old Tia Blake releases

reviews of an archival reissue of Waste and two new releases by Ford's Fuzz Inferno

recipes by Will and Dave

a download coupon for a random morc-release

[doxie-gay]

Apayauq Reitan, an Iñupiaq woman, has made history as the first trans woman to compete & finish in the Iditarod in 2022, The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a long-distance sled dog race run in March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome, entirely within the US state of Alaska. 🏳️‍⚧️

[blueeyesspitfire]

Another One

Someone asked when (and maybe, subconsciously, why) I decided to add another dog (Atlas!) to the team. While it might not seem like it, especially not to the average pet-owner, I have always been extremely strategic when increasing my numbers. I always tell non-mushers: comparatively, I actually have a very small team! It has also taken me more than ten years to get to ten dogs, so I consider my expansion pretty slow.

To answer the question, I started thinking back to how I got started in this sport (and hobby... and lifestyle). I had always wanted a Siberian Husky, but as a 20-year-old college student living in an apartment with a tiny, unfenced yard, no rescue would let me adopt one. My then-boyfriend (hi Rob) and I ended up adopting Dexter from a foster family that could tell we were more prepared than your average idiot kids. At this point, I was aware of mushing, but it was not part of my plan. I just wanted a dog that could accompany me on hikes and other outdoor adventures.

A few years later, and after volunteering for both a husky rescue and a wolf/wolfdog rescue, I finally had the credentials for husky ownership. I still had a hard time finding the right dog through adoption organizations, so I ended up looking into reputable breeders. One of them invited me to the Pine Barrens to attend a training meetup and "see the dogs in action". I was intrigued; this was New Jersey, where our winters weren’t known for their snow. It was also autumn, so there definitely wasn't snow on the ground. This is where it all began.

I met folks with only a few dogs and some with over a dozen. They used bikes, scooters, and non-motorized carts that looked like a mix between a shopping cart and a horse chariot. I started biking with Dexter and I was even able to hook him up with some borrowed dogs to see what true dog propulsion felt like. I was hooked before I even had my husky.

Denali was my first true sled dog and she paved the way for us. I started biking with her and Dexter, but I knew I wanted to get a third to pull a cart and, eventually, a sled. I adopted Knox six months after Denali came home. I remember everyone being shocked at this point. Three dogs? Wild.

For a time, the trio met my needs. I started a new job that required me to go into NYC a few times a week. I hung out with friends a lot. I traveled often. We mushed, too, but it wasn't all encompassing. Then Dexter started slowing down a bit. After all, he wasn't really built to keep up with two athletic young huskies. I started thinking about an eventual replacement for him. Denali's littermate, Mia, was due to have a litter, and I was quick to jump on the opportunity. Willow joined us in 2015, and shortly thereafter, I made my first "mistake".

When Willow was old enough to join the team, I kept Dexter on the line, since we were doing short and relatively easy runs that he could still handle. I was surprised to see him get a sort of second wind once he had a consistent running partner. In fact, the entire team seemed to do better in pairs. Eventually I had the girls leading with the boys in wheel, and Dex lasted through the whole season. And I realized, shit, I want to run a team of four.

Dexter's second wind was short lived, which I expected, and it wasn't long before I started thinking about another dog to take his place (for real this time). So a year after Willow, I added Blitz to the team. Ok, good, great, I should have been satisfied at this point, right? I wanted a team of four and I had it. Except there was a thought creeping in the back of my mind, almost since the beginning of this whole crazy journey. A friend had told me that you probably want at least six dogs to carry a passenger. I also really liked the idea of having leaders, team dogs, and wheel dogs. So I got to work.

I secured a fully remote job and found myself easing into a life more centered around mushing. Hubble joined the pack in 2017, a year after Blitz, and right before I moved to California. I thought, hell, let's make five work and see what comes next.

In 2018 I moved back to the Northeast, and finally had the space and setup to complete the six pack. Laika joined us in early 2019 and the following season was my first time competing in 6-dog classes. So now, certainly, I should be all set—right? Except...

