The 2009 Mushing History Conference took place Nov 6-8, at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and at the Iditarod Trail Headquarters and the Grand View Hotel, in Wasilla, Alaska. The 2009 Conference brought together many veteran mushers along with a broad assortment of authors, historians, researchers, storytellers, writers and photographers for a weekend of exploring the colorful history of man’s travel via dogteam.
Presentations traced the evolution of man’s relationship with working sled dogs, including trapline use of sled dogs in the North American fur trade, historic and present-day sled dog races, delivering the U.S. mail by dogteam, sled dog use in polar expeditions, the Centennial of the Iditarod National Historic Trail, Joe Redington’s work with dogteams for the U.S. Army, the evolution of sled dog nutrition and diets, the Iditarod Trail Committee’s historic documentary about the race, and much, much more. Detailed descriptions of the presentations:
- First report: Tim White and Carol Beck
- Second report: Denali National Park and Kevin Keeler
- Third report: Linda Chamberlain and Rod Perry
- Fourth report: Joe Redington, Jr. and Jeffrey Dinsdale
- Fifth report: Jane Haigh and Chas St. George
