HUMAN

Name: Steph White
Age: 59
Residence: Michigan
Occupation: I’m a jack of all trades, but I’ve mostly been a wilderness guide and photographer.

Years involved with Iditarod: I don’t remember. A long time.
Iditarod Role: I’m the Rohn dog catcher. So I’m in charge of all the Rohn dropped dogs and the veterinarians.
Current Location: Lakefront Hotel, Anchorage, Alaska
Date of Photo: March 4, 2020
Temperature: 10 F outside/ 68 F inside

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

I got involved in Iditarod because my friend Lisa asked me to come because of my experience with animals and wilderness and adventure and everything that has to do without outdoors and also medical stuff.

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

I’m here today because I come back for the community. There’s a strong community here. I love the dogs, animals. I love the wilderness and watching moose cross runways and everything about it. Every year is different, new and unique and it’s a chance of a lifetime.

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

Here’s my real memory of Iditarod. It was in 2008 when Jeff King and Lance Mackey ended up in Elim, and Lance pulled the wool over Jeff’s eyes and snuck out while Jeff was taking a nap. What my real memory is, is that the night before at 4:00 AM one of the villagers came in asking for help for a dog that he was asked to put down. We said, yeah. The veterinarians and I, that we could maybe find a handler for him. He came in with the dog and it was a tiny little crate, and we so tired we didn’t know what, what was going on. I put my hand in and pulled out a little dreadlock terrier dog named Mocha who we later called Mocha Elim Iditarod Alaska. That little dog was a gift, a gift to me. The veterinarians gave her her checkup and we wrote up a dropped dog form for, and flew her out with me at the end of the race. Reason for dropping, underweight and not pulling. I still have the papers for her. It was really hard to talk to, about her because she just passed away this year. She was five when I got her, and in 2019 in November she passed away, and my little sidekick was gone and I miss her, but what a gift.

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure in life is that nothing in life is for sure.