We headed to Alaska to test out our favorite winter gear and learned a thing or two about racing a team of dogs in the world’s foremost sled race, the Iditarod. Dog mushers, Laura and Maggie, took us behind the scenes at the Susan Butcher Training Facilities for a day of hard work, serious training, and plenty of wet doggy kisses.
Meet Laura
Occupation: Dog musher and tour guide
Current car: 2001 Ford Escape
Favorite mode of transit: Dog sled
Embarrassing nickname: “Squat” (DON’T ask!)
Indispensable T9 gear: Daily Down Vest; I’m lost (and very cold) without it
Bathtub reading: Mushing Magazine (it’s real!)
Best four-legged friends: Haggard, Leaps, Sugar, Dash, Ivory, Roxy, Bou, Katie, Soldier, Rishi, Flynn and Walker
Fangirl for: Roxy
Role model(s): See best friends
Most recent adventure: 2015 Iditarod