Dog sled races, the national sport
These races are held throughout the winter, culminating in the famous Iditarod, created in 1973 by Joë Redington and Dorothy G. Page, who are called the "father and mother" of the race. It starts in Anchorage on the first Saturday of March and covers almost 1,800 km to reach Nome. Among the iconic mushers, we can mention Rick Swenson (5 times winner of the Iditarod and the only one to have finished 20 times in the top ten), Dick Mackey (in 1978, he beat Swenson by one second after two weeks of racing), Dallas Seavey (also 5 times winner since his victory in 2021) or Susan Butcher (first woman to have competed and finished the Iditarod in 1978, which she will win four times and which she will also finish 4 times in2nd place). The second major race, the Yukon Quest, takes place in February between Fairbanks (Alaska) and Whitehorse (Yukon, Canada). To cover these 1,600 km, the competitors follow the postal route that was used by the first gold seekers. But it must be said that the real athletes of these competitions are the dogs, which cover, for the winners, about 200 km per day.
In 2007, Lance Mackey became the first musher to win the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year
The blanket toss, a traditional activity
Nowadays, you will often see trampolines in gardens. If Alaskans have this game, it is not only for children, but in homage to an ancestral custom: the blanket toss (nalukataq), otherwise known as "jumping in blankets", the ancestor of the trampoline. At the time, it was used by hunters in the Arctic villages. About twenty people support a walrus skin hanging, on which the jumper bounces, to spot whales in the open sea. The best ones reach up to 10 meters high! Today, the blanket toss is present at all Inuit festivals. A demonstration even takes place for the opening of the Iditarod dog sled race.
Fishing, the queen activity
Fishing is certainly the most popular recreational activity. Fishermen from all over the world gather every year on the banks of Alaskan rivers in search of trophy salmon. And the magic of salmon is such that even when you're not fishing, you want to try. Seeing thousands of salmon rush up the river where they were born is a dazzling spectacle that fascinates all generations. And to be convinced of this, you just have to walk along the banks of Ship Creek, a few steps from the center of Anchorage, and see the fishermen at work. And then, there are those, more fortunate, who leave in the middle of the bush, in lodges and pay from 500 to 1 000 US$ for a day of fishing. For this price, the guides take their clients by seaplane to different rivers each day. The ultimate being the helicopter which allows to reach inaccessible spots by seaplane. But let us console ourselves, no need to spend fortunes to make miraculous fishing because the fish are everywhere! In Haines, the fishermen will have as competitors... bears who also love salmon fishing!
To your walking shoes!
Hiking is also very popular. Thousands of miles of trails are built across Alaska and every small community owns and maintains its own. From the easiest, a few miles long on flat ground, to the most difficult with a dizzying drop in elevation, there are truly a multitude of possibilities. Most of them are anonymous but offer panoramas that are hard to get tired of. And then there are those with a real history, like the Chilkoot Trail, which follows the route of the first Klondike gold miners. This horseback ride between Southeast Alaska and the Canadian province of Yukon attracts hundreds of participants (men and women) every year. Hikers who come in search of the legendary atmosphere of the gold rush!
Trekking and mountaineering to the summits
Another form of hiking, but reserved for the best: the ascent of various Alaskan mountains. Of course, Mount Denali (formerly known as McKinley), in Denali National Park, is the best known and most popular with an average of 500 climbs per year. Others, such as Mount Foraker, are also popular with climbers from around the world. The Wrangell-St-Elias National Park is also a popular destination for mountain expeditions. Heavy rainfall makes conditions very difficult, and there are no mountain rescuers like in Denali Park. Climbing Mount Blackburn, Mount Sanford or Mount Bona must be done with knowledge and accompanied by local guides, otherwise the risks are too high.
By kayak or canoe, the great adventure
Sea or river kayaking is practiced almost everywhere in Alaska. Many agencies offer trips from a few hours to several days. Rafting is also possible on many rivers. It is also very easy to rent the equipment and to go alone if you have the required experience. Alaska offers the possibility of immersing yourself in its fabulous nature for weeks on end and living like Robinson Crusoe, fishing, gathering and hunting. To do this, you need to equip yourself with a canoe and go down the Yukon, the Kobuk or the Noatak River at your own pace. The ideal is to find an adventure partner even if this kind of expedition is relatively easy to organize. It will remain for those who will have made it "the great adventure of their life". It can last two to three months, for some it has never stopped. They never came back and extended their adventure by settling permanently in Alaska. In short, for all those who consider contact with nature to be fundamental, Alaska is the destination that cannot be ignored.
Long live sliding!
In the winter you can enjoy all kinds of winter activities: skating, ice hockey, dog sledding, snowmobiling... and of course skiing, one of the great weekend attractions in winter for all those who work. Even if the resorts are rare, you just have to go up a hill in backcountry skiing to find downhill runs that will make the most jaded skiers envious. Every year, an extreme ski run is organized. Valdez and Haines are the two main sites chosen for this kind of competition where only a handful of professional skiers from all over the world come to compete.
