Heading North - Way North

Wishing to keep his surgical oar in the water, Tom did a 10-day locum tenens during October in Fairbanks, Alaska. Subsequently, the Tanana Valley Clinic asked him to return in November to once again cover the practice of a local surgeon. Tom agreed to take the assignment, and this time I tagged along.

We have twice taken the Alaska Marine HIghway System up the spectacular Inside Passage. The state ferry (aka the "Poor Man's Love Boat") took us to Juneau and beyond to Skagway, but those cruises were over twenty years ago and limited our exploration to Southeast Alaska. So, despite the time of year, I looked forward to seeing a bit more of our 49th state.

Naturally, we flew Alaska Airlines to Fairbanks. I knew this Alaska adventure was off to a good start when the young woman sitting next to me excitedly pointed to a man walking toward us from the front of the plane. With considerable admiration, she identified the fellow as Lance Mackey - reigning champion of the Iditarad.

Winning the Iditarad is no small feat. This annual sled dog race covers 1150 miles of rugged, extreme terrain in 10 to 17 days. Often called the "Last Great Race on Earth," the Iditarod route starts in Anchorage and ends in Nome on the western coast of the Bering Sea. In temperatures far below zero, mushers and their teams of 12 to 16 dogs must traverse mountain ranges, frozen rivers, forests, and tundra.

Like a shameless groupie, I left my seat and asked Lance if I could take his picture. This opened the floodgates, because others in the back of the plane quickly lined up for photo shoots of this Alaskan hero. Lance Mackey has won the last four races, and he holds the record for most consecutive wins. If this weren't impressive enough, the guy is a survivor of throat cancer after extensive surgery and radiation in 2001. This inspirational man has twice been nominated for national ESPY awards losing only to the likes of Tiger Woods.