EXPLORER with Jonathan Nathaniel Hayes

🐾 NEW EPISODE — The Explorer with Jonathan Hayes

The third and final installment of our Iditarod EDU Speaker Series is here — and it's a big one.

Urtha Lenhar was there on day one of the Iditarod. He went on to finish the race himself, spent forty years as a teacher (twenty of them in Nome, Alaska), and now leads the nonprofit Seppala House Project — restoring Leonhard Seppala's historic home into a museum.

This talk covers the birth of the Iditarod, what it took to run it, the fight to preserve a piece of mushing history, and everything in between.

This one's personal — I led the carpentry team on that Seppala House restoration myself, and you can hear it in how we talk about it.

Catch up on the whole series: my talk on the Centennial Seppala Expedition, Kat Langlais on what it really takes to win the Can-Am Crown, and now Urtha closing it out.

🎧 Listen now — link in bio

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Share this with someone who loves this history as much as we do. #Iditarod #SeppalaHouse #MushMaine #TheExplorerPodcast

Part 2 of our Iditarod EDU Speaker Series is here, and it's a game-changer.

Kat Langlais is the first — and only — woman to win the Can-Am Crown 250. In this talk, she breaks down what it really takes to be a winning musher, from her perspective. Spoiler: it's not what you think.

I opened this series with a talk on the Centennial Seppala Expedition, and we'll close it out with the one and only Urtha Lenhar. But this one? This one is going to stick with you.

🎧 Listen now — link in bio

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Would you mush 750 miles alone through -40° temps to honor a 100-year-old legacy?

I did. New episode of Explorer breaks down the whole journey — Norton Sound, the Blowhole, on the Yukon I'll never forget, and a feeling in Nome I'll never forget.

🎧 Now streaming

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Libby Riddles—first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race—joins Explorer to share the story behind the storm, the dogs, and the decisions that made history.

Join co-director and two time "Teacher on the trail" Jim Deprez as we discuss iditarod's EDU program designed to use the race as teaching modules for the classroom.

Follow Iditarod Edu on Facebook or Instagram. You can reach Jim at [email protected]

Dont forget to like, subscribe and share the podcast with a friend- you can follow us at Mush Maine on the web, YouTube, Instagram or Facebook! Or email the host @ [email protected]

Cohost of the wildly successful "The Sporting Chance Podcast," noted austringer and outdoorsman, Casey Everett has a conversation with Jonathan about hounds, hawking, Lizard People and liberty. Check it out.

After 2 years of silence, Brent Sass gives us this exclusive look into his story from his perspective.

Brent is one of the most accomplished long-distance sled dog mushers of his generation — a three-time 1,000 mile Yukon Quest champion and winner of the 1,000 mile 50th Iditarod.

But in 2023 and 2024, serious allegations of sexual misconduct led to his disqualification from the Iditarod and his withdrawal from public life. No criminal charges were filed, and Sass has denied the allegations. Until now, he has not spoken publicly at length about this chapter of his life.

In this exclusive, long-form conversation, Brent sits down for the first time to share his perspective — not only on the controversy, but on the journey that brought him from cabin life in Alaska to the pinnacle of endurance racing, and through one of the most difficult seasons of his life.

This is not a courtroom. It is a conversation.

We discuss triumph, isolation, public judgment, resilience, and what legacy truly means when the trail turns harsh.

Listener discretion advised: this episode references allegations of sexual misconduct.

After two years, Brent breaks his silence and answers the questions we all want addressed.

Brent is one of the most accomplished long-distance sled dog mushers of his generation — a three-time 1,000 mile Yukon Quest champion and winner of the 50th Iditarod.

But in 2023 and 2024, serious allegations of sexual misconduct led to his disqualification from the Iditarod and his withdrawal from public life. No criminal charges were ever filed, and Sass has denied the allegations. Until now, he has not spoken publicly at length about this chapter of his life.

In this exclusive, long-form conversation, Brent sits down for the first time to share his perspective — not only on the controversy, but on the journey that brought him from off-grid cabin life in Alaska to the pinnacle of endurance racing, and through one of the most difficult seasons of his life.

This is not a courtroom. It is a conversation.

We discuss triumph, isolation, public judgment, resilience, and what legacy truly means when the trail turns harsh.

Listener discretion advised: this episode references allegations of sexual misconduct.

Jonathan Nathaniel Hayes gives the keynote address at the annual Regional Chamber of Commerce Banquet here in Maine. The talk centered on the Centennial Seppala Expedition and the subsequent honoring of the breed as the Maine State Dog.

One Hundred Winters: Retracing the Great Race Against Death

You can purchase your hardcopy on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/One-Hundred-Winters-Retracing-Against/dp/B0FP4RRBRG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35G9COMB4ZNJC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.T31OZAvFqR36Kg2vZZOn6PjJegqtfvr2Mf4X4el3Wa3GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.mMHEwu4mF6qqu5cj9aoKU5W7ZqzLHXeONF6xKs6tLfE&dib_tag=se&keywords=one+hundred+winters+jonathan+hayes+race&qid=1758803871&sprefix=one+hundred+winters+jonathan+hayes+rac%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-1

Or order an Autographed copy at https://mushmaine.com/product/one-hundred-winters-book-autographed/