A 2007 graduate of Des Lacs-Burlington High School, Bahl moved to Alaska about three years ago from Minot, and worked there as a physical therapist. One of her patients introduced her to mushing, or sled dog racing, through photos hanging on the wall. Her interest was piqued, and she went to see an Iditarod race in person.

“From there,” she said, “I was hooked.” She was connected with the owner of Dream A Dream Dog Sled Dog Farm, Vern Halter, and started running dogs under his tutelage. She currently leases her dogs from him and trains under his kennel. Bahl said taking care of a team of dogs is definitely a full-time job.

Dog sledding for Bahl started out as a hobby and quickly became a lifestyle. She said her dogs’ passion and love for racing keep her wanting to do the sport.

“They’re amazing creatures, amazing, resilient animals. They’re really what keeps me going despite the cold and the crazy winds and the crazy storms. You have to trust the dogs 100 percent and the dogs have to trust you 100 percent or you’re not going to be able to make it over the trail together,” Bahl said. “It’s a really neat bond that’s different than any other bond with a dog.”

The route of the race is between the cities of Willow and Nome and began in 1973. This was a nod to a mission undertaken more than 100 years ago to transport needed medicine 1,000 miles by dog sled to Nome, a city on the western coast of Alaska. This potentially saved the entire community from diptheria.

During the race, a competitor can go 50-100 miles without seeing any other mushers, and the #1 rule of racing sled dogs is “no outside assistance.” The team must be completely self sufficient, relying on what they can carry and what is placed in “drop bags” at checkpoints along the trail.

“If it’s not in your drop bags or on your sled, you don’t get it,” Bahl said.

These drop bags are put in place by the “Iditarod air force,” a group of volunteers who offer their time and aircraft to place the bags in remote locations. For a dire emergency, the teams do carry an S.O.S. transmitter, but the only access the outside world has to them is through snowmobiles, dog sleds or airplanes, and depending on the severity of the weather, help may not arrive until the next day.

One challenge someone may face when getting into the sport of dog sled racing is the weather, but not in the way one might think. The lack of snow can be a challenge for competitors, having to travel in search of training grounds for their teams.

“Moose are our biggest threat out on the trail,” Bahl said of the races. The trail makes easy traveling for moose, and the team of sled dogs closely resembles a pack of wolves, one of the only predators for moose in the area. Bahl told of several encounters she has had, but she has “fortunately not been charged by one.”

Explaining that a moose can trample a whole team, the dogs often will alert to one’s presence and give some warning before an encounter.

“Much like the Boston Marathon”, Bahl said, “there is a qualification, where mushers must complete a series of qualifying races. Two of which must be at least 300 miles and one that is shorter at at least 150 miles.” Racers must also get a musher who has previously completed in the Iditarod to vouch for their skill sets and abilities.

“Dog sled racing is such an awesome sport to be able to share with people, especially people in the lower 48, and it’s awesome being able to show off the sled dogs,” Bahl said. She hopes to bring the culture and experience of sled dog racing to North Dakota someday.

The event starts on the first Saturday in March with a “fun run,” a 14-mile race that isn’t timed. The real race begins the following day when the teams depart on their 1,000-mile journey.