BOOKS ABOUT DOGSLEDDING

Yukon Alone : The World's Toughest Adventure Race

By: John Balzar, Jeffrey L. Ward, Michelle McMillian

In the tradition of Into the Wild, a story of daring and determination in one of nature's harshest, loneliest, and most beautiful places.

The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race is among the most challenging and dangerous of all the organized sporting events in the world. Every February, a handful of hardy souls spends over two weeks racing sleds pulled by fourteen dogs over 1,023 miles of frozen rivers, icy mountain passes, and spruce forests as big as entire states. It's not unusual for the temperature to drop to 40-below or for the night to be seventeen hours long.

Why would anyone want to run this race? To find out, John Balzar moved to Alaska months before The Quest began and he spent time in the homes of many of the mushers. Balzar then spent many days and nights on the trail, and the result is a book that not only treats us to a vivid day-by-day account of the grueling race itself but also offers an insightful look at the men and women who have moved to this rugged and beautiful place, often leaving behind comfortable houses and jobs in the lower forty-eight states for the sense of exhilaration they find in their new lives. Readers will also be fascinated by Balzar's account of what goes into the training and care of the majestic dogs who pull the sleds and whose courage, strength, and devotion make them the true heroes of this story.

For anyone captivated by the wild north country, this riveting tale of courage and adventure will inspire and entertain.

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Winterdance : The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod

By: Gary Paulsen

Winterdance is an unforgettable account of Gary Paulsen's most ambitious quest: to know a world beyond his knowing, to train for and run the Iditarod. Fueled by an all-consuming passion for running dogs, Paulsen entered the grueling 1,180-mile race across Alaska in dangerous ignorance and with fierce determination. For seventeen days, Paulsen and his team of fifteen dogs ran through breathtaking and treacherous Arctic terrain. They crossed the barren, moonlike landscape of the Alaskan interior and witnessed sunrises that cast a golden blaze over the vast waters of the Bering Sea. They endured blinding wind, snowstorms, frostbite, dogfights, moose attacks, sleeplessness, hallucinations - and the relentless push to go on. He crossed the finish line, but it wasn't enough: Paulsen was obsessed and wanted to race again. Though the dangers of the Iditarod were legion, more frightening still was the knowledge that he could not stop racing dogs of his own free will.

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Race Across Alaska : First Woman to Win the Iditarod Tells Her Story

By: Libby Riddles, Tim Jones

Account by the first woman to win the Iditarod. Explores the history of the trail and celebrates the frontiersmen and their dogs who braved its dangers.

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Winter Camping, 2d

By: Stephen Gorman

Completely revised and expanded, this AMC classic covers the essentials of staying warm and safe in the winter. Used in outdoor education classes from Maine to Minnesota, this guide is a must have for hikers, skiers, snowshoers, mountaineers, and snow boarders.

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