Here come the dogs: Iditarod Restart; Mike Williams, who runs because he lost his six brothers; Rose Albert - artist - first Native woman to race

What is it that thrills people so, just to see dogs run across the snow that covers a frozen lake as they sprint away to begin a 1300 mile race from Willow, Alaska, to Nome?

I don't know, but damn, it is thrilling. It thrills me.

Now, please, click on this photo so that you can see a larger copy.

I can't stand it, thinking that you might only see all these faces so small as they appear here.

Two of this year's Iditarod dogs.

A team comes charging.

Here come the white dogs who pull Jim Lanier of Chugiak.

And this is Mike Williams, Yupiaq Eskimo of Akiak, being pulled by his dogs. Mike is a rehabilitated alcoholic who runs to encourage all those who battle that same disease to try sobriety. Once, he had six living brothers and he loved them all.

All six are dead now, and all were killed by alcohol.

Mike draws closer to the camera. 

In the year 2000, I followed Mike along the trail in my little airplane, the one I called "Running Dog;" the one that sits broken at the side of the house, now.

Mike passes the camera.

When I first started this blog, I stated that I would mix pictures and stories of the present up with those of the past. 

Yet each night when I sit down to do this, time presses, and so I have yet to do that. 

I think I will start with Mike. Sometime between now and when the race ends, I will post a few of the images I took in 2000, along with a little bit of his story.

And there Mike Williams goes, off to Nome.

I photographed many other mushers at the restart, and many dogs, but for the sake of space and time, I have limited this to my friend, Mike Williams.

I had another good Iditarod musher friend at this year's race, namely Rose Albert of the Yukon River village of Ruby, who now lives in Anchorage. In 1982, Rose became the first Alaska Native woman to run the race.

In February of 1983, I visited her and her late brother, Howard, at Howard's trapping cabin, 50 miles upriver from Ruby. Howard was a veteran of the race and Rose had ran with his dogs. In 1983, Howard was running again.

Rose is a full-time artist and, no offense Jon Van Zyle, but in my opinion, she is the best Iditarod artist out there. She paints her life, and her natural talent is great.

And some come to the Iditarod not just to watch dogs, but to make snow angels atop the lake.

Come back tomorrow, and I will introduce you to a few of my fellow photographers who were at the restart.

They call it "the restart" but it is actually the real start. What happens in Anchorage is all ceremony, done for show.

The race starts when the dogs leave Willow.

Comments

[http://www.facebook.com/people/Yvonne-Adams/560116]

I was so happy to read about my Ruby, Alaska cousin Rose Albert in your blog!!

Thank you for posting information about her.

I run a business out here in Southern, CA and Kenai, Alaska. Rose called me today and we support each other as single Alaskan women and hope to inspire others to live their dreams and share their talents.

Your blog is very informative as well and I feel a pang of Alaska homesickness when reading it.

[http://www.facebook.com/people/Yvonne-Adams/560116]

Thank you.

[Wasilla, Alaska, by 300]

Glad you came by, Yvonne.