1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: This episode is brought to you by square Space. Start 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: building your website today at square space dot com and 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: our offer code stuff at check out and get ten 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: percent off square Space. Build it beautiful. You smell that, Josh, 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: that's the smell of the Pacific Northwest. It's a smell 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: of spring. Oh yeah, that that's where I was headed. Okay, 7 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: So we are launching our Spring has Sprung tour and 8 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: uh other dates tb D. But we know we are 9 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: starting in the Pacific Northwest. Yeah, like I said, which 10 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: is what smells like pachuli and liberalism and uh pine 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: where we go in Seattle in Portland. Right on Friday, 12 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: April eight, We're gonna be in Seattle at the Neptune, 13 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: which we were at last time. It was a great venue, 14 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: of great venue. The next day we're going to be 15 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: in Portland at Revolution Hall, new venue for us, new 16 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: venue for us, and we are going back there because 17 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: two reasons you both treated us so well last time. 18 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: And we have a very special podcast Taylor made for 19 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: your necabou it. That's right, so come see us. You 20 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: can get tickets on s y s K live dot com, 21 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: our website powered by squarespace. That's right, and uh, we'll 22 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: see you guys April eighth and ninth. Come on out, 23 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: Pacific Northwest. Welcome to you Stuff you should know from 24 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: house stuff Works dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. 25 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: I'm Josh Clark with Charles W. Chuck Bryant, and there's 26 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: Jerry over there. And there's some delicious ritz crackers of 27 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: peanut butter dipped in white chocolate, which means this is 28 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: stuff you should know. Yummy cookies. Yes, but we're not 29 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: gonna say who sent them just yet because that will 30 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: fall under the administrative which, by the way, while we're 31 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: mentioning it, thanks again to Mark Henry. We're pretty sure 32 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: we thanked for the awesome steel work that we got 33 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: at the Pittsburgh showy steel and barnwork right exactly. I 34 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: thought we'd thanked him it. If we didn't, I want 35 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: to make sure we did for sure, because it hangs 36 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: right here above our heads proudly. It looms intimidating lee 37 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: over our heads. Are you intimidated by it? Now? I'm 38 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 1: a little under the weather, though, can you tell? I can? Yeah, 39 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: mostly because you said so. But now that now that 40 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: I'm listening for it, I can hear it sort of that. 41 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: It's like you gotta stick a butter and each Nazia. 42 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: Oh man, I wish do you you can do that? 43 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: How are you? I'm doing okay, I'm not under the weather. Um. 44 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: I am nice warm here in Atlanta. It's like seventy 45 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: degrees outside here and like March one. Um. Kind of well, 46 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: I want to say the opposite, but not necessarily these 47 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: days things to climate change. Um in Alaska, Leo DiCaprio, 48 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: where there, I thought that was a great speech, was fantastic, 49 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: nailed it. Thin guy should be an actor. Uh in 50 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: Alaska where they're about to do the Ida or they're 51 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: about to run it. As a matter back, when this 52 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,679 Speaker 1: comes out, it will have started a couple of days before, right, 53 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: so we'll be like right smack dab in the middle 54 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: of what's called the last great race on Earth, the 55 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, also known as just the 56 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 1: Iddarad or the Iddarade trail Sled dog Race. Did I 57 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: say dog sled? No, you said it, but you just 58 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: put the emphasist on the weird words or the I 59 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: did rode trail sled dog race exactly. We could do 60 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 1: this several more times we could. So let's get into this. 61 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna we're probably both gonna say poopy things about 62 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: dog racing, aren't we Probably. Yeah, I'm just waiting for 63 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: people in Alaska to be mad at me. It's gonna 64 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: be years before they get their hands on this episode. Yeah, 65 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: probably so, because you have to fly it out, you 66 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: drop it in from town to town, and everybody has 67 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: to get their turn listening to it. Yeah. Thing I 68 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: learned about people from Alaska is the reason they live 69 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: in Alaska is because they don't like being told what 70 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: to do by anybody. No, they don't. They like getting 71 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: pushed around. No, so they moved to Alaska, where you 72 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: can do as you please. So yeah, we'll see where 73 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: this one goes. So the idea Rode, for those of 74 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: you who don't know, is actually a a grueling endurance 75 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: race across some of the coldest parts of the planet miles. 76 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: That's a long way. And it's not like people are 77 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: running or snowshoeing or hang gliding. They are on a 78 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: little sled on skis. You could also call it a 79 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: mini sligh if you wanted to. And this these mini 80 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: slaves are pulled by teams of dogs. And that's the race. 81 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: It's a dog sled race, that's right. Dog sled race 82 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: held every year since nineteen seventy three. And uh, there's 83 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: no like set a number of participants that kind of 84 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: areas from year to year, depending on how many people 85 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: want to take part. And uh, like you said, it's 86 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: rough terrain, it's cold, brutal conditions could be anywhere from 87 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: it could go down to fifty below zero. That's insane, 88 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 1: with harsh winds and blinding snow. Snowblinds. Is that what 89 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: it's called. That's what azz he called it. Yeah, do 90 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: you remember the song snowblind? Yeah? I think so great black. 91 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: I don't think he was talking about snow though, probably not, 92 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? Oh, is he talking about cocaine? 93 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: I think he may have been. I never thought about that, so, uh, Chuck, 94 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: you said like up to fifty below I saw sixty 95 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: below fahrenheight. Sixty below zero fahret heeight, that's cold. But 96 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: I also kept running across people saying like negative forty 97 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheight. And I remember we said that once when 98 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: we were talking about seam o Hia, the Finnish sniper. 99 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: It was like the baddest dude ever, the White Ghosters 100 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 1: something something like that, the White Death, White Death. Yeah, 101 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: I think that was it. Man, that guy, it's crazy anyway. Um, 102 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,160 Speaker 1: and we mentioned that he was out sniping people in 103 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: in temperatures as cold as negative forty degrees fahrenheight, And 104 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: ever since then people wrote in and said, dude, negative 105 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: forty degrees is the same, and Celsius and fahrenheight it's 106 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: where they converge. And ever since then, I've always noticed 107 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: there's very few people who realize that, Yeah, well I 108 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: forgot negative forty degrees. You don't have to say fahrenheher 109 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: or celsius is amazing. The magic temperatures are so cold, 110 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:38,359 Speaker 1: none gives a crap, right exactly. Uh So the route 111 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: for the iditarod Um, there are a couple of different 112 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 1: routes depending on what year it is. Uh, this would 113 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 1: be an even year, so that means they're going to 114 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: follow the northern route last year, and every odd year 115 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: they have a southern route. And uh they are basically 116 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,919 Speaker 1: the same route except for three hundred miles in the 117 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: middle where it's different. Yeah, between a fear and Uncle elite, 118 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: I believe I think so, um, and it either shoots 119 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: up or dips down depending but other than that, it's 120 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: the same exact route. Yeah, there are twenty six checkpoints 121 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: along the way on the northern route and then twenty 122 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: seven on the southern route because you need just that 123 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: one extra by the southern route. I think, didn't it 124 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: say the southern rount is a little harder? Uh? Yeah, 125 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: I think the general thought is in northern trail is 126 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: a little easier, but like I think there's a difference 127 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: in terrain. Typically that makes sense, and you would think, Okay, 128 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: this is a thousand mile plus trek across snow in 129 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 1: negative fifties sixty degree fahrenheight weather. Um, it's gonna take forever, right, 130 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: And as a matter of fact, the first one in 131 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy three did take I think the last place 132 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: finisher more than thirty days to complete the race. Nowadays 133 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: they're doing these things in like eight and change. Yeah, 134 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: the record the first I did a ROD was like 135 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: twenty days and change for the winner for the winner, 136 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: and now the record is a guy named John Baker 137 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,559 Speaker 1: In finished it. So that would be a southern route 138 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: even even more difficult, uh, In eight days eighteen hours, 139 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: forty six minutes and thirty nine seconds. I saw more 140 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: recently a guy named Dallas Cev who's part of like 141 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: An I did a rod Family UM in two thousand 142 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: and fourteen. He broke that record, but a few hours, 143 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: eight days, thirteen hours, four minutes in nineteen seconds. I 144 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: thought the baker was a guy No and baker, I 145 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 1: guess top all another guy named Martin Bousser, who um 146 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: he uh, he had the record for a little while. 