Running North: A Yukon Adventure

by Ann Mariah Cook

What happens when a woman and her husband move their family from New Hampshire to Alaska to train a team of purebred Siberian Huskies for the world's toughest dogsled race, the Yukon Quest? They endure thousands of miles of lonely training in the Yukon trying to avoid thin ice, wolves, and rogue moose; they put up with the amused skepticism of Alaskan locals; and they pit themselves against the ultimate, fickle adversary--nature. RUNNING NORTH is the true story of how Ann Cook, her husband, George, and their young daughter, Kathleen, moved to Alaska and how their Siberians became the first team from the lower forty-eight states to finish the Yukon Quest. It tