Explore every episode of the podcast Husky Talk

Today, we’re joined by Iditarod veteran Wade Marrs! Wade is a highly respected musher who has been competing in the Iditarod since he was just 18 years old, finishing in the top ten multiple times. Though he’s not racing this year, he brings a wealth of knowledge and firsthand experience to help us break down the latest race updates. We’re excited to get his insight on how things are shaping up on the trail.

Today we are honored to have Iditarod legend, Dee Dee Jonrowe with us for a special race update. With decades of experience on the trail, multiple top-10 finishes, and a reputation for resilience and sportsmanship, she’s a true icon in the sport. While she is retired and not racing this year, she’s been closely following the race, and we can’t wait to get her insights on how things are unfolding out on the trail.

Today, we are joined by a special guest - an Iditarod finisher who knows firsthand what it takes to complete The Last Great Race. While she isn’t racing this year, her husband is currently on the trail, and we’re excited to get her insight into how things are unfolding. With the race in full swing, we’ll dive into the latest updates, the challenges mushers are facing, and what makes this year’s race unique. Enjoy this episode with KattiJo Deeter.

Today on Husky Talk, we’re honored to have a true Iditarod legend join us. He is one of the co-founders of the Iditarod and has been involved in the race for over 50 years. He’s been a musher, teacher, and band director. Originally from South Dakota, he played a key role in helping Joe Redington, Sr. bring the Iditarod to life. We’re excited to hear his stories about the early days of the race.

Today we are thrilled to welcome Grant Maughan, an adventurous spirit and accomplished endurance athlete who brings a unique perspective to the Iditarod Trail. While most of our listeners know the trail for the iconic sled dog race, Grant experienced it in a completely different way - on foot, as part of the Iditarod Trail Invitational. Beyond his journey on the trail, Grant has also conquered incredible feats like climbing Mt. Everest and running across the Alps. His story offers a fresh and inspiring take on endurance challenges, and we’re excited to dive into his experiences and learn from his extraordinary adventures. Please welcome to the show, Grant Maughan.

Today we are excited to welcome, Jeff Schultz, the former official photographer of the Iditarod. For decades, Jeff traveled the trail by bush plane and snow machine, capturing some of the most iconic images of the race. While he is no longer on the trail, he continues to tell the story of the race through his Faces of Iditarod project.

On this episode we’re excited to be joined by Matthew Failor, a veteran Iditarod musher, Kuskokwim 300 Champion, and multi-time humanitarian award winner. Matthew and his wife Liz run Alaskan Husky Adventures in Willow, Alaska, where they share their passion for dog mushing with visitors. His race team, 17th-Dog, is a tribute to the family, friends, and fans who make it all possible.

Welcome back to another season of Husky Talk, the podcast where we explore all things sled dogs, mushing, and many incredible adventures. Your hosts today are Brin, Lakin, and Nora. Our guest today is Jonathan Hayes, a biology teacher with a deep passion for sled dog mushing. He owns and operates Poland Springs Seppala Kennels, where he trains and cares for a team of extraordinary Seppala Siberians - dogs directly connected to the historic legacy of the Serum Run. Next week, Jonathan will embark on the Centennial Seppala Expedition, retracing the iconic Serum Run in honor of its 100th anniversary.

In this episode we talk with this year's Most Improved Musher and the Humanitarian award winner. Wally talks with us about being asked to run the Iditarod for a friend days before the Iditarod. He tells us what went into his training and gives us stories from the trail. Enjoy this episode with Wally Robinson.

In this episode we talk with the 2024 Iditarod Rookie of the Year. Josi talks with us about what it takes to qualify for the Iditarod, what rookies have to do prior to the race, and the race itself. Enjoy this episode with Josi Thyr as she shares her stories from the trail.

In this episode we had the honor of talking with the first and only 6-time Iditarod champion. Listen as he talks with us about the challenges he faced this season and how he overcame them. He shares some advice for young mushers. Dallas also gives us insight into his future in his career in mushing.

Thanks for tuning into another episode of Husky Talk. We are less than one month away from the start of the Iditarod. Our guest on this episode is a 2-time finisher of the Iditarod and a school teacher in Alaska. Enjoy this episode with Angie Taggart.

Our guest on this episode grew up in a dog mushing family and has been raising huskies since she was old enough to hold one. She manages her family’s kennel. She is a 2-time Jr. Iditarod champ and recently won the Knik 200 by edging out former Iditarod champ, Brent Sass, by one minute. Enjoy this episode with Emily Robinson.

We are currently less than 50 days from the start. Our guest on this episode is an Iditarod veteran with 21 finishes. He has 8 top ten finishes with his best finish being runner up in 2021. He stepped away after the 2022 race and is back this year. Enjoy this episode with Aaron Burmeister.

Our guest on this episode ran her first Iditarod in 2022. As a matter of fact she made it all the way to Nome, but was not considered a finisher. She went back in 2023 and officially finished. This year, her husband, an Iditarod veteran, Jeff Deeter, will be running the Iditarod. Please enjoy this episode with Katie Jo Deeter.

We are back in another exciting season of Husky Talk. In our first episode of season 7 we talk with the marketing and communications director for the world famous Iditarod sled dog race. Please enjoy this episode with Shannon Noonan.

Our guest on this episode is a veterinarian. During the Iditarod she is the return dog coordinator. She is going to talk to us all about the logistics of return dogs of the Iditarod.

Our guest on this episode is an 8-time Iditarod veteran, grandson of the founder of the Iditarod, and the 2023 Iditarod champion. Please enjoy this episode with Ryan Redington.

Our guest today is familiar with the Iditarod in more than one way. He has been on the Iditarod trail on both bike and dog sled. This next weekend he will be competing in the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350 mile bike race. The following weekend his wife, Kristy Berington, will start the 1000 mile Iditarod dog sled race. Please enjoy this episode with Andy Pohl. Follow Andy's race here: https://itialaska.com/tracking

We are less than a month away from Iditarod 2023. Our guest today is involved in the Iditarod in more than one way. She was an Iditarod reporter for KTVA T.V. channel, she currently reports for Iditarod Insider, and her husband, Matthew Failor, is an Iditarod musher. Please enjoy this episode with Liz Failor. Watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjNWDoblqYc

We are here today with a legend in the sport of dog mushing. He holds the record for most consecutive Iditarod finishes with 37. He has completed the race 39 times with no scratches. He has 19 top ten finishes, 12 top five finishes, and was and Iditarod champion 4 times. Please enjoy this episode with Martin Buser.

Our guest this week is a veteran who has competed in 7 Iditarods. His highest finish is 8th place when he also earned the Sportsmanship award. He is a 2nd generation musher from the Bethel area. Enjoy this episode with Michael Williams Jr.

Our guest on this episode moved to Alaska at the age of 5. She was introduced to mid and long distance mushing by 2 of the best mushers of all time, her father and stepmother, Allen Moore and Ally Zirkle. She currently lives near Nome where she is an emergency room nurse. She was a rookie in last year’s Iditarod and was forced to scratch near White Mountain due to a violent storm. Enjoy this episode with Bridgett Watkins.

Our guest today has been involved with the Iditarod for over 15 years with the Iditarod Air Force. He is the chief pilot in McGrath, one of the Iditarod checkpoints and airport hub. He lives in Alaska and is a FedEx pilot when not volunteering for the Iditarod. Enjoy this episode with Wes Erb. Watch the podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umvugkN2YII

Our guest on this episode has finished the Iditarod 33 times, has had 16 top ten finishes, finished the Mount Marathon 11 times, she is an Ironman finisher, a marathon runner, and a cancer survivor. She has retired from mushing and currently works with search and rescue dogs and reports for KTUU channel 2 news in Alaska. Enjoy this episode with Dee Dee Jonrowe. Watch a video of the interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qetQTdAE3Q

Our guest on this episode was born in Alaska and is a 9-time Iditarod finisher. His best finish was 4th place in 2021 and 2016. He took a year off from the Iditarod and is excited to be back for the 2023 race. He also raises awareness for Turner Syndrome, a medical condition that affects his biggest fan, Ashley Perry, and also affects a classmate of ours here at Camanche Middle School. Enjoy this episode with Wade Marrs. https://www.stumpjumpinkennel.com/

In our first episode of season 6 we sit down with the COO (Chief Operations Officer) for the Iditarod. He has been with the Iditarod for almost 14 years. He covered the Iditarod as a broadcast journalist years. Please enjoy this episode with Chas.

In our season 5 finale we talk with Tekla Butcher-Monson. She was born and raised in Alaska. She has been mushing since the age of 5. She has, twice, mushed 700 miles along the Iditarod trail in honor of her mother. In 2021 she ran a 200 mile race along the Denali highway and this past year she completed the 300 mile Copper Basin sled dog race. She is the daughter of 4-time Iditarod champion, Susan Butcher.

Our guest on this episode was a rookie in this year's Iditarod. He was born and raised in South Africa. He came to the United States in 2010 to learn more and see the world. After hearing about dog sledding he joined a kennel in Michigan. Sadly, he did not finish the Iditarod this year. He was less than 70 miles from the finish when he had to be rescued. Enjoy this episode with Gerhardt Thiart.

Our guest on this episode is a former Kuskokwim 300 champion, a 10-time Iditarod finisher, and proud owner of Alaskan Husky Adventures, home of the 17th dog. He was voted as Most Inspirational Musher in the 2022 Iditarod by his peers. Enjoy this episode with Matthew Failor.

On this episode of Husky Talk, our guest waited two years to get out on the Iditarod trail. He was selected as the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail for 2021. Due to Covid restrictions, he was unable to travel on the trail last year. He was able to continue as teacher on the trail in 2022. It was a struggle to get out on the trail for him, but he finally made it. Enjoy this episode with the 2021 and 2022 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, Jim Deprez.

Our guest on this episode is the champion of the 50th Iditarod Sled Dog Race. He is also one of only six people to win both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest sled dog races. Please enjoy this episode with Brent Sass.