147 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: But yeah, it went from like what did you say, 148 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: twenty days for the winner in nineteen seventy three and 149 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: now it's like just over a week, and within that 150 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: week is a forced twenty four hour furlough, So technically 151 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 1: they might be able to do it in a week 152 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 1: if they really tried. Yeah, twenty four hours plus two 153 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: eight hour breaks. So yeah, I bet if it was 154 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: up to the mushers, they would press on yes, because 155 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: aside from those enforced breaks, they do typically press on UM. 156 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 1: They'll stop every once in a while, like feed the 157 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: dogs or something like that, but for the most part 158 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: they're not sleeping. They're staying awake and they're just pushing forward, 159 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: so they get sleep deprivation. They start to hallucinate. Um. 160 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: I read this really great New Yorker article called the 161 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: White Wall, where, um, the light from your head lamp 162 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: because you're traveling at night. Sure most of the time, Um, 163 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: the light from your head lamp is reflecting off of 164 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: the fur around your parka, and it creates this kind 165 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: of white screen in your field of vision, and it's 166 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,319 Speaker 1: like right for hallucinations. She just started to go a 167 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: little batty. Yeah, for sure, I saw where this one 168 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:50,319 Speaker 1: lady who uh was a musher said that she slept 169 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: while she was Oh yeah, that's what she said. She 170 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: just taught herself to kind of hang on and off, 171 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: or maybe she just thought she was sleeping. Yeah, that's possible. 172 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: And you know, it's freaking out on the snowblind, so 173 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: we should mention mush. Apparently no one says mush anymore. 174 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: Oh as far as like the lingo. Yeah, now they 175 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 1: say like hiker, all right, or let's go, But mush 176 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: originally meant like start going. Yeah, it's a fridge from 177 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: Marcia or marsh, yes, marsh and uh yeah, they still 178 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: call them mushers. It's funny name. But apparently the mushers 179 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: don't use the word mush when they're as far as 180 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: like their command exactly. Yeah, that makes sense. So you 181 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 1: want to talk about the history of this sport, this 182 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: endurance sport, because the there's really no way around it. 183 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: The dogs are like peak before, they're like Lebron James, 184 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 1: of of of dogs, all of them. But let's talk 185 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: about the history of sled dogs, about the kind of 186 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: dogs that are used for sled dogs. Like most people, 187 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 1: including me, assume that if you were um riding around 188 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: the snow on a sled being pulled by dogs, you're 189 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: probably being pulled by Siberian huskies or Alaska mala mutes 190 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: or maybe a samoyad. Yes, perhaps, Thank you for being 191 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: the one to say it out loud. It's not the 192 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: easiest one just looking at it to pronounce. Would you say? 193 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: Some woyd Samoyd. I watched the dog Show the other day. 194 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: That's why I love that they had who won? Uh 195 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: you know? I'd actually well, that's how old I am. 196 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:36,199 Speaker 1: I fell asleep before the best in show. Okay, that's 197 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: all right. Yeah, this very fun as long as you 198 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: enjoyed yourself watching it. I want to go one year. Yeah, 199 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: that'd be cool. All that it is crazy, crazy partying. 200 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: No I think it'd probably be a lot of fun 201 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: to go see and cheer for dogs, although I'm against 202 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: dog breeding in general, so I probably shouldn't even go. Um, 203 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,319 Speaker 1: but the the some what is you say, the samoiede 204 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: and the Alaskan malamute and the Siberian husky. They are 205 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: all a k C registered breeds. They're recognized by the 206 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,320 Speaker 1: American Kennel Club, and they used to pull sleds, especially 207 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: Siberian Huskies. There's a guy named um Leonard uh oh man. 208 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: I can't remember his name, Cippola, I believe it's what 209 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: his name was, and he was the guy who first 210 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 1: started racing Siberian Huskies in Alaska on sleds. But if 211 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: you go to Alaska today, you're going to find something 212 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: called an Alaskan husky is typically the kind of dog 213 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: that you're gonna encounter as a sled dog. And this 214 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: is like a mixed breed. It's a mutt breed UM 215 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 1: and they have been bred to just basically be mentally tough, 216 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: physically sturdy, UM not too big but also not too small. 217 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: The thick coat and um yes, and uh, not just quickness, 218 00:12:55,440 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 1: but a strong inbred desire to run and pull stuff 219 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: while they're running. Yeah, I saw this. One guy called it. Uh, 220 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 1: it's like they have a wanderlust, like there there's always 221 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 1: some place else they'd rather be, Like they want to 222 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: go go go over there, which is why. Um, if 223 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,839 Speaker 1: it's when you're taking a break or something with your 224 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: dogs on the iditar rod, you have to chain them 225 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: down whereas they're like see you. And they also microchip 226 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: them as well. I had a friend who had a 227 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: husky and um, they are not easy. And this husky 228 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: would get out and see you later. Yeah, for like 229 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: two days. Yeah, and he always came back, but he 230 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: came back wearing like a Hawaiian shure. Yeah. That would 231 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: freak if my dog got out, because my dogs are 232 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: big dummies. They wouldn't like that, wouldn't know how to 233 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: come back. Was this a pretty smart dog? Yeah? I 234 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: think that's the Alaska husky is pretty smart generally, So 235 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: it was an Alaska husky, I think so. Yeah. So 236 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: Alaska huskies are descended, um more from the dogs called 237 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: Inuit dogs and Eskimo dogs, and they are basically in 238 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: didigenous dogs to Alaska. They came over with the first 239 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: humans who crossed the Bearing Land bridge, right, the dogs 240 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: pulled them across that bridge, probably, oh they did. So. 241 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: I saw that they didn't hook dogs up the sleds 242 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: until like the them this past millennia or the one 243 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 1: we're in now that was like a D eight hundred 244 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: or maybe twelve hundred when they were using sleds. That's 245 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: what I saw, um, but I also saw that it 246 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: goes back to time immemorial. Who knows. What I did 247 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: see though, is that these dogs, these Inuit dogs and 248 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: the Eskimo dogs were um definitely hauling stuff like whale 249 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: carcasses are huge parts of whale carcasses to be butchered 250 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: back in town. Um, they were hunting dogs, their companions, 251 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: they were protector dogs. They were just total um butt 252 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: kicking animals that could stand temperatures well into the negative 253 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: twenties or aties or forties degree parentheights. Because that double coat, yes, 254 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: so the outer coade I think deflects the snow and 255 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: then they have the inner coat that has waterproof and 256 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: insulates them. So when you see those dogs laying out 257 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: in the snow, uh, they're not cold, right, you know, 258 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 1: don't think, oh poor dog laying in the snow. I 259 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: mean there can be problems, as we talked about with 260 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: the Iddarod when that one dog was buried. Um, they 261 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: can also get frost bit. They can get frostbite though 262 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: depending But yeah, for the most part, which I don't understand. Man, 263 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: that's crazy. I was like, man, these checkpoints, they have 264 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: like tents at the checkpoints. How how big are the tents? 