@grahambensinger: In one of the most intense dog mushing stories ever told, four-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey recounts the terrifying moment he thought he might not survive a race. During the Yukon Quest, Mackey faced 70-below-zero temperatures—without wind chill. With his body shutting down, no way to start a fire, and frostbite setting in, he made the call to cut his rest short and keep moving through the night. As he sat on the sled rocking back and forth under his sleeping bag, trying to generate heat, he was convinced he might freeze to death. The only option left? Turn to his dogs. Mackey describes how his lead dog looked up as if to say, “Whatever you want, Dad.” That moment of connection gave him the strength to keep going. His story captures the raw physical and emotional toll of ultra-endurance sled dog racing, the brutal realities of Arctic survival, and the powerful bond between a musher and his team. #yukonquest #iditarod #dogmushing #extremeweather

Graham Bensinger

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Thursday 29 May 2025 14:53:08 GMT