HUMAN

Name: Chuck Schaeffer
Age: As old as the mountains
Residence: Ivik, Alaska
Occupation: Supervisor at Mining and Exploring Outfit
Years involved with Iditarod: For a long time, we guess. I think I ran my first Iditarod in 1985.
Iditarod Role: I’m kind of helping out a good friend of mine, Jessie Holmes. Jesse and I go back a few years, when he was getting started. I sold him a few dogs here, a couple of years ago, and he’s kind of my favorite musher all of a sudden.
Current Location: Restart in Willow, Alaska 

Date of Photo: March 8, 2020
Temperature: 24F/Outdoors

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

I got involved with the Iditarod, probably in the early ’80s. My first mentor, I guess, would have been a brother-in-law of mine, Roger Nordlum, who ran the Iditarod numerous times back in the day.

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

I’m here today, because I’ve been a musher all my life, basically. And I’m now helping Jesse Holmes get out of the shoot.

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

You know in 1985 my most memorable Iditarod experiences was… In 1985 I guess, Libby won the Iditarod, first woman to win the Iditarod. I ran into her somewhere on the first third of the trail, and she would just be standing on the trail. She had lost her dog team, and I gave her a ride, and somebody had picked her team up a few miles away. And she ended up winning.

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure in life is everyone dies.