265 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: I mean, what if more than one team has to 266 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: put their dogs in the tents? And I was like, 267 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: they're not in the tent. No, they sleep, they put down, 268 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 1: they put down. Hey, they might have a bale of 269 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: hay that the musher has, um and the dogs sleep 270 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: on the hay in the snow and they cover their 271 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: nose with their tails they do, which is adorable. And 272 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: at kennels for these dogs, some of them they'll have 273 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: like plastic barrels cut in half with a little hole 274 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: for the dog to get in and out of when 275 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: weather is really bad. But for the most part, yeah, 276 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: especially if it's not snowing or windy. Uh, a Inuit 277 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: dog or Alaska husky can just sleep outside on the 278 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: snow exactly. They used to deliver the mail in Alaska 279 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: in the late eighteen hundreds to early nineteen hundreds. That 280 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: was exclusively how the mail was delivered until the airplane 281 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: became the primary mode of mail delivery. Uh. And the 282 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: last mail dog in Alaska retired in nineteen sixty three, 283 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: so not too long ago. Pretty impressive, Yeah, right before hippies. Yeah, 284 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: the dog didn't didn't live to see hippies. The police 285 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: used them uh in the in the gold rush of 286 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: the late eighteen hundreds, and of course Alaska aside. They 287 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: have long been used in Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. Yeah. 288 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: There was actually a very famous antarctic expedition in Japan 289 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: where I think in the fifties. Yeah. Uh, an antarctic 290 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:11,120 Speaker 1: expedition had to be abandoned and the Japanese researchers had 291 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: to be evact by helicopter and they were like sorry, dogs, 292 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 1: well somebody will be back in a few days. We're 293 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: gonna change you up here. Here's some food, good luck, 294 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,360 Speaker 1: fight over it. A year later, a research team made 295 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 1: it back to that outpost and they found two of 296 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: the dogs were still alive, uh, Taro and Jero, and 297 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,199 Speaker 1: they were brothers, which makes it even more awesome, and 298 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:42,719 Speaker 1: they became national heroes back in Japan. Um, And I 299 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 1: was like, well, yeah, of course they ate the other dogs. 300 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: I've read an article that said that there were no 301 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: signs of cannibalism, that they just like like hunted penguins 302 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: and seals and stuff like that and managed to survive. 303 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 1: Was it that the basis of the Paul Walker Walker 304 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 1: movie Paul Walker, The Fast and the Furious, same guy, Uh, no, 305 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 1: longer with us too? No? That car wreck? Yeah? Was 306 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: he a passenger? He was the passenger in that car wreck, 307 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: wasn't he? I think he drove. He did have a passenger. 308 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 1: What was it called eight below right? Yeah, which is 309 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 1: he's not Japanese. No, but he's he It was supposedly him. 310 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 1: I think it must have been based on that or something. 311 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: I haven't seen the movie. I think they thought an 312 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,360 Speaker 1: updated version would fair better. They're like, who does everyone 313 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: like Paul Walker? Exactly? They were used as war dogs 314 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: in World War One and World War Two, hauling equipment, 315 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: search and rescue. Helps set up the Alaska telegraph line 316 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: around World War One. Um, and they also almost invaded 317 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: Norway from uh the eastern coast of Canada. Yeah. Yeah. 318 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 1: They were attached to like the fifteenth Mountaineering regiment of 319 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:56,239 Speaker 1: the United States Army. I think it would have been 320 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: army for sure. And um, we didn't invade Norway, but 321 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: have we These dogs would have been there with us yea. 322 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:05,360 Speaker 1: And by us, I mean specifically you and me, Chuck, 323 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,439 Speaker 1: because we were. Uh so you said that they are 324 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: bred for there not only endurance, but for their for 325 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: their speed. And they actually have their feet have adapted 326 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: to take on this train because a good sletter is 327 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: uh is that a sletter? Sure? Alright? Good letters has 328 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: wide flat feet. But they also have toes that are 329 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: dense and together. You don't alto explayed toes because stuff 330 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: can get in between them. So basically they have like 331 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: they they have feet like hammers. It sounds like hammer 332 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: toes basically, but hammer feet. Yeah. And the gender doesn't matter. 333 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: Uh Lady, little lady dogs and little boy dogs are 334 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: just as good. Uh So gender isn't a big deal. Um. 335 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: They're also big at trail breaking, right, So like, if 336 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: you want to go out and see if the ice 337 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 1: is thicken up to cross, take a team of sled dogs. 338 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: And they actually do this in Denali National Park. Yeah, 339 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: and they do it ahead of the Iditarod. They send 340 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: out teams to break the trails and make sure it's 341 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: as safe as it can be. And those trails, chuck 342 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,120 Speaker 1: were used for a very long time and still were, 343 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 1: but then they started in like the six sixties, say 344 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: maybe early seventies, to be blazed more by by snowmobiles. 345 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: And this guy named Joe Ruddington Sr. Was really sad 346 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 1: to see the dog sled, the traditional um sled, being 347 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: replaced by the snowmobile man made machines. And he said, 348 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 1: you know what, we need to preserve this heritage. I'm 349 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: going to start a race in the in the fashion 350 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: of some of these old ones. There was this all 351 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: Alaska Sweepsteaks that was much shorter. But like in the 352 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 1: ninet hundreds, people were using sled dogs a lot and 353 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:55,439 Speaker 1: actually using them, but then they fell out of fashion. 354 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: So this guy, Joe Ruddington Sr. Tried to preserve it 355 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: by starting this race. Yeah the Dorothy Page or they 356 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,880 Speaker 1: together or were they just uh they were they were 357 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: kindred spirits. Okay, gotcha. So the first one they organized 358 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: was a fifty mile race, right yeah, and like the 359 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: sixties and not like the mile journey that has grown 360 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: into today. They really stepped it up yeah, and the sprints, 361 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: they actually have sprint races. They have all different races. 362 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,439 Speaker 1: A sprint is a thirty mile sprint, like just go 363 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: flat out for thirty miles. Thirty miles. That's insane, It 364 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,360 Speaker 1: is so um there's this very there's this widely um 365 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: held misconception that I did a rod was created to 366 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 1: commemorate this, um this very famous run that happened in right, Yeah, 367 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,919 Speaker 1: the dip theory outbreak. They ran out of well, they 368 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: needed to get medicine and they used dogs to get 369 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: medicine to the farthest reaches of Alaska. And like Gnome, 370 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: I think there's about to be a dip theory outbreak. 