#igivearod 2021!
Follow us on Twitter at @igivearod to see the latest news and updates!
Given the pandemic, no BraverMountain humans or dogs are participating in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race this year. For them, the race is still going too close for comfort to some vulnerable remote communities that have been living in isolation for nearly a year: too much can go wrong out there.
Of course, we could not just take the year off and call it good. The #UglyDogs have far too much energy and drive. And, of course, there is still a lot of interest in doing some good along the trail and for those communities in isolation. This year we are focusing more on people and the trail itself and less on the Iditarod Sled Dog race. To that end, we have identified several charitable organizations and causes, including a number of trail improvement initiatives and providing support to programs/organizations like Native Movement and Skiku.
For causes supporting communities and projects (primarily) out in rural Alaska, please see the rundown on the Causes page!
Additionally, Quince is lending support and coverage to the Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI). Think of it a little like the sled dog race but without the sled dogs. And while no sled dogs is always a bummer, Q felt it was important to share and highlight a race that is taking the threat of COVID seriously with a vetted testing program and a route that avoids all vulnerable communities.
While Q is literally following the ITI race trail and participants via snowmachine (snowmobile for lower-48ers), you can follow along as he will be wearing one of the UglyDogs’ very favorite of gadgets, a tracker (aka tracky boi)! That’s right. If you head over to the ITI’s tracking page, you can follow Q under his stealthy pseudonym “Race Media”, or here for a direct link.
Q isn’t just following the race. He’s bringing something with him: a 360º camera! The goal is to capture a richer, complete view of the trail to share with everyone, no matter where you are.
While this won’t cover the whole Iditarod route, it’s approximately 200 miles of an amazing section of the trail, including the infamous Happy River Steps, the even more infamous Dalzell Gorge, Rainy (windy!) Pass, and beautiful Rohn. The hope is that the footage will be usable for Google street view, and hopefully, one day we can look at our screens or don our virtual reality glasses and see what these dogs and racers see out there in this challenging and gorgeous landscape. Check out more here.
With gratitude,
Igivearod Wranglers