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IDITAROD/ALASKA
Dog Man
Living Legend of Iditarod
When you meet Martin Buser, you may feel like you are meeting an ordinary man. Talk to him for a few minutes, and you realize that you just met a living legend.
Martin is passionate about his dogs. He breeds Alaskan Huskies for their speed, agility, athleticism, intelligence, appetite, and endurance. All the qualities needed to withstand harsh tundra conditions and sustain them for miles on the Iditarod trail.
Martin’s story is awe-inspiring. One of extreme hard work, grit, and resilience. After all, he ran almost forty Iditarod races in his career as a dog Musher and won four of them.
I was fascinated by his unique stories when I met him in person at his Happy Trails Kennel in Big Lake, Alaska, last summer.
Our tour operator had arranged our group’s visit in advance. The Happy Trails Kennel tour is also offered in the winter months, allowing visitors to experience actual dog sled rides.
Martin talked about driving sleds behind a harnessed team of fourteen to twenty dogs in sub-zero temperatures and howling winds of the tundra.
I leaned in and listened intently as he narrated an incident from one of the Iditarod races he ran.