371 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: So that has nothing to do with it, because that 372 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:01,920 Speaker 1: is all over the internet, including on the IDDA out side. No, 373 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: if you look at the Idea out side, it says 374 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: specifically what Joe Reddington's aim was. Yeah, um no, I 375 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 1: know I saw that everywhere, including on our own How 376 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,199 Speaker 1: Stuff Works articles that people believe that they meant to 377 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: con rememorate it. And yes, this this incredibly courageous emergency 378 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: rescue operation of bringing vaccine um well at least antiets, 379 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: and I think it is what it was to the 380 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 1: children of Nome before this outbreak killed them all. Um, 381 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: it captured the world's imagination. UM, and it did follow 382 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: the same route half of it, but the first half 383 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: was delivered by train and UM, the Idda trail was 384 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 1: starting to fall out of use by the time Joe 385 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: Reddington and Dorothea Page came along and wanted to preserve it. 386 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: So it's more coincidence than anything that they didn't They 387 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 1: didn't intentionally create the idea road to commemorate the dip 388 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: theory run from Well, if you go to New York 389 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: Central Park around sixty s it um on the east side, 390 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 1: you can see a statue of Balto, the dog who 391 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 1: was the lead dog on that serum run. So they said, 392 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 1: we're gonna commemorate this in New York, which I don't 393 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,640 Speaker 1: get it londs like it would be in Alaska. Well, 394 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: the reason why they did it there was because, um, 395 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: like the whole country was paying attention, much of the 396 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: world was paying attention to this this little tiny this 397 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 1: little tiny town up in Alaska was in real trouble. 398 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,479 Speaker 1: And this doctor put all these telegraphs out like asking 399 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,639 Speaker 1: for somebody to bring them something. And the closest stuff 400 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 1: was in Anchorage, and since this trek took like five days, 401 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: people were covering it for the for the newspapers, and 402 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: people were reading about it all over the country. They 403 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,640 Speaker 1: got so jazzed up that New York was like, we're 404 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: gonna wreck the Statue of Balto. But that didn't explain 405 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: why New York they just got that excited. Yeah, that's 406 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: the reason. That's exactly why. Uh So in the early 407 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: nineteen nineties. Well, let's let's take a break, actually, and 408 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: then we'll talk about the nineties. Yea, So in the 409 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 1: early nineties, as I was saying, before they started there, 410 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: there's a ceremonial kickoff they do. Now, uh that's not 411 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: a part of the actual race, so people can come 412 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: out and cheer them on. Yeah, so they have a 413 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: big party and people line the streets and they get 414 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,959 Speaker 1: all the Apparently it's a crazy scene because you know, 415 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: hundreds and hundreds of dogs, and these dogs, I will say, 416 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,919 Speaker 1: I mean, we'll get to the the downside, which is 417 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,920 Speaker 1: pretty grotesque if you ask me. But these dogs want 418 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: to work, and they want to they want to pull 419 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 1: the sled. Um, I don't know if they want to 420 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 1: pull a eleven hundred miles. But they are sled dogs. 421 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: And so when you get these highly energetic uh, well, 422 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 1: they're all kinds of breeds, but mostly the Alaska husky 423 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 1: is what they prefer. Uh, mushers prefer. Um. It's a 424 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: crazy scene because they're not like they're they're not your 425 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:17,400 Speaker 1: average lapdog. They're excited and they howl. They have very 426 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:19,919 Speaker 1: shrill howls. A lot of them do, yeah, unless they 427 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 1: had their voice box removed by their musher, which is 428 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:27,160 Speaker 1: the thing it can be. Um. So they kick off 429 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 1: an Anchorage and the reason why it's just a ceremonial 430 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,639 Speaker 1: kickoffs because there's usually not enough snow these days in 431 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,879 Speaker 1: Anchorage again climate change. So they used to go up 432 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: to Vascilla or was Silla? I don't know how they 433 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 1: pronounce it up there? Is it was Silla. Yeah, that's 434 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,639 Speaker 1: Sarah Palins, I know, I don't remember back then. Um 435 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 1: and uh, then they stopped getting enough reliable snow there, 436 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: so they had to move it up even further to 437 00:25:54,080 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: Willow Willow Willow Vilva, phil of Um is two and 438 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: a half hours north of Anchorage. They always have snow there, 439 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: that's their motto, right, So they have the ceremonial parade 440 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 1: of the dogs the day before, and then the next 441 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: day is when they start, and like the race officially starts. Yeah, 442 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: and it costs a lot of money to uh to 443 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: put on the race and and it's not cheap to 444 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 1: be a musher with a sled team. I mean you 445 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: can put as much as like twenty grand into your 446 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: sled team. Uh and the training and you know, it 447 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 1: takes a long time. So some of these mushers have 448 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: corporate sponsors. Uh you can make money to like, um, 449 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: owning a kennel and leasing dogs out to other I 450 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:39,360 Speaker 1: did aod contestants. Yeah, um, yeah, but yeah, I think 451 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 1: corporate sponsorships definitely helped quite a bit. Well. A lot 452 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: of corporations have stepped away from it though in recent 453 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: years as far as sponsoring the race, um, because of 454 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: all the controversy surrounding it, which we will still get to. Uh, 455 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: you gotta be eighteen. You can't just be some uh 456 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,120 Speaker 1: dumb fourteen year old or even a seventeen year old, 457 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: not even seventeen and a half. You gotta be eight 458 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: team and you have to have completed uh some other 459 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: qualifying races and place. I mean, we can get specific 460 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:11,120 Speaker 1: if you want uh a Yukon Quest International Sled Dog 461 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:13,919 Speaker 1: Race or two approved races, and you have to have 462 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: at least five miles under your belt on those races 463 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:21,400 Speaker 1: and have finished in the top or it says here 464 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: mind bending lee. Another way to qualify for an idd 465 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,640 Speaker 1: A rod race is to have been in a previous 466 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 1: I did a rod race, which I guess. Yeah, I 467 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 1: don't think that. What's you. I guess once you're in 468 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: your first one, then you're qualified. But are you sure? 469 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,679 Speaker 1: It wasn't like if you've won, then you get like 470 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 1: a lifetime No. I don't think exemption. That's what golfers do, 471 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: is right, well, some of them, some of the p 472 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: g A events. If you win that event, then you're 473 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: automatically and for the rest of your life. Maybe not 474 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: the rest of your life, but I think for like 475 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,200 Speaker 1: the next five years or it depends on the Then 476 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 1: you get automatically qualified. That makes sense, all right, So 477 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 1: what's uh? What's what does a sled team look like? 478 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: They look pretty good. You got your musher, that's the 479 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: guy standing on back telling the dogs what to do. Yes, 480 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: that's right, um, I mean the gender neutral guy. Um. 481 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: And then you have a team of dogs and depending 482 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:17,880 Speaker 1: on what you're doing UM with the idea in particular, 483 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: you have to start I think with sixteen dogs, right, 484 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 1: and you have to finish with twelve. No, twelve to sixteen, 485 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: and they have to finish with ten. So you can 486 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 1: have up to six dogs die along the way and 487 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:36,120 Speaker 1: not get disqualified from the idea. Rod Technically, um and 488 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: in the lead are the very appropriate named lead dogs. 489 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: These are your smartest, fastest dogs. I was reading about 490 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 1: these dogs. These dogs are amazing dogs, so smart that 491 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: they will even disobey their owner if they're like, dude, 492 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: that's a cliff. Don't tell me too much. I know 493 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: you can't see because you're snow blind in the Aussie fashion, 494 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 1: So just leave it to me to ignore your a 495 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 1: man and steer us to the left. And so when 496 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: that lead dog starts to go, the dogs immediately behind them, 497 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 1: the point dogs or the what are they called the 498 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: swing dogs? They also are called point too. I think 499 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: they're the ones who actually get the rest of the 500 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 1: team to turn with them. Yeah, and uh, they call 501 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: them swings because you know you have to. You can't 502 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: cut it short. You gotta swing wide around obstacles and 503 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 1: These dogs are smart enough to know to do that. 504 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: So you've got those are the first four dogs you have. 505 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: Are the lead dogs and the swing or point dogs 506 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: behind them. You're gonna have a couple of pairs of 507 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 1: what are called team dogs. These