Kim Waldrep - Musher

I never dreamed of moving to Alaska, let alone running dogs. Serendipity landed me in Nome to work as an intern in tuberculosis control while finishing up my master’s degree in International Health/Epidemiology. My first month here, I traveled to St. Lawrence Island, watched as the Bering Sea froze for the winter, and experienced my first raging coastal storms. I was hooked. Seven years later, I’m still here and still hooked.

A friend invited me to help out with his dogs, and within a few months I was at the starting line of a local kennel club race. What drew me in initially were the dogs themselves, with their distinct personalities, their exuberance and honesty. Winter set in and we were out in the country training… Everything clicked; traveling through the country by dog team, the intimacy with the landscape, the connection with my dogs, the challenge of dealing with whatever unfolds on the trail. These are the things that keep me pulling the hook.

Surprises I encounter along the way - coming over a ridge to find the northern lights spread out overhead or sending a flock of ptarmigan into flight - are the things that remind me how fortunate I am to be here.