HUMAN

Name: DICK NEWTON
Age: 88
Residence: TAKOTNA, ALASKA
Occupation: TRUCK DRIVER, UTILITY MANAGER
Years involved with Iditarod: SINCE ABOUT 1973
Iditarod Role: SPECTATOR
Current Location: NOME, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 13, 2019
Temperature: 65F / INDOORS

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

BECAUSE I ENJOY THE PEOPLE AND I ENJOY THE DOGS AND I ENJOY THE WEATHER AND THE GOOD TRAIL.

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

HERE GOES: THEY ASKED US TO BREAK THE TRAIL FOR THE IDITAROD ONE TIME. AND WE GOT OUT IN THE ‘BEAVERS’ – ON THE IDITAROD END OF THE ‘BEAVERS’ – AND WE RUN CLEAR OUT OF SNOW, BUT WE KEPT ON GOING. WE WENT ON INTO IDITAROD. AND THEN WE WERE GOING TO COME BACK THE NEXT DAY BUT THE AIR PLANE COULDN’T FLY TO GET US ANY GAS, SO WE STAYED OVERNIGHT AND THEN WE COME BACK. AND ON THE WAY OUT THERE WAS ABOUT 35 MILES OF NO SNOW AT ALL. AND I TOOK 16 TYLENOL WITHIN ABOUT TWO HOURS AND MY BACK STILL HURT.

What do you know for sure?:

KIND OF A PHILOSOPHY QUESTION THAT A GUY HAS TO STUDY ON…. THERE’S NOT MANY THINGS THAT ARE SURE IN LIFE, BUT IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO WAKE UP TOMORROW MORNING AFTER YOU GO TO SLEEP TONIGHT, THEN EVERYTHING’S FINE.