dogs are just really 508 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: good at pulling, working well with others. Yeah, they're like 509 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 1: the role player on the NBA bench. Yeah, they're the 510 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 1: solid basketball players, the Draymond Greens. But sure, but they're 511 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: not going to be starting an All Star game. No, 512 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 1: but they they they may have enough spunking spirit. You 513 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: get the rest of the team going, um, yeah, the 514 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: Draymond Greens. And then at the back, right in front 515 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: of the sled are the wheels, the wheelers. Yes, and 516 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: they are the strongest of the bunch, supposedly, And uh, 517 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: those are the dogs. But the dogs are attached to 518 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: the sled or else you're in big trouble. You have 519 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: a bunch of really fast dogs running together and a 520 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: mushard who's left behind. How funny would that be? It 521 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: would be funny to everybody else, but the mush rights 522 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: and um, the sled connects to the dogs through the 523 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: main line or the toe line right or the gang line. 524 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 1: I think it's the other name for it. And this 525 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: is basically just a line that goes from the sled 526 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: all the way up to the lead dogs, and all 527 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:41,600 Speaker 1: the dogs are connected to this thing. That's right. Then 528 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: the dogs are connect to the lead line and they 529 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: pull on that toe line via tug lines that are 530 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: connected to their harnesses. That's right. Uh. And the dog 531 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: is wearing a color and a harness. Um, they don't. Actually, 532 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,720 Speaker 1: it's not like they don't have reins. Like a horse, 533 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: They go on command. Um. I have seen like a whip. 534 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: They stopped us whips, but they used to fairly recently, 535 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: got you. Yeah, they go mushus no mush no more 536 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: mush no more whips. Things are changing big time as 537 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: a matter of fact. Um. And then you have the 538 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: So the dog's collars can is connected by a collar line, 539 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: I think right. So, Uh, you have to condition these dogs. 540 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,719 Speaker 1: You know, they don't come out of the uh the 541 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 1: womb ready to run a thousand miles. They want to. Yeah, 542 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:35,959 Speaker 1: they've got some genetics going on for sure, but absolutely 543 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:38,520 Speaker 1: takes some shaping as well. But you have to condition 544 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: them over time, uh, from the time they're little pups 545 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 1: to start them out wearing the collar and the harness 546 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: to get used to it. To pulling little light things 547 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 1: around the house that's adorable, yeah, um. To building up 548 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 1: their endurance in their in their strength over time, just 549 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: like you know any endurance race, if you're a marathon 550 00:31:57,640 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: or the same deal. You don't go out and run 551 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,400 Speaker 1: twenty six miles. And you also have to be um. 552 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: You have to understand um verbal commands obscure ones too, 553 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,320 Speaker 1: like hike not much, though no one says much to 554 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 1: a dog. Let's go all right? All those mean let's 555 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: let's go right. Yeah, I think that's how they say 556 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: it easy if you want to slow down and we 557 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:27,840 Speaker 1: couldn't decide as a G I think it's g I 558 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 1: think I think it's gum. Or come haw to go 559 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 1: left or right? Haw is definitely haw uh straight on 560 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 1: and then whoa if you're gonna stop. It makes sense 561 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: like with a horse, and imagine straight on means keep 562 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 1: on going. They also definitely need to learn to work together, 563 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: which is not necessarily in every breed of dogs makeup. 564 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: You know, dogs have alpha dogs and their pack dogs, 565 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: and you have a lead dog that that lead dog 566 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: and fulfill that role. But you also want dogs that 567 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: can that aren't like constantly jockeying for position, that they 568 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 1: know their place and they're willing to work together with 569 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: the other dogs. Temperaments a big deal for sure. And 570 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 1: then um, you also when you're running the Iditara and 571 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: you're putting a sled team together, you out you want 572 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: to pick dogs of similar build, similar gait and speed. 573 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: You want them to basically move as one. And so 574 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,160 Speaker 1: a lot of the selection and your dogs that you 575 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 1: put together for a team is going to have a 576 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,719 Speaker 1: huge impact on the like how they pay well together 577 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: but not and not just temperamentally but physically and in 578 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 1: the way that they move as well. Yeah, and the dogs, uh, 579 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: they can be big um, But generally I think for 580 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: the endurance races, you want a dog this between like 581 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 1: forty and sixty pounds and how old are they Well, um, 582 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: if you want to be a sled dog, you're probably 583 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: at least two. But you would think you know, like 584 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: if you look at thoroughbred horse racing, those horses are 585 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: retired by like age three, I think maybe four. These 586 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: dogs will pull sleds and compete in like races up 587 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: until age ten. Yeah, not bad. And again at the 588 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: Nali National Park. They get retired at age nine. Uh. 589 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: They're eating a lot. Uh. They need to eat around 590 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:22,320 Speaker 1: ten thousand calories a day while they're doing these races. Uh. 591 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: That's about two thousand pounds of food per team and 592 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:29,799 Speaker 1: it's mostly just meat. But they have this stuff. It's 593 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:31,960 Speaker 1: sort of like how can the Appalachian Trail? They have 594 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: it flown ahead and dropped off at all these checkpoints, 595 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 1: so the food in your bourbon is waiting there when 596 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: you get there. There was a guy um Man what 597 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:46,279 Speaker 1: was his name, Macki Lance Mackie. He was like the 598 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:48,759 Speaker 1: number one I did a rod racer for several years 599 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:52,320 Speaker 1: and um, he was not well liked among all I 600 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: did a rod racers because he used to just do 601 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:58,760 Speaker 1: things like smoke pot like while he was just riding 602 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 1: along on the I did or trail. I saw the 603 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,120 Speaker 1: drugs and alcohol was the thing with Musher's. I don't 604 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,359 Speaker 1: know if that's how widespread it is, but well, it's 605 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 1: like a marijuana is a banned substance now even apparently 606 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,320 Speaker 1: they're talking about legalizing it in Alaska and the I 607 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: did a rude committee is like not still can't smoke pot? 608 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:19,800 Speaker 1: Lance Mackie, we're looking at you. Um. But apparently according 609 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:22,640 Speaker 1: to this New Yorker article, great New Yorker article, the 610 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 1: White Wall check it out. ESPN has a really good 611 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:28,759 Speaker 1: one too. Um. They said that he quit and did 612 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: the did the race straight and still one once I think, 613 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 1: and then smoke tons of pot right afterwards to celebrate. Yeah. Um. 614 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: But the along this trail, um, you were saying that 615 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:43,440 Speaker 1: that the dogs eat mostly meat. They eat different types 616 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:47,360 Speaker 1: of meat. They also eat like, um, nutritional supplements. And 617 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: in the White Wall the article they describe what Dallas 618 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 1: stevis feeding his dogs at One Stop, and he's it's 619 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: like a four course meal. He starts with a broth 620 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: um with kibble and some nutritional supplements, and then they 621 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,399 Speaker 1: eat some fish steaks, you know, they have some beef 622 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 1: and when they finish it all off with chicken skin 623 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: like all fat. That sounds delicious. Yeah, And the dogs 624 00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 1: are eating like ten to fourteen thousand calories a day, 625 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,880 Speaker 1: which is like ten times the cloric intake of an 626 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,759 Speaker 1: active dog of about the same size, ten times just 627 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 1: in a day. Yeah, because well they're they're running like 628 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 1: over a hundred miles a day. It's crazy. Uh, they're 629 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: wearing little doggy booties now, um, because it's very rough 630 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:33,959 Speaker 1: on their feet obviously running over this ice and snow 631 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 1: and rough terrain. Uh. And a team will go through 632 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,279 Speaker 1: as many as two thousand pairs or this has two 633 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: thousand booties. Maybe a thousand pairs. Yeah, well no, yeah, 634 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:50,879 Speaker 1: a thousand pairs. Would it be a pair before? Yeah, 635 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,319 Speaker 1: a dog pair of before? So five hundred dog pair. 636 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:58,120 Speaker 1: We just created a new thing. It's like a Baker's dozen. 