HUMAN

Name: Mandy Dixon
Age: 35
Residence: Anchorage, Alaska, in Homer, Alaska and at Winterlake Lodge on Finger Lake on the Iditarod Trail.
Occupation: I am a pastry chef.
Years involved with Iditarod: 35 years

Iditarod Role: I am the pastry chef at Winterlake Lodge

Current Location: Finger Lake Checkpoint, Alaska at Winterlake Lodge.

Date of Photo: March 9, 2020
Temperature: 30F/Outdoors

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

I was born in 1984. I got involved with the Iditarod when we lived along the Yentna River growing up and we would stand out on the river and have bonfires. And dog mushers would stop along the trail and we would give them hot chocolate and have little lemonade stands when I was about five years old. And we went up to Skwentna, we drove up to Skwentna from our cabin and we would help out at the Skwentna checkpoint. In 1994, my parents purchased the Finger Lake checkpoint from the Brandum family and we then took it over and loved doing it ever since.

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

I’m here today and involved with the Iditarod because I love baking and cooking for the mushers that are traveling along the trail. And I love the story of the Iditarod and the history of the Iditarod, and being a part of this unique trail that only exists in the wintertime with amazing travelers traveling through our yard on this trail and taking care of them and providing food for them.

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

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was about 10 years ago. We had a beautiful Iditarod happening and suddenly the weather came in and dark clouds covered the lake. And there was about 30 tourists who were traveling and were dropped off on our lake by an air taxi. And the air taxi then couldn’t come back to pick them up. And so, we had 20 of our own guests staying at the lodge, and then an additional 30 people ended up staying with us for a week.
And so, we had to feed them and we were slowly running out of food. And it got very creative and very interesting to know these 30 refugees that were staying with us. And we had several feet of snow fall and they were from all over the world and all types of people. And it was just a very interesting week to spend with those people. And there was actually a couple that met during that week that ended up getting married and they let us know that. And so, that was kind of a cool experience, but definitely one of the most memorable.

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure in life is that definitely nothing is for sure in life, but it’s always an adventure.