HUMAN

Name: Tim Escher

Age: 58

Residence:  Chickaloon, Alaska

Occupation:  Retired & Ski Patrol

Years involved with Iditarod: 8

Iditarod Roles: Volunteer/Communications

Current Location: Ruby, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 10, 2022

Temperature: 15F Outdoors

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

I first became involved with Iditarod doing comms at headquarters at the hotel, for the first couple of years. And then one of the longtime Rohn comms people wasn’t able to make it one year, and I got slotted in to go to Rohn, which was exciting, because that doesn’t happen very often apparently. And since then, I’ve been doing trail comms at various different places around here.

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

So why am I here today involved with Iditarod? I guess the opportunity to get out and see more of Alaska. You’re just on the road system, you don’t get to see everything. And getting out in the villages and experiencing more of what’s out here is why I’m involved in Iditarod, it’s a great way to do that.

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

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was two years ago. I was in Elim when we had the Elim 11, who had to go out and come back because of a blizzard. And I was on comms then, we had a search and rescue we had to do with one of the mushers. And then we had to make sure that Elim 11 made it over the pass to make it to the next checkpoint. And that made the news around the world, and right at the beginning of the pandemic too. I think we were the last sporting event in the world that was going on at that time.

What in life do you know for sure?

Well, being involved with Iditarod is being flexible, and whatever comes, just take it and deal with it. And it’s all going to work out.