All around Alaska's Bristol Bay region, particularly in villages surrounding Lake Iliamna, it's the same story: Sled dog racing is on the decline -- too expensive and time consuming.
Skier, climber and all-around Alaska adventurer Andy Sterns, having come north in the 1990s after surviving a near-death experience, now finds himself battling another after being hit by a rock and snowfall on a mountain near Nome.Craig Medred
For a dog owner, few things are as frightening as their canine companion vanishing. When the dog is lost in an unfamiliar area, fear can escalate to hysteria for both owner and dog. That's exactly what happened with Pixel on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. Joseph Robertia
"I'm worthless now," Griffin said from home after returning from the 1,000-mile Iditarod race. "I cannot do dog chores." She is now facing a $20,000 surgery bill to repair her torn MCL.Craig Medred
Large Connex storage containers are expected to be placed near Iditarod dog lots in big checkpoints like Unalakleet and Nome on the 1,000-mile trail across Alaska, allowing race volunteers to monitor the animals more closely.Suzanna Caldwell
While PETA urged action, the Virginia-based organization is facing its own dead-animal problems. A state probe is looking into accusations that thousands of animals have died at its East Coast shelter.Craig Medred
Big Lake musher Jake Berkowitz walked away from Nome with more this year than an eighth place finish. He also got top honors for the excellent dog care he showed on the 1,000-mile Iditarod trail. Jill Burke
Californian Cindy Abbott came to Alaska to run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. She leaves broken and bruised, finding that to finish the Iditarod is tougher than climbing Mount Everest.Craig Medred
If the Iditarod is managed by pilots, then the Yukon Quest is managed by truckers. Why did the FAA ground the Quest's volunteer aviators while the Iditarod boasts a bona fide air force?Colleen Mondor
