Mushing Alaska

Mushing Alaska fans, we’ve got a jam-packed episode coming your way!

We kick things off with a rundown of the latest mushing news—weather updates, an Iditarod route change (and the social media buzz around it), plus quick recaps of the Yukon Quest Alaska & Canada and the Kuskokwim 300.

But the real treat? We’re joined by none other than Squid Acres Kennel’s Paige Drobny & Cody Strathe! These two have been involved in the long-distance mushing scene for nearly 20 years, running the Yukon Quest almost every year of the 2010s and tackling the Iditarod just weeks later. Cody’s coming off an incredible 2nd place finish in the CB300 and 3rd in the ultra-competitive Kusko 300, and Paige is about to embark on her 10th Iditarod after last year’s 5th place finish!Sean tried to count how many total 1000 mile races Paige has done and it's gotta be about 15? Anyways, these two have been a great representation of excellent dog care, top-tier dog names, and how they keep good vibes on the trail—even in the toughest conditions. We're thankful they could join us during this hectic time of the year, enjoy!

Intro - 0:00

Catch up

Weather update - 2:41

Social media discussion - 4:46

Route discussion - 16:20

Yukon Quest - 22:46

Yukon Quest Alaska - 26:16

Yukon Quest Canada - 31:17

Kuskokwim 300 - 34:14

Interview preview - 39:28

Interview - 45:33

#MushingAlaska #Iditarod #YukonQuest #SledDogs #SquidAcres #MushingLife #DogMushing

Our latest episode is with 2025 Iditarod Rookie - Mike Parker. He has been running renowned musher Jim Lanier's team, but he's no stranger to the sled dog world. With over a decade of experience working with these incredible animals, Mike has been honing his skills and knowledge every step of the way.

#mushingexpert #iditarodveteran #mushing #alaska #mushingalaska #iditarod2025 #iditarod #brothers #podcast #husky #sendit #pullthehook #fullsend #LFG #badass #alaskanhusky #epicshit #blackhawkexpert #goodvibes #dreambig #adventuretime #livingthedream #sleddogparker #longtimelistener #oglistener

Join us for our next episode as we sit down with Mark Nordman, a legendary figure in the mushing world and the Iditarod. With over 40 years experience, Mark has worn many hats in this iconic race: from dog driver to race organizer to race marshal. His dedication extends beyond the trail; Mark annually visits the remote villages along the Iditarod route, nurturing the crucial bond between these communities and the historic 1000 mile event. Don't miss this insightful conversation as we dive into Mark's journey and the enduring spirit of the Iditarod, enjoy!

0:00 - Intro

38:13 - Interview with Mark

We got a chance to chat with Calvin Daugherty and will get to see him hit the Iditarod trail again the first weekend in March 2025. Calvin was exposed to the sled dog world when his family moved to Alaska about a decade ago and has been hooked ever since. We had a great time chatting with him and are going to be cheering him on this season, enjoy!

2025 Iditarod rookie Keaton Loebrich joins us for our next episode! Keaton moved up here a few years ago and fell in love with sled dogs and the interior. He and his wife got married this summer and live near Fairbanks in a cabin that they built with 21 dogs in their yard. Star Gazers Kennel has sled dogs that are sourced from multiple kennels around Alaska. Keaton ran the Quest 300 twice among other qualifiers. We loved to see how excited he is to be living his dream. Keaton spent 4 years in the Marine Corps and we thank him and all service members for their service on Veteran’s Day, enjoy!

#mushingexpert #iditarodveteran #mushing #alaska #mushingalaska #iditarod2024 #iditarod #brothers #podcast #husky #sendit #pullthehook #fullsend #LFG #badass #alaskanhusky #epicshit #blackhawkexpert #goodvibes #dreambig #adventuretime #livingthedream

In this episode, we got a chance to chat with Dan Carter - an Iditarod 2007 veteran, the race director of the Wyoming stage stop, and a race official for the Iditarod. We learned about the history and format of the stage race and the roles he now has in each event. He also shared some stories from his Iditarod run, enjoy!

In our first episode of season 3, we connect with Iditarod veteran Severin Cathry - all the way from Switzerland. He first came to Alaska in 2010 and has been back every few years to enjoy time on the trail with the dogs. He ran multiple Copper Basin's on his way to running this years ‘Rod. He talks about his journey and we teach each other how to say mogul, enjoy!

We had the pleasure of spending some time with the 8-time Kusko 300 champ and 2019 Iditarod winner - Pete Kaiser. He's raced the last 15 Iditarod's, coming out of Bethel, Alaska - where he was born and raised. His hometown in southwest Alaska is hundreds of miles from the main road system. Hope y'all enjoy our talk with Pete because we had a blast!

We were privileged enough to have Iditarod veteran Ben Good sit down with us for over an hour. Ben was the only 2024 rookie who had completed the thousand mile Yukon Quest. He talks about the differenmces of those two expeditions and did a start to finish recap of his first trip to Nome. Good Alaska Mushing is based out of North Pole, Alaska - enjoy!

Our first episode post Iditarod with a guest - and this time there's two guests: our intro includes coverage of the Kobuk 440 and with Sean out on a week long adventure, we got Joseph O'Keefe to join Brendan for a breakdown of the Kobuk.

As for our interview, Brendan and Sean get back on track with a guest on the show. Sean Williams is from Chugiak, AK - a small community between Anchorage and the Mat-Su valley. Sean participated in 2 of the last 3 Iditarods and is a multi-time finisher of the Copper Basin 300 and other mid distance races in Alaska, some of which aren't around anymore. He also created a new website for the mushing community called sleddogtalk.com. This episode might be a two (or more) parter folks, enjoy!