Alaska News

Iditarod photographer recounts adventures on the trail in 'Chasing Dogs'

After more than 30 years of being the official photographer for the Iditarod, Jeff Schultz has accumulated 50,000 pictures on every aspect of the race. In his recent book, "Chasing Dogs," he highlights many of the more arresting images, providing readers with an inside look at the working mushers, dogs and volunteers who make the race a success. He also shares decades of memories, which include a lot of time in airplanes flying over the trail and one nearly fatal crash near Golovin.

As he recounts in the book, Schultz has flown both with pilots who were dedicated solely to moving him along the trail and also with Iditarod Air Force volunteers who picked him up along the way. Over the years, he has developed a unique appreciation for the intricacies of decision-making while flying in winter.

"I sometimes find myself stuck in a checkpoint, waiting for a change in the weather so the plane can leave," he writes. "There's a saying, 'When you have time to spare, go by air.' I used to be anxious when I was grounded by weather, thinking I was missing many opportunities. Although I agreed that the pilot knows best, often I'd try to persuade him to fly. Not a good idea."

In 1997, Schultz and Barry Stanley found themselves in Ptarmigan Valley, between the Rainy Pass and Rohn checkpoints. Stanley had towed Schultz out to the valley, snapping shots along the way, in a sled behind his snowmachine. Pilot Sam Maxwell planned to pick him up there later for Rohn. Unfortunately, the snow ended up being too deep for the Super Cub and Maxwell was quickly stuck in the fading daylight. The plane had to be dug out and the snow compacted to make a firmer runway for departure. In an experience shared by thousands of bush pilots and passengers back to the days of Crosson and Wien, the three men got to work until Maxwell and Schultz were in the air and Stanley "...fired up his snowmachine, ready to ride back home to the Rainy Pass Lodge."

The most compelling chapter by far is the author's recollection of surviving a plane crash in 1992. Along with pilot Chris McDonnell, Schultz was en route to the White Mountain checkpoint. According to the chapter entitled "My Life-and-Death Plane Crash," McDonnell decided to fly across Golovin Bay to avoid low clouds. They were approaching the village of Golovin as the visibility steadily decreased.

"We could only see a few hundred feet up the sides of the mountains near us," writes Schultz. "Chris felt it was a safer bet to follow the shore of the bay, where we could see willows and a few fish camp shacks along the shoreline. After a few minutes those willow and shacks were no longer there. Or were no longer visible. I don't know which."

The aircraft hit the ground with little warning and neither pilot nor passenger was able to recall how they exited the crumpled wreckage. Both men were seriously injured and it was several hours before anyone was able to reach them. Schultz writes powerfully of desperately working his handheld radio and finally making contact with Will Vacendak, a Bering Air pilot who came looking for their emergency locator transmitter. Vacendak stayed with him overhead on the radio until rescuers arrived on snowmachines. In the end, Schultz required multiple surgeries and it was clear both he and McDonnell were lucky to be alive.

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"Our rescuers were astounded by what they saw of the plane. The landing gear was broken off, the propeller bent, the wings contorted -- one forward, one backward -- and the cockpit smashed. Richard Toymil described the scene later saying, 'The plane was all messed up. The windshield was broken, there was blood all over the dashboard, and there were bloody streaks where they crawled out'."

Schultz, of course, took pictures of the crash site before leaving the scene.

Many fans of the Iditarod are going to love "Chasing Dogs" for the intimate look it provides of the race and the many, many stunning photographs. But pilots should also seek it out for the rare glimpse it provides of yet another facet of the state's unique aviation environment. Schultz's recollection of the accident is particularly riveting and illustrates perfectly how important proper survival gear is for all Alaska aircraft. One expects to be dazzled by Jeff Schultz's pictures; the appeal of his text is a great surprise and something to share with pilots everywhere.

"Chasing Dogs" can be purchased at stores across Alaska and online via Jeff Schultz's website. For more information, wholesale purchasers can contact Taku Graphics.

Contact Colleen Mondor at colleen[at]alaskadispatch.com.

Colleen Mondor

Colleen Mondor is the author of "The Map of My Dead Pilots: The Dangerous Game of Flying in Alaska." Find her at chasingray.com or on Twitter @chasingray.

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