HUMAN

Name: Dan Carter

Age: 51

Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana

Occupation: Business Owner

Years involved with Iditarod: 3

Iditarod Roles: Judge

Current Location: McGrath, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 8, 2022

Temperature: 30 F Outdoors 

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

I first became involved with Iditarod in 2006. I was scheduled to run the race in 2007. And Mark Nordman invited me up to work as a checker the preceding year in ’06, so that I could see the trail and get a feel, kind of a scouting trip for my run in 2007. And then I ran the race in 2007. 

What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?

I’m here today and involved Iditarod, because I’ve always had a passion for this race. When I first started running dogs in 1995, I decided I’d love to run the Iditarod. And that was kind of my culmination goal, when I was a musher. And so I ran the race in 2007, and I’ve been involved in the sport by assisting in other races and have always meant to get back up to Alaska, to help with Iditarod. So this year, I was able to do that, and I’m very happy to be here. 

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

So a very memorable Iditarod experience for me is when I ran the race in 2007. I left Safety and made the climb up Cape Nome. And it was kind of daytime then, and I could see Nome off in the distance. At that point, I kind of knew I was going to make it. It was a culmination of a lifelong dream. So at that point, I was sort of standing on a mountain, looking down at the culmination of that dream.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is that the best part of life is being involved in things like the Iditarod, things that aren’t as serious, aren’t as dire as what happens in the rest of the world on a day-to-day basis. So it’s good to be here, dealing with something that’s a lot of fun, but not quite as serious as other things that can happen in the world.