Except it had taken me so long to build my six dog team that my oldest, Denali and Knox, were starting to show their age. Knox, a rescue with less than ideal structure, was having trouble keeping up with the younger dogs. Denali could still hold her own, but she seemed to be getting bored with the repetitive training we do at home. If I wanted to keep this whole thing going, I knew I had to start thinking about filling their places on the line.

So, later on in 2019, I found Sagan and Hopper to join the pack. I wanted to "try out" some Alaskan Huskies (mixed breeds specifically bred for mushing, not to adhere to a specific standard) and their lines synced up nicely with my existing dogs. Hopper is even half related to my existing crew, so I knew he’d fit well.

If you're keeping count, this brought me to nine dogs: one fully retired, two semi-retired, and six active team members. At this point in the journey, I'd been saying that my limit was ten. Mainly, I'm constrained by vehicle space: the dog van fits eight crates, two of which are big enough to be doubled up in. The dog truck has eight boxes with two dogs fitting in the cab. So, ten is possible, but was it really necessary?

When the pandemic first hit, and I knew I wouldn't be traveling for awhile, the thought of raising a pup crossed my mind. Then came the chaos of the Denali/Willow fights and my broken thumb, which quickly squashed the idea of adding more dogs to the mix. I didn't think about it again until the fall, when some exciting litters were planned, and my favorite breeder mentioned plans of moving to Alaska. I was training for my first mid-distance race with the 6-dog team. I knew I had room for one more, but I wasn't sure I had the justification for it.

Then Blitz had a seizure. This rocked me to my core and I'm still dealing with the shockwaves of PTSD it caused. Blitz has since been 100% fine and we've figured out a schedule that ensures his blood sugar levels stay in a safe range. All the races we were aiming for ended up canceled due to Covid, but I'm not sure we would've been ready to run them given how slow we got back on track with training.

Most "real" mushers have a larger pool of dogs than those they run in races. Many train an A team and a B team, or run larger strings than necessary for the class they intend to compete in. Then, when race day comes, they select the dogs who are running their best. If a dog gets a sore paw, or is more sensitive to warm temperatures, or refuses to eat, or just generally isn't enthusiastic, they can get "benched" without impacting the team's race. It felt like a gamble to train all season for some big (to me) races, only to have the possibility of being at a disadvantage (with a 5-dog team, if one dog couldn't run—most 6-dog classes allow as few as five) or not able to compete at all (if two couldn't run).

A seventh, active team member adds a bit of buffer, so I can more confidently chase after my goals. And yes, I also made the same mistake of running the semi-retirees with their yearling replacements. An 8-dog team is awesome to behold, but I didn't let myself get too comfortable with it. That's not to say things won't change as my goals and situation changes. If you couldn't tell, that's been the theme of this whole wild ride.

To conclude, I guess I should more specifically answer "why Atlas?", since he's the pup I chose. Atlas comes from some of my very favorite lines. Knowing that his breeder, Jaye, will be leaving the area to compete in Iditarod 2022 (go Jaye!!), I figured this might be my last opportunity for a pup from Sibersong. And of course, I’m still grounded from travel for several more months, making now an ideal time for puppy raising.

So, there you have it. A very long-winded explanation that nobody really asked for, but I hope it gives you some insight behind the decisions I've made.

[dogboyboyshorts]

[image id: a tumblr comment from safetypinserenade on March 27 2022 that says “i am learning about so many new contests recently. First the iditarod and now this” /end id]

Billy Lane, winner of the Seattle Mr. Leather contest in 1998 and first trans man to compete in the International Mr. Leather contest.

[darkwood-sleddog]

Wild and Free baby!

Brent Sass is the winner of Iditarod 50 and his dogs looked incredible pulling into Nome, nice fast and efficient trots.

Brent completed the race is 8 days, 14 hours and 36 minutes!

[akdogdriver]

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Brent Sass & team 🐕🐕

Time: 8 days, 14 hours, 38 minutes