Iditarod Sled Dog Race
![Iditarod Sled Dog Race finish line in Nome, AK](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090115202429im_/http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ak/aktest/rec.Par.32365.Image.200.133.1.gif)
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is one of the most unique competitive events in the world! Mushers and dog teams are put to the test as they navigate over some of the roughest and most beautiful terrain Alaska has to offer while surviving harsh weather conditions. From Anchorage to Nome, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover more than 1,150 miles in about two weeks.
The race is a tribute to the Iditarod National Historic Trail, which had its beginnings as a mail and supply route from the coastal towns of Seward and Knik to Interior mining camps during the Gold Rush era.
Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race-"the toughest sled dog race in the world!"
The Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race covers 1,000 miles between Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and Fairbanks, Alaska, each February. The Yukon Quest Trail follows historic Gold Rush and mail delivery routes. Teams of one musher and 14 canine athletes travel for two weeks, racing through mountain passes and over frozen rivers, enduring high winds and below freezing temperatures, while traversing some of the last pristine frontier remaining in North America.
Copper River Basin Sled Dog 300 Race
The Copper Basin 300 is a mid-distance sled dog race that starts and finishes in Glennallen the second Saturday of every January. The event covers 300 miles through the greater Copper River Valley, where mushers and their teams experience stream and river crossings, overflow, and traverse steep mountain passes. It's also a qualifying race for those wishing to enter the Iditarod or Yukon Quest.
Sheep Mountain Sled Dog 150 Race
The race starts and finishes at Sheep Mountain Lodge, located at Milepost 113.5 on the Glenn Highway. The race is composed of three 50-mile legs with two layovers. Contact the Sheep Mountain Lodge for details and more information.
Arctic Man
The Arctic Man is an extreme downhill ski race and an exciting snowmobile race, all in one. The skier begins at the top of a mountain, skis down and meets his or her snowmobiling partner, on the go. A tow rope is extended by the snowmobiler to the skiier, who is then pulled the next 2.25 miles uphill to the next peak. Then the skier and snowmobile separate and the skier glides over the side of the second mountain, and races down to the finish line. Skiiers and snowmachiners reach speeds upwards of 80 miles an hour on this course.
Midnight Sun Viewing
Eagle Summit provides an opportunity to witness a phenomenon of the high northern latitudes—the Midnight Sun. Eagle Summit, at mile 107 of the Steese Highway, is also the eastern trailhead of the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail. Weather permitting, the midnight sun can be seen from the Eagle Summit parking lot, a nearby knoll, and points along the Pinnell Mountain Trail, from approximately June 17 to June 24. Photography tips for taking photos of the midnight sun and more information can be found in the Eagle Summit brochure .