Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is famous for pushing people and dogs to test their physical limits. More than 1,000 miles of the hardest, wildest land in the United States surrounds the trail between the official start in Willow and the finish line under the burled arch in Nome. It's easy to dwell on the substantial physical challenges facing teams. There are ways to cope with lack of sleep, wicked terrain and extreme cold, but there is no easy way to remedy a doubtful or fearful mind.

The greatest battle mushers themselves face is something no observer can see. When the darkness of Alaska's short but now lengthening days creeps inside and overwhelms an exhausted musher's spirit, quitting the trail, or "scratching," seems so easy, so perfect and right. When the health of a musher's dogs isn't an issue, and the wind starts howling, a mind at peace makes all the difference.