Soon after arriving in Alaska and meeting Joe Redington Sr., photographer Jeff Schultz first captured the Iditarod on film in 1981. He became the race's official photographer a year later and, from his home in Anchorage, has held the job ever since. His pictures have appeared in numerous books, magazines and newspapers and he has more than 50,000 shots in his archive, 15,000 of which are searchable online. As he follows the trail again this year and prepares for the May release of his first book, "Chasing Dogs," Schultz exchanged emails about aerial photos, sitting in wait for the perfect shot, and the plane crash that almost killed him.
For the past dozen years or so, Schultz has flown the race with Danny Davidson, an Iditarod Air Force veteran of more than 30 years who has modified his aircraft for the photographer so the window will easily open and close. Although he now flies mostly in a Cessna 180, for the first two decades Schultz flew in Piper PA-12s or Super Cubs.
"For doing aerial photos," he explained, "the Cub is much better because it can fly low and slow and pretty quiet. But with the right pilot, it can be done with the 180 as well ... just not so low or quiet." Now, "unless its unavoidable," he said, he shoots through an open window, usually in Davidson's C-180.
The photographer's favorite stretch of trail is in the early days of each year's race, from Finger Lake to Rohn. "I've snowmachined this portion of the trail many times," he wrote. "Big mountains, small dog teams." A dramatic background -- "something other than a flat trail" -- is a feature Schultz always looks for. He's also on the watch for the unexpected, like "a musher falling down, running behind the sled, unique facial feature or body language." These shots, which might appear lucky, are actually the result of hours of patience and preparation. A perfect example of which is one of his favorite trail moments:
After 33 years on the trail, yes there are many favorite memories… they are typically linked to a unique photo that I was able to capture. Like the time my pilot, Sam Maxwell, and I landed on a small swamp in his cub in the Farewell Burn and I hiked a mile or two to an open stream and waited for teams to cross. Unique photos and a unique way to get there.
It's surprising to hear Schultz talk so comfortably about flying the race, in light of the serious crash he was involved in more than 20 years ago. In 1992, Schultz was with pilot Chris McDonnell in a Super Cub near Golovin when something went horribly wrong. This story is one of the longer chapters in his book, which includes several pictures of the crash. He is still hazy on some of the facts: "...we were following the shoreline -- fish shacks and willows. Suddenly we were in a milk-bottle and could not see. The pilot turned to go back and never recovered from that turn. Vertigo. We hit the ice. Neither of us remember the crash nor getting out of the plane. Very dazed and confused. 4-5 hours later we were rescued by people from Golovin and medevaced to Anchorage."
The National Transportation Safety Board later determined that McDonnell had inadvertently flown under Visual Flight Rules into Instrument Meteorological Conditions. The accident's probable cause was determined to be failure to maintain proper altitude; additional factors included fog, snow and night.
Jeff Schultz's long relationship with the Iditarod is a perfect example of how Alaska's past and present have come together. Early on, aviation and dog mushing were competitors, and in the end, aircraft spelled the end for the mushing way of life. But now, with sled dog racing firmly established as a popular sport in the state, aviation has become a way to appreciate it from a whole new perspective, as well as providing crucial support during major races. In his decades with the race, Schultz has flown every step of its more than 1,000 miles and pilots have enabled him to capture the people, places and dogs that make this event such an important part of the Last Frontier way of life. Clearly, in his case, "Chasing Dogs" is something best done from the passenger seat of an airplane.
"Chasing Dogs" includes over 300 full color pictures and will be published in May; autographed copies of the book may be purchased through Jeff Schultz's Iditarod website. Wholesale orders should be placed through Taku Graphics: Alaska Art and Books in Juneau.
Contact Colleen Mondor at colleen(at)alaskadispatch.com.