The 2015 Iditarod

Drenched in an ocean of the purest air the earth has to offer, miles and miles of the most vast endless landscapes of solid white, waves of magnanimous mountains_ surround you, keeping you humble and at bay, overtaking all other slotted worries that may have been. The cold breeze pierces by you. It’s blistering and ravenous keeping you alert, but soothing and harmonious leaving you with a shield from what’s beyond; mother nature’s emollient embrace forcing you to nothing but peace.

And silence, sure and real, the only thing in the world. You can hear the dogs, the wind, the snow below you, but any moment you want, you can take yourself there_ surrounded by that peace you will be able to hold onto forever. I imagine.

The weather is cold enough to kill you. You either just passed or are approaching treacherous terrain with jagged rocks, sharp, unpredictable turns, steep crevices, random cliffs, pits, drops… Your hands are ceaselessly sore from gripping the handle, but don’t stop. Don’t slow down. It is a race.

The Iditarod is an over 1000 mile dog sled journey from Anchorage to Rome. It is the last great race on earth. It will test the will and endurance of any person. The race exposes you to treacherous unpredictable paths over rocks, jagged ice, and landscape as diverse as the dogs and teams who embark it. The Iditarod is the ultimate race and competition on earth. It’s a continuous test of one’s facilities and capabilities… to all who compete… including the dogs. And a journey where the person gets constantly lost in its beauty and magnificence, always being awed and humbled by everything that is around you.

No other sport on earth is steeped in as much tradition and honor than The Iditarod. Uncorrupted from outside pressure, it is a tradition passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years as means of living. Dog sledding and hunting with dogs goes back to the beginning of human kind and the relationship to these dogs, and dogs in general, have contributed and will continue to contribute to human culture forever. The Iditarod is the ultimate example of tradition, family, human-animal relationships, Mother Nature, competition, endurance, and so much of what encompasses what it means to be human. And congratulations to Dallas Seavey on his fourth victory at the 2015 Iditarod. As well to Mitch Seavey, his father, who came in second.

For full results, click HERE.