Even if you know next to nothing about Alaska, you’ve probably still heard of the annual Iditarod sled dog race, where teams of mushers travel with their dogs hundreds of miles across frozen alaska, racing to the remote town of Nome. The race kicks off the first weekend of March with a festival known as Fur Rendezvous or Fur Rondy. Mushing is more than a sport-- it’s a lifestyle. And it puts those racing it into extremely isolated, middle of nowhere, survival situations as they make their way from Willow to Nome. So I wanted to know what that’s like, and how it connects the musher to nature. And to learn that, I brought on the podcast Kristy and Anna Berington, identical twin Iditarod racers. If you’re listening to this in early March when I’m releasing it, Kristy and Anna are both out there racing their individual dog teams as you’re hearing this. And now you can hear our conversation from 2021 for a little bit of insight into what makes dog racing special, as well as the nuts and bolts of how it works. Kristy and Anna Berington’s kennel, Seeing Double Sled Dog Racing Follow Kristy and Anna on Instagram Learn about the Iditarod race Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook Good stuff: [2:36] Kristy and Anna Berington’s favorite outdoor space [6:40] What is dog racing? [8:09] All about sled dogs [10:12] Is mushing cruel to dogs? [16:41] What do sled dogs eat? [19:17] What is the iditarod? [22:24] What are the costs of dog racing?” [24:38] How dog racing connects them with nature [30:15] About their relationship with the dogs [33:14] Can you replicate the experience of dog racing in another way? [35:58] How to have the same experience with nature [37:03] Kristy and Anna’s favorite and most essential outdoor gear [41:39] Their favorite outdoor moment