637 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:02,319 Speaker 1: So two thousand booties we'll go through. Um, but they're 638 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:04,320 Speaker 1: still going to get their feet beat up, their paws 639 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:08,400 Speaker 1: beat up pretty bad. Well yeah, because dogs perspire by 640 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: panting and on the bottoms of their feet, So you 641 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: can't just wear um booties all the time. So that 642 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:16,800 Speaker 1: one of the mushers things that they really have to 643 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,839 Speaker 1: be paying attention to is a good time to give 644 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: the dogs feet to rest without the booties, to let 645 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:24,400 Speaker 1: them basically perspire so they don't overheat. Yeah, And I 646 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 1: get the feeling that if they're really hauling and they 647 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,279 Speaker 1: see that they've lost a few booties, they're not like, oh, 648 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:33,759 Speaker 1: let me stop and put a fresh booty. You know, 649 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,080 Speaker 1: They're they're mushing forward so Chuck, let's take a break, um, 650 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,360 Speaker 1: and uh, we'll come back and talk about some other stuff. 651 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:02,799 Speaker 1: All right, we've talked about dogs, We've talked a little 652 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:05,279 Speaker 1: bit about mushers. But one thing that makes a good 653 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:10,319 Speaker 1: musher is granted, they are standing. They're not running. Well, 654 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:15,320 Speaker 1: sometimes they're running along, but they're basically they're definitely standing. 655 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 1: But it's tough. It's not like I get the feeling. 656 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:21,720 Speaker 1: It's like if you've ever been snow skiing or water skiing, 657 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 1: it's hard on your legs. It's not like, oh, I'm 658 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: just standing here or taking a joy ride. Ye have 659 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:32,480 Speaker 1: over over bumpy terrain um for hours and hours and 660 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:36,120 Speaker 1: hours basically for eight days. It's gonna be strong and 661 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:37,600 Speaker 1: have a lot of stamin in your own self. You 662 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: also have to put up with again you have to 663 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,880 Speaker 1: be yeah, mentally tough. You have to put up with 664 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:47,200 Speaker 1: the hallucinations and um not make really bad decisions while 665 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:51,359 Speaker 1: you're on the trail and it's night and you haven't slept. Um. 666 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,440 Speaker 1: And uh, you also need to pack. Well, yeah, you 667 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:58,320 Speaker 1: want to bring everything. It's sort of like backpacking everything 668 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,400 Speaker 1: you need but as light as you can make it. 669 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:05,840 Speaker 1: And you there's actually stuff you have to bring just 670 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:09,279 Speaker 1: to survive. You gotta have a sleeping bag, sleeping bag 671 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:13,040 Speaker 1: and axe, snowshoes, a little cooking pot and fuel so 672 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:16,880 Speaker 1: you can boil water. Sure, um, and then you also, um, 673 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: most of them carry a gun. The Dallas CV guy 674 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,759 Speaker 1: said that he carries a three fifty seven with him 675 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 1: and he actually shot a moose with it that was 676 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 1: charging him and his dogs. And no, because this is 677 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:34,919 Speaker 1: his long time rival, the the young upstart, the clean Liver, 678 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:38,080 Speaker 1: whose father Straight Edge U was also I Did a 679 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:41,560 Speaker 1: Rod winner from two thirteen. I think it very much 680 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:43,880 Speaker 1: seems like a family thing. I saw a lot of 681 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:46,560 Speaker 1: people with the same last names. Um. And then the 682 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:52,520 Speaker 1: other big essential gear is the sled itself, which there's 683 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:54,440 Speaker 1: not like. You don't go to the official I Did 684 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:57,040 Speaker 1: a Rod sled store and buy your sled and go, okay, 685 00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:00,880 Speaker 1: I'm ready. You you constructed yourself? Oh really, yeah, you 686 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:02,719 Speaker 1: definitely can'. I'm sure there's sleds out there that you 687 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,440 Speaker 1: can buy, but you can also build him yourself. The 688 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:08,520 Speaker 1: I Did a Rod only requires that quote some type 689 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:11,520 Speaker 1: of sled or toboggan must be drawn, right, so you 690 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 1: want that to be light as well. Um, probably about 691 00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:17,399 Speaker 1: a hundred pounds empty, more than twice that full. Yeah, 692 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:22,279 Speaker 1: plus your own human body. Yeah, which you know, maybe 693 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:25,399 Speaker 1: drop a few pounds before the race. And again, I'm 694 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:27,279 Speaker 1: sorry to keep going to the same well, but the 695 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 1: Dallas TV cat, the reason we I keep mentioning him 696 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:33,759 Speaker 1: is like he is really your hero. He's he's fine, 697 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 1: he's I don't know enough about him to know whether 698 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:39,560 Speaker 1: he's my hero or not, but he is definitely reshaped 699 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 1: the um. I did a rod race um with some 700 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 1: of the stuff he's doing. One of the things he's 701 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,800 Speaker 1: doing is it's making I did a rod racers like 702 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:51,640 Speaker 1: more athletic um. Like if they're going up a hill, 703 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:55,480 Speaker 1: he'll jump off of the runners and run behind the 704 00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:59,360 Speaker 1: sled rather than just get a ride with the dogs, 705 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:02,360 Speaker 1: which of course increases your time, but it's also easier 706 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:05,400 Speaker 1: on the dogs. It's just you have to be not 707 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:07,640 Speaker 1: a tub and you have to be able to run 708 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:09,719 Speaker 1: up in clins for eight days when you need to. 709 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 1: You know, Yeah, that's it can't be fun. Running in 710 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:14,719 Speaker 1: the snow is not fun, No, but it helps you 711 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:18,880 Speaker 1: win and it's easier on your dogs, and if you win, 712 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:23,680 Speaker 1: you're gonna get some dough. They split the money up. Um, 713 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:26,120 Speaker 1: you can actually finish in last place and still get 714 00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:29,960 Speaker 1: some money. Um, but you're gonna get obviously, the grand 715 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:33,320 Speaker 1: prize winner will win a nice fat purse in the 716 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:39,160 Speaker 1: six figure range, a really nice purse, very nice. Uh. 717 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:41,320 Speaker 1: Then there are other little prizes along the way, like 718 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:45,400 Speaker 1: a field day elementary school. If you reach the halfway 719 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:48,279 Speaker 1: the first much are muchure to go to to the 720 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:51,839 Speaker 1: halfway point. Um, in odd number of years it would 721 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:55,759 Speaker 1: be I did a right itself and then in cripple Uh, 722 00:41:55,840 --> 00:41:57,960 Speaker 1: in the even number of years, you're gonna get yourself 723 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:01,960 Speaker 1: the g C. I. Dorothy pay Age Halfway Award and 724 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:06,680 Speaker 1: three thousand dollars in gold nuggets gold nuggets. That's pretty neat. Yeah. 725 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:08,880 Speaker 1: Can you imagine every once a while they're like, we 726 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 1: didn't have the gold nuggets, but here's three thousand dollars. 727 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:14,400 Speaker 1: I'd be like, I want my gold nuggets three thousand 728 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 1: dollars worth. Um, you bite into it, just check its authenticity, 729 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:22,640 Speaker 1: and you call the guy who gives your dinner cookie. Yeah. Yeah, 730 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:26,560 Speaker 1: that's the Alaska way. Uh. What else? The top lead 731 00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:29,720 Speaker 1: dog is gonna take home the Lolly Medley Memorial Golden 732 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:33,080 Speaker 1: Harness Award. Of course everybody knows that. And then um 733 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:35,520 Speaker 1: there's other towns where if you're the first one to 734 00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:39,000 Speaker 1: make it to say on Veek or Ruby, um, you'll 735 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:42,239 Speaker 1: get a seven course meal and thirty five hundred one 736 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:45,680 Speaker 1: dollar bills because it just seems like more not like 737 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 1: gold nuggets, but thirty five hundred one dollar bills is 738 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:52,080 Speaker 1: pretty great. These are almost like joke gifts. Yeah. Well 739 00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:56,360 Speaker 1: Wells Fargo, which is five dollars in pennies you know, 740 00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 1: slows you down. Um. Wells Fargo, which is uh one 741 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:02,960 Speaker 1: of the bigger along with x On Mobile, the two 742 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:07,440 Speaker 1: biggest corporate sponsors of the Idea Rode, offers them like 743 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:12,239 Speaker 1: a the Red Lantern awards the last place finisher. Yeah, 744 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:16,000 Speaker 1: I think that's from the Widows Lamp. At the finish line, 745 00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 1: they have the Widows Lamp, which is a a lamp 746 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:23,120 Speaker 1: that they leave burning until the last musher and team 747 00:43:23,160 --> 00:43:27,279 Speaker 1: has crossed. And that's from the old days, from they 748 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:29,640 Speaker 1: would keep a