HUMAN

Name: Andy Sterns

Age: 60

Residence: Fairbanks, Alaska

Occupation: Rock Climbing Teacher at UAF

First Year Ran Iditarod: 1995

How Many Years Involved With Iditarod: 6

Iditarod Role: Musher

Current Location: Fairbanks, Alaska

Date of Photo: June 20, 2026

Temperature: 68F outdoors

Question 1: What is it about running sled dogs that you love so much?

So what I loved about running sled dogs is that I was able to be with all of my dogs from when they were puppies to when they grew up to be adults. I was training them as puppies. I trained all my leaders. I just had a really good snow hook and I would stick the snow hook in. Then I would go up to the front of the sled and if it was G or haw, I would just kind of go over there and just let them know. And they got all that. And so when I was running sled dogs and especially in something like Iditarod, I’d just be like, “Yeah, the dogs, they’re just amazing.” I’m sure everyone says that they are amazing, but that was just great. That’s what I love about running sled dogs.

Question 2: What, who or how and when & why did you first get involved running the Iditarod?

Yeah, so I got involved running Iditarod because I’d graduated from college. I was living in Jackson, Wyoming. I was just basically being like a ski bum. I was coaching ski racing. Then I was kind of wondering what to do next. And back in the days when people read newspapers, the Jackson Hole Guide, there was an ad and it said, “Dog handler wanted like halfway between Fairbanks and Nenana. I didn’t exactly know where Fairbanks or Nenana was, but I was like, “Okay.” I applied and then I came up and that was my first year here. I was working for Kim Troxell and Frank Teasley. So I guess that’s my initial involvement in Iditarod. And then after that, I was lucky to I handled for Jack Goode and Willow and he ran Iditarod and that’s where I got all my dogs from, from Jack because he decided not to run after he ran the first race. So I got all my dogs from him and those were the dogs that I’d raised as puppies.
And then Kim got me a job working for Susan and then Kim also introduced me to Martin. So I got to work for Martin too. And then later on I got to work for Rick. So I feel pretty lucky to work for all those guys and I learned a ton from them.

Question 3:  Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences running the Iditarod.

 

So I think my most, or definitely one of my most memorable experiences running Iditarod was you’re going across all these glare ice lakes. I think it’s between Unalakleet and Shaktoolik and it’s hard to see the trail. And so we’re kind of out in the middle of this glare ice lake and I see this tree and I’m like, I recognize that tree. There was a poster of Tim Osmar going past this tree.
It kind of looked like one of those bonsai trees. I was like, “I think that’s probably where the trail is.” So I had the dogs over there and sure enough, yeah there was an Iditarod marker on the tree so that was definitely a memorable experience.

 

Question 4: What in life do you know for sure?:

 

So what I know for sure in life is the one thing that I can always depend on is my friends.