One night, my sled dogs and I were gliding through a birch forest in Wisconsin when a black wolf emerged from the trees and ran beside us.

NOME, Alaska — Former reality TV star Jessie Holmes has won the famous Iditarod sled dog race for the second year in a row. The race is almost 1,000 miles long and stretches across wild, snowy land in Alaska.

Teams in the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race experienced windchill down to 45 below near McGrath, more than 300 miles into the 1,000-mile trail.

Due to a serious lack of snow, Northwest sled dog races are facing cancellation, sending a rippling disappointment through the sled dog teams that look forward to these events each year.