HUMAN

Name: ED HOPKINS
Age: 54
Residence: TEN MILE, YUKON
Occupation: LANDSCAPER AND DOG MUSHER
Years involved with Iditarod: PROBABLY 8 YEARS NOW
Iditarod Role: DOG MUSHER
Current Location: TAKOTNA, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 7, 2019
Temperature: 24F / OUTDOORS

What is your Why?.. Why are you here today and involved in Iditarod?:

I’M DOING IT NOW BECAUSE I’VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE. AND I’VE ALWAYS JUST BEEN FOLLOWING IT AND I FIGURED IT’S TIME FOR ME JUST TO DO IT.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

SO MANY OF THEM. I GUESS MY MOST MEMORABLE ONE RECENTLY IS PROBABLY ON A TRAINING RUN I HAD THIS YEAR UP THE SOUTH CANOL. IT WAS JUST A BEAUTIFUL SUPER MOON. IT WAS A FULL MOON. AND WE WERE JUST REALLY HIGH UP IN THE MOUNTAINS AND JUST AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAINS. AND THESE TALL LITTLE PINE TREES WERE RIGHT AT THE BASE OF IT. AND IT WAS JUST LIKE I WAS LOOKING AT A HUGE PYRAMID. I MEAN, THE BACKDROP IS CLEAR BLUE. CLEAR, DARK WITH STARS UP THERE. THE MOON WAS OVER TO MY RIGHT SHOULDER AND THE LIGHT WAS BOUNCING OFF THE MOUNTAIN TO THE LEFT. AND IT’D JUST TOTALLY BLOW THE PLACE RIGHT UP. IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.

What do you know for sure?:

I THINK I WAS BORN A DOG MAN.