kerosene lamp burning for people that were 749 00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:33,040 Speaker 1: still out there on the trails. Well Wells Fargo is 750 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:36,840 Speaker 1: the old timey multinational bank. Look at their look at 751 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:41,799 Speaker 1: their homespun logo with the stage coach, and it's pretty neat. 752 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 1: They're just Western cowboy bankers, right. And it's funny you 753 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:49,920 Speaker 1: mentioned stage coach too, because you're like, wow, this is 754 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:52,200 Speaker 1: crazy using dogs and pull sleds and you think what 755 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:55,640 Speaker 1: you do with other stuff horses. This is using dogs 756 00:43:55,680 --> 00:44:01,640 Speaker 1: as draft animals. Absolutely, that's all totally fine. Uh. So 757 00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:06,920 Speaker 1: they have veterinarians on hand. Um, this article said around 758 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 1: thirty seven, So weird, and there's a little bit of 759 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:14,840 Speaker 1: weirdness in this article, choke. But they do have veterinarians 760 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 1: on hand to to examin them during the race, uh, 761 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:21,680 Speaker 1: before the race, to make sure they're all healthy. Um. 762 00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:27,680 Speaker 1: But dogs die. Dogs can die of over exertion. Um. 763 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:30,279 Speaker 1: They can have trouble catching their breath. They can asphyxiate 764 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:34,480 Speaker 1: on vomit um. They can fall through the ice is 765 00:44:34,520 --> 00:44:36,960 Speaker 1: a big one. As a matter of fact, falling through 766 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,480 Speaker 1: the ice is not necessarily a death sentence, even when 767 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:42,960 Speaker 1: it's negative forty degrees below. Sometimes I'll run right out 768 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:47,560 Speaker 1: of that thing. Yeah, because they're Alaskan huskies right. Um. 769 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:52,560 Speaker 1: But there's this very famous story from four there's an 770 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:55,360 Speaker 1: I did a odd winner named Susan Butcher. And she 771 00:44:55,960 --> 00:45:00,360 Speaker 1: won multiple times. But her team in four UM was 772 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,480 Speaker 1: let out of after falling through ice, but her two 773 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:08,239 Speaker 1: lead dogs pulled the rest of the team out just 774 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:10,960 Speaker 1: like one dog at a time until the whole team 775 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:14,719 Speaker 1: had made it out of the ice water and continued 776 00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:18,440 Speaker 1: on kept going. Yeah. Um. And then the next year, 777 00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:21,200 Speaker 1: that same poor lead dog got kicked by a moose 778 00:45:21,719 --> 00:45:24,040 Speaker 1: and they didn't finish that year. I believe it had 779 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:27,400 Speaker 1: to recuperate. He did had to recuperate for a year. UM. 780 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:29,799 Speaker 1: I believe a hundred and forty four dogs have died 781 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:34,319 Speaker 1: since the first race. UH. In the past few years 782 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:37,640 Speaker 1: they haven't had any deaths, but generally one or two 783 00:45:37,719 --> 00:45:40,040 Speaker 1: dogs are going to die. Two thousand nine was a 784 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:44,279 Speaker 1: bad year. UM. One of the worst and most recent years. UH. 785 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:46,480 Speaker 1: There was like, I think six dogs that died that 786 00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:51,279 Speaker 1: year two thousand, I think eleven or twelve. There was 787 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:55,560 Speaker 1: one dog that died, but it died terribly. UM. He 788 00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:59,480 Speaker 1: died from being asphyxiated by the snow after he was 789 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:02,560 Speaker 1: left at a checkpoint by his musher in the hands 790 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:05,200 Speaker 1: of like the local vets at the checkpoint, and they 791 00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:07,080 Speaker 1: tied him up and the weather got bad and no 792 00:46:07,160 --> 00:46:10,279 Speaker 1: one brought him in and he was a snow drift 793 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:12,520 Speaker 1: just built over the dog. He couldn't go anywhere and 794 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:16,560 Speaker 1: he suffocated in the snow. Um that that was a 795 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:20,160 Speaker 1: big deal. Um. Yeah, Pete actually had to apologize. They 796 00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 1: condemned the musher. They said that they just left this dog. No, no, 797 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:29,319 Speaker 1: like they left him officially. No, no, But Peter didn't 798 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:31,880 Speaker 1: say that. Petter said they just left this dog behind 799 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:36,200 Speaker 1: it h and had they were had a lawsuit brought 800 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:39,160 Speaker 1: against them, and they came out and apologized. Said, oh, 801 00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:42,279 Speaker 1: actually we know it wasn't on you. You left them 802 00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:45,920 Speaker 1: in the care of somebody else. And they said the 803 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:49,960 Speaker 1: person said that the apology was weak. If you're gonna agitate, 804 00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:54,360 Speaker 1: even if it's four animal rights, you should agitate correctly. No, agreed. 805 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:56,480 Speaker 1: Can I get your facts straight before you agitate, You know, 806 00:46:56,920 --> 00:47:00,960 Speaker 1: like there's enough, there's enough there that you can you 807 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:04,359 Speaker 1: can get your facts straight and still agitate just as effectively. Yeah, 808 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:08,480 Speaker 1: we're talking about dehydration, ulcers, hypothermia, heart problems, and let's 809 00:47:08,520 --> 00:47:10,880 Speaker 1: talk about those ulcers. Chuck. There was a study from 810 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:15,719 Speaker 1: Oklahoma State University UM of a decent number of sled 811 00:47:15,800 --> 00:47:19,440 Speaker 1: dogs on the Iditarod trail that UM found a lot 812 00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:23,040 Speaker 1: of them had anemia because they had stomach ulcers and 813 00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:26,640 Speaker 1: they were bleeding slowly and developing anemia as a result. 814 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:29,560 Speaker 1: And they got stomach ulcers from being fed aspirin and 815 00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:33,480 Speaker 1: anti inflammatory drugs like advil to keep them going to 816 00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:37,920 Speaker 1: keep their joints from hurting, and the the veterinary study 817 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:43,320 Speaker 1: suggested that UM, the dogs be fed and acids to 818 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:48,800 Speaker 1: combat the ulcers. So they're getting they're being driven a 819 00:47:48,880 --> 00:47:52,520 Speaker 1: thousand miles miles over eight days, they're given drugs to 820 00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:55,720 Speaker 1: keep their joints from hurting, they're getting ulcers from the drugs, 821 00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:58,680 Speaker 1: they're getting anemia from the ulcers, and this VET study 822 00:47:58,760 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 1: said that they should be given and acids. Yeah. One 823 00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:04,080 Speaker 1: of the vets, Uh Scott More, he was a volunteer 824 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:05,680 Speaker 1: for the race a few years ago, said he saw 825 00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:12,280 Speaker 1: dogs with torn achilles tendons, dehydration, diarrhea, hypothermia, hyperthermia, inflammation 826 00:48:12,320 --> 00:48:14,360 Speaker 1: in the wrist, and soreness in the shoulders from the harnesses. 827 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:21,480 Speaker 1: I didn't know much about this. I just saw it 828 00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:23,480 Speaker 1: on the news every now and then. I thought, oh, 829 00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:26,839 Speaker 1: neat these working dogs out racing. But um, I'm gonna 830 00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:28,879 Speaker 1: go ahead and say no more I did, or odd 831 00:48:29,800 --> 00:48:32,880 Speaker 1: shut it down. Oh yeah, yeah, you're killing dogs for 832 00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:35,160 Speaker 1: the entertainment of people. I know it's rare, and I 833 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:38,799 Speaker 1: know these mushers really care for these dogs and care 834 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:41,120 Speaker 1: for their well being and do all they can to 835 00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:44,000 Speaker 1: ensure their safety. But to me, if dogs are dying 836 00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:46,480 Speaker 1: at all in training, in the race, after the race, 837 00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:49,880 Speaker 1: then you just shouldn't do anymore, or at the very least, uh, 838 00:48:50,280 --> 00:48:52,479 Speaker 1: you know, shorten the race, or do something to ensure 839 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:55,360 Speaker 1: that these dogs don't die. Ever, So there's there's a 840 00:48:55,840 --> 00:48:58,879 Speaker 1: there's a couple of schools that thought. Peter is very 841 00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:03,880 Speaker 1: much opposed to the Iditarod and dog sled racing in general. 842 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:06,759 Speaker 1: They're like, just don't hook a dog up to a sled. 843 00:49:07,040 --> 00:49:10,319 Speaker 1: That's our stance. Now are they against recreational sledding? There 844 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:13,160 Speaker 1: against all kinds of sledding, every every sleds What I 845 00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:15,840 Speaker 1: couldn't find if you had like six dogs and you 846 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:17,920 Speaker 1: sled it over to your friends and they were your 847 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:21,640 Speaker 1: family dogs, Peter says, don't do that. I thought it 848 00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:26,600 Speaker 1: was just competition. There there's a group called the Sled 849 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:33,520 Speaker 1: Dog Action Coalition. Yes, they are opposed to the iditarod, 850 00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:36,680 Speaker 1: But they don't have a problem with humane and well 851 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:41,480 Speaker 1: done recreational mushing. Um. The Humane Society of the United 852 00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:45,440 Speaker 1: States opposed to the ididar rod. But um is uh, 853 00:49:46,239 --> 00:49:49,080 Speaker 1: they don't have a stance on mushing whatsoever. But Peter 854 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:52,120 Speaker 1: it says, don't don't use a dog as a draft animal, 855 00:49:52,200 --> 00:49:56,080 Speaker 1: even for your own recreation. Um. But if you'll notice, 856 00:49:56,160 --> 00:49:58,960 Speaker 1: the one common thread is that all these groups are 857 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:02,359 Speaker 1: opposed to the idea it a rod itself. They are 858 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:06,040 Speaker 1: saying like, even if you have vets on at every checkpoint, 859 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:10,680 Speaker 1: apparently the mushers can um overrule the vets ruling. If 860 00:50:10,719 --> 00:50:12,560 Speaker 1: a vets like this dog needs to come out, the 861 00:50:12,640 --> 00:50:15,720 Speaker 1: musher can be like, get lost and the vet doesn't 862 00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:20,080 Speaker 1: have any recourse. Um, And that's totally well within the rules. 