Credit: Birch Leaf Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>As my family prepares for the start of the big race this weekend, I know some of you are wondering what exactly the Iron Dog is!\u00a0 Every year, Dad takes this 2,000 mile trek on a snowmachine.\u00a0 (Yes, I know you \u201cflatlanders\u201d call them \u201csnowmobiles,\u201d but we call them \u201cmachines\u201d up here!)\u00a0 This is a treacherous, exciting race \u2014 in many Iron Dogs, more racers drop out than finish.\u00a0 The injuries, bad weather, machine break downs, and fatigue take a toll on everyone.<\/p>\n
After worrying the entire time he\u2019s gone, it\u2019s always very exciting to pack up and go to Fairbanks for the finish! We pack our warmest clothes, pile into our vehicles, and hope to see dad cross the finish line first.\u00a0 There are a lot of festivities going on around the finish line, so if you\u2019re near Fairbanks at the end of the race you should definitely stop by!!\u00a0 Alaska must have the best ice sculptors, because there are usually beautiful statues being created right in front of your eyes. People build a fire on the frozen water, which gives you an idea of how cold it is there. It\u2019s frequently negative thirty degrees at the finish line!<\/p>\n
Sometimes the engines of our vehicles freeze as we spend the night there, and we have to get up every few hours to turn them on. A couple of years ago, our vehicle just quit on the way home because it had gotten too cold.\u00a0 So after Dad had raced 2000 miles on a snow machine, he was out there trying to fix the truck on the side of the road.<\/p>\n
Anyway, it\u2019s an exciting tradition, and I\u2019ll try to add some photos from years past sometime today.<\/p>\n
Dad, I\u2019m proud of you every year, no matter where you finish in the pack\u2026 (In fact, he\u2019s won it four times!)\u00a0 Let add another win to that total!<\/p>\n
Read more on\u00a0the Faith and Family Channel<\/a>, fan me on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and follow this blog on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"So, what exactly is the Iron Dog? Let me explain the event that is such a big part of our lives every year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":830,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8,218,375,7],"class_list":["post-3055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-alaska","tag-iron-dog","tag-scott-davis","tag-todd-palin"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/156\/2013\/02\/Todd-Scott-2-1-of-1.jpg\" "\\"Todd")
<\/a>