HUMAN

Name: Warren Palfrey
Age: 44
Residence: Cornell BC, Canada
Occupation: Self-employed.

Years involved with Iditarod: 10-ish

Iditarod Role: I’m a race judge here with Iditarod and I am in Rohn.

Current Location: Rohn, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 10, 2020
Temperature: 5F/Outdoors

What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?

I got involved with Iditarod back when I was quite young, probably 1984, ’85 in the Susan Butcher era. I was born and raised in the Arctic of Canada. In those days, news traveled pretty slow. We used to wait probably till April sometime to find out who won the Iditarod. That’s where my interest started. From there I ran the race for the first time in 2006 as a rookie.

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

I’m here today and involved with the Iditarod because, mostly, the people involved. I started racing the Iditarod to participate and to challenge myself. When I retired from mushing, I still wanted to be involved with the race and to be able to see my friends and checkpoint people and all the volunteers involved with the race. When I retired I was asked if I wanted to be a race judge, and I said “Yes.” And here we are today. This is my, I think, maybe 5th or 6th year as a race judge. Just being involved with the people is probably the biggest part of why I’m here.

Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences?

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was in 2006 traveling as a rookie from Cripple to Ruby and getting into some pretty rough, cold, windy weather with another musher. And really, those types of experiences really create bonds between people. I’m still very good friends with him to this day because of that. 

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure in life is to live life every day and to relish every day.