863 00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:22,600 Speaker 1: But even if you do have vets looking after them, 864 00:50:22,640 --> 00:50:26,560 Speaker 1: and even if Peter has successfully promoted change and the 865 00:50:26,640 --> 00:50:29,719 Speaker 1: idea ROD is credited for really facing up to a 866 00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:32,880 Speaker 1: lot of the problems that the dogs face and dealing 867 00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:36,120 Speaker 1: with them and having like a very low tolerance for 868 00:50:36,200 --> 00:50:41,360 Speaker 1: animal cruelty, especially um, the very fact that you're hooking 869 00:50:41,480 --> 00:50:45,440 Speaker 1: up animals too sled and driving them miles over eight 870 00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:49,040 Speaker 1: days is in and of itself, to a lot of critics, 871 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:52,920 Speaker 1: inhumane for the entertainment of people. Even take that away 872 00:50:53,239 --> 00:50:56,959 Speaker 1: for whatever reason. It's it's inhumane, like, well take it away. 873 00:50:56,960 --> 00:50:58,640 Speaker 1: But it's not like the old days where you needed 874 00:50:58,680 --> 00:51:01,680 Speaker 1: to deliver the mail's serums. I mean, it's purely for 875 00:51:02,160 --> 00:51:05,440 Speaker 1: entertainment at this point. And I know it's tradition, and 876 00:51:05,920 --> 00:51:09,400 Speaker 1: people that are into this are gonna say, like, you 877 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:13,640 Speaker 1: know that you could do anything these days. Definitely, this 878 00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:16,640 Speaker 1: is a proud old tradition, like just stay We've moved 879 00:51:16,680 --> 00:51:19,560 Speaker 1: to Alaska for a reason. Stay out of my business. Um. 880 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:23,200 Speaker 1: And they definitely do take that stance for sure. But 881 00:51:23,560 --> 00:51:26,680 Speaker 1: that's not to say that mushers are cruel awful people. 882 00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:29,560 Speaker 1: By all accounts, most of them are very good to 883 00:51:29,600 --> 00:51:32,680 Speaker 1: their animals because they want them to perform well. Uh 884 00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:35,960 Speaker 1: they are like family to them in most cases. But 885 00:51:36,120 --> 00:51:40,720 Speaker 1: you still hear about these uh terrible things that happen 886 00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:43,560 Speaker 1: uh in the in the training. And it's not just 887 00:51:43,640 --> 00:51:47,319 Speaker 1: the race itself, it's the training, it's the pens. They'll 888 00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:52,480 Speaker 1: they'll they still call animals. There's one guy named Frank Winkler. 889 00:51:52,960 --> 00:51:54,879 Speaker 1: Two times I did a ride racer. He was charged 890 00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:58,800 Speaker 1: with fourteen counts of cruelty two animals. When UH animal 891 00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:01,319 Speaker 1: control officer are found a craze of dead and dying 892 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:03,759 Speaker 1: puppies in his truck. He said he couldn't afford to 893 00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:05,920 Speaker 1: take him to the vet. So they'll call the dogs 894 00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:07,600 Speaker 1: like if you have a deformity, if you're just not 895 00:52:07,719 --> 00:52:10,919 Speaker 1: good enough, they will still kill that's what calling means. 896 00:52:11,560 --> 00:52:14,920 Speaker 1: Kill the puppies. And they don't call them by injecting 897 00:52:15,040 --> 00:52:19,799 Speaker 1: them with um, you know, sodium pentethal or some gassing them. 898 00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:22,759 Speaker 1: A lot of them, A lot of kennels, even like 899 00:52:22,920 --> 00:52:26,560 Speaker 1: professional kennels UM will shoot them. And the I did 900 00:52:26,640 --> 00:52:29,320 Speaker 1: a rod committee. That's that's within their rules. Like you 901 00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:33,279 Speaker 1: can shoot a dog to cull it. Colling is fine, 902 00:52:33,880 --> 00:52:37,520 Speaker 1: and how you call it um is okay. Apparently beating 903 00:52:37,560 --> 00:52:40,560 Speaker 1: a dog to death is not really acceptable. But that's 904 00:52:40,560 --> 00:52:43,360 Speaker 1: what Frank Winkler did. But for he did he shot 905 00:52:43,480 --> 00:52:45,320 Speaker 1: some and then I guess he ran out of bullets 906 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:47,920 Speaker 1: and started using an axe handle and he was an 907 00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:51,279 Speaker 1: I did rod racer um. And that's a problem with 908 00:52:51,360 --> 00:52:53,440 Speaker 1: the kennels that there are a lot of kennels out 909 00:52:53,480 --> 00:52:56,279 Speaker 1: there that don't treat their dogs very well. They don't 910 00:52:56,320 --> 00:52:58,640 Speaker 1: feed them enough, they treat them fairly and humanely, and 911 00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:01,440 Speaker 1: just the very fact that they cold dogs that aren't 912 00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:05,439 Speaker 1: good enough is is um reprehensible to a lot of people. Yeah, 913 00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:09,960 Speaker 1: me included at the u S UH. And I want 914 00:53:10,000 --> 00:53:13,000 Speaker 1: to say, and me too, like I think this is 915 00:53:13,920 --> 00:53:15,480 Speaker 1: there's a there's a there's a part of me that 916 00:53:15,560 --> 00:53:18,960 Speaker 1: I'm like, this is not my thing that's up in Alaska. 917 00:53:19,080 --> 00:53:22,480 Speaker 1: But dogs belong to humanity. Well, yeah, it's like when 918 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:24,719 Speaker 1: we did the bullfighting thing, like you can take your 919 00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:28,000 Speaker 1: tradition and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. And again, 920 00:53:28,200 --> 00:53:32,080 Speaker 1: culling isn't something that all breeders do, all kennels do. Uh. 921 00:53:32,239 --> 00:53:34,600 Speaker 1: Many of the dogs now that aren't capable or adopted 922 00:53:34,640 --> 00:53:37,320 Speaker 1: out to loving families, which is great, but culling is 923 00:53:37,360 --> 00:53:40,600 Speaker 1: still a part of the culture and some kennels, uh 924 00:53:40,840 --> 00:53:45,400 Speaker 1: the u S crab Lunic Kennel and aspin Colorado UH 925 00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:47,560 Speaker 1: say that as many as thirty five dogs have been 926 00:53:47,640 --> 00:53:50,719 Speaker 1: killed annually by gunshot to the head. And the manager said, 927 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:53,520 Speaker 1: you know, culling dates back hundreds of years. It's nothing new. 928 00:53:53,760 --> 00:53:55,759 Speaker 1: It's part of the circle of life for this dog 929 00:53:55,880 --> 00:53:59,239 Speaker 1: sled dog. The circle of life, the nine millimeter of 930 00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:05,560 Speaker 1: the brain is these so um, yeah, wow, it's part 931 00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:07,839 Speaker 1: of the circle of life. Huh, that's what are you said? 932 00:54:08,719 --> 00:54:11,320 Speaker 1: And so Chuck. A lot of this stuff is reserved 933 00:54:11,400 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 1: for the I did a rod specifically, and the kennels 934 00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:18,480 Speaker 1: that supply dogs for the idea rod. But just having 935 00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:21,560 Speaker 1: a sled dog in and of itself is not necessarily 936 00:54:21,719 --> 00:54:24,279 Speaker 1: a bad thing, or even using a dog for a 937 00:54:24,320 --> 00:54:26,680 Speaker 1: sled dog is not necessarily a bad thing. I don't 938 00:54:26,680 --> 00:54:29,239 Speaker 1: think I take a heart line as PA. Maybe like 939 00:54:29,280 --> 00:54:32,000 Speaker 1: if you want to recreationally much Uh, there is a long, 940 00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:33,680 Speaker 1: great history of it. I have no problem with it 941 00:54:33,760 --> 00:54:36,520 Speaker 1: because these dogs do love to run. Uh, they love 942 00:54:36,600 --> 00:54:39,439 Speaker 1: to pull, and that's their job. But I just can't 943 00:54:39,480 --> 00:54:42,480 Speaker 1: get behind endurance racing if these dogs are being injured 944 00:54:42,920 --> 00:54:45,080 Speaker 1: or if they die from it. It's just my opinion. 945 00:54:45,160 --> 00:54:47,440 Speaker 1: I know a lot of people disagree. We don't put 946 00:54:47,480 --> 00:54:50,239 Speaker 1: opinions in here much, but one argument I don't want 947 00:54:50,280 --> 00:54:52,240 Speaker 1: to hear is that we should shut down all endurance 948 00:54:52,320 --> 00:54:55,279 Speaker 1: racing for humans in because humans can get injured and die. 949 00:54:55,640 --> 00:54:58,320 Speaker 1: The key difference here is humans have free will and 950 00:54:58,360 --> 00:55:01,360 Speaker 1: they elect to do so. Uh big difference between animals 951 00:55:01,400 --> 00:55:03,759 Speaker 1: and humans that it's just not a comparison I think 952 00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:05,920 Speaker 1: you should make. Okay, Well, if you want to know 953 00:55:06,040 --> 00:55:07,840 Speaker 1: more in the meantime about the I Did Rod, you 954 00:55:07,880 --> 00:55:09,640 Speaker 1: can go watch it. You can go to I Did 955 00:55:09,719 --> 00:55:13,120 Speaker 1: a Rod dot com. I believe in track the Racers 956 00:55:13,680 --> 00:55:16,239 Speaker 1: um and you can also read how the I did 957 00:55:16,400 --> 00:55:18,479 Speaker 1: Rod works on how stuff works by typing those words 958 00:55:18,480 --> 00:55:20,920 Speaker 1: in the search part how stuff works dot com and 959 00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:23,680 Speaker 1: uh say said search part, it's time for listener now, 960 00:55:25,680 --> 00:55:28,160 Speaker 1: Hey guys, I'm a registered dietitian. I realized I spent 961 00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:30,239 Speaker 1: a lot of my day tech talking about the three 962 00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:33,680 Speaker 1: things in my email title, which was poop. Listen to 963 00:55:33,719 --> 00:55:35,279 Speaker 1: the Poop podcast on the way to work today and 964 00:55:35,320 --> 00:55:38,040 Speaker 1: really enjoyed it. As someone who regularly discusses poop and digestion, 965 00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:40,759 Speaker 1: it's great to hear it on a podcast. Also, I 966 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:43,160 Speaker 1: think you guys should do a breastfeeding episode. Breastfeeding is 967 00:55:43,200 --> 00:55:47,040 Speaker 1: super fascinating. Uh so, thanks for being great in car entertainment. 968 00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:49,960 Speaker 1: I came across this gem of a conversation a few 969 00:55:50,000 --> 00:55:53,160 Speaker 1: years back because, uh, you guys were asking for different 970 00:55:53,239 --> 00:55:56,040 Speaker 1: names for taking a poop, and she said someone had 971 00:55:56,080 --> 00:55:58,480 Speaker 1: written name your poop after a movie on a bathroom wall, 972 00:55:58,920 --> 00:56:02,360 Speaker 1: And of course a plenty list ensued. And here are 973 00:56:02,440 --> 00:56:06,279 Speaker 1: some of my favorites. The Great Escape and by the way, 974 00:56:06,320 --> 00:56:08,919 Speaker 1: we heard from a lot of people with great names. 975 00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:17,560 Speaker 1: Children of the Corn, The Exorcist, Operation Dumbo, Drop e 976 00:56:17,719 --> 00:56:19,880 Speaker 1: t the Extraterrestrian, I don't get held, I don't. I 977 00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:25,920 Speaker 1: didn't get the Exors, Rosemary's Baby not bad, the hurt Locker, 978 00:56:28,200 --> 00:56:36,200 Speaker 1: mud Gross, Apocalypse now not bad, easy writer, and there 979 00:56:36,239 --> 00:56:42,480 Speaker 1: will be blood gross so gross. So the first part 980 00:56:42,560 --> 00:56:46,799 Speaker 1: there's actually two emails. The first part was from Sarah uh, 981 00:56:47,000 --> 00:56:50,440 Speaker 1: and then the boop movies was from read Sarah. I 982 00:56:50,440 --> 00:56:52,919 Speaker 1: don't want you to be associated with that. What was Sara? 983 00:56:53,719 --> 00:56:56,239 Speaker 1: He was the one that said that that gress feeding 984 00:56:56,239 --> 00:56:58,680 Speaker 1: would be good. And she's a dietitian and she talks 985 00:56:58,680 --> 00:57:02,200 Speaker 1: a lot about poop. So we should do a breast 986 00:57:02,239 --> 00:57:04,680 Speaker 1: feeding one again if it canna be a hornet's nest. 987 00:57:04,800 --> 00:57:07,440 Speaker 1: But we could do it. Sure, we just have to 988 00:57:07,719 --> 00:57:10,719 Speaker 1: research it because there's no article on how stuff works. 989 00:57:10,760 --> 00:57:15,080 Speaker 1: They think about it. It's worthwhile. Okay, sounds good, uh, 990 00:57:15,360 --> 00:57:16,840 Speaker 1: But if you want to get in touch with us 991 00:57:16,840 --> 00:57:18,720 Speaker 1: in the meantime. You can tweet to us at s 992 00:57:18,840 --> 00:57:21,760 Speaker 1: y s K podcast. You can join us on Facebook, 993 00:57:21,840 --> 00:57:24,200 Speaker 1: dot com, slash stuff you Should Know. You can send 994 00:57:24,280 --> 00:57:26,760 Speaker 1: us an email to Stuff Podcast that how Stuff Works 995 00:57:26,800 --> 00:57:28,800 Speaker 1: dot com and it's always joined us out at home 996 00:57:28,880 --> 00:57:36,480 Speaker 1: on the web, Stuff you Should Know dot com. For 997 00:57:36,640 --> 00:57:38,960 Speaker 1: more on this and thousands of other topics, is it 998 00:57:39,040 --> 00:57:40,160 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com.