Our guest on this episode has an extensive resume. She has completed the Iditarod sled dog race, completed several expeditions with her dog team including multiple North Pole trips, a trip across the Arctic, and she has completed the Appalachian trail. She has also written several books. Enjoy this episode with Pam Flowers. https://www.pamflowers.com/

Our guest on this episode moved to Alaska at the age of 5 and got her first sled dog. She competed in sprint mushing throughout her childhood. Her father and stepmother are some of the greatest mushers of all time, Allen Moore and Aliy Zirkle. It was them who introduced her to long distance mushing. She’s an ER nurse and lives in Fairbanks with her husband and 2 sons. Please enjoy this episode with Bridgett Watkins.

Our guest on this episode has been teaching for 19 years. She took some time off from teaching and ran the Iditarod twice in 2011 and 2013. Enjoy this episode with Angie Taggart.

We are less than a month away from the start of the 50th Iditarod. On this episode we have identical twins from Knik, Alaska. They love dogs, running, and adventure. They are both veterans of the Iditarod. Enjoy this episode with Anna and Kristy Berington.

Our guest on this episode is one of the original organizers of the Iditarod. He has won the famous race in 1983. He also has one of the most dramatic finishes in race history, beating Rick Swenson by the nose of a dog in 1978. Please enjoy this episode with Dick Mackey.

Our guest on this episode continues to carry on the family legacy of running sled dogs. His grandfather is known as the “Father of the Iditarod,” as he co-founded the race. He is a 2-time champion of the Kobuk 440 and the John Beargrease sled dog race. Please consider heading over to his website and ordering a shirt to support his dog, Wildfire, who was injured in a recent accident. We will put the website in the show notes. Enjoy this episode with Ryan Redington. https://redington-mushing.creator-spring.com/?

Our guest on this episode is a motivational speaker and a world-class adventurer. He has background knowledge of the Iditarod trail both through dogs and on foot. He was the 2018 Iditarod Trail Invitational champion. Please enjoy this episode with Pete Ripmaster.

Our guest on this episode is a 5-time Iditarod champion. He was the youngest person to ever finish the Iditarod as well as the youngest Iditarod champion. He and his father became the only father/son duel to place 1st and 2nd place in the Iditrarod. Besides his 5 championships, he has 10 top ten finishes. Please enjoy this episode with the defending Iditarod champion, Dallas Seavey.

Our guest on this episode was born in Madison, Wisconsin and moved to Alaska before she turned 17. She saw a sprint dog race and fell in love with mushing. In 1985 she won the Leonard Seppala Humanitarian award, she was named Sportswoman of the year, she appeared in Sports Illustrated, and was the first woman to win the Iditarod. Enjoy this episode with Libby Riddles.

Our guest on this episode is the 2008 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail. The Last Frontier captured her as she stood in the village of Nikolai, where she decided that one day she would teach in rural Alaska. She taught in Togiak, Alaska for 2 years. She recently began working for the Iditarod as the Director of Education. Enjoy this episode with Jane Holmes.

This episode's guest will be a rookie in the 50th running of the Iditarod. She is being mentored by the famous, Jeff King, at Husky Homestead in Denali, Alaska. She is from Idaho and grew up around dogs. Enjoy this episode with Amanda Otto. https://huskyhomestead.com/

Our guest today will be a rookie in the 50th running of the Iditarod. After working a summer job in Alaska, she met her husband, Iditarod musher, Jeff Deeter. We are excited for you to hear her journey to the Iditarod. Enjoy this episode with KattiJo Deeter. https://blacksprucedogsledding.com/meet-the-people/

Our guest this week has been photographing the Iditarod for almost 40 years. He has seen the race change in many ways. He has met and photographed many icons of the Iditarod. Please enjoy this episode with Jeff Schultz. https://www.schultzphoto.com/iditarod/

Our guest on this episode has finished the Iditarod twice and has been the official artist of the Iditarod since 1979. He will be sharing some great stories with us about the Iditarod. Enjoy this episode with Jon Van Zyle. Jon Van Zyle's website - https://www.jonvanzyle-ak.com/

Welcome to our 5th season. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Iditarod and we are going to be having guests share stories of the Iditarod from the last 50 years. Our guest today will start our season off with the story of how the Iditarod began. Enjoy this episode with Katie Mangelsdorf. Katie's book https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Alaskan-Huskie-Redington-Iditarod/dp/1594332452

This is our last episode of this season. We just want to give a huge shout out to you all for persevering through this extremely challenging year. This episode we will be talking about an Iditarod finisher who has persevered through quite a bit in her life. She also has received the Red Lantern award both in 2015 and 2017, which is a symbol of perseverance. Please enjoy this episode with Cindy Abbott.

On this episode we talk with a retired musher that has run the Iditarod several times. When she was running sled dogs she ran with Siberian Huskies. She is still involved with the Iditarod as she often is a race judge. She also is still involved with dogs and works with border collies herding sheep. Please enjoy this episode with Karen Ramstead.

Our guest on this episode has been living in Alaska for over 20 years. He is a three-time Yukon Quest champion and an Iditarod veteran. His highest finish in the Iditarod is 4th place. Enjoy this episode with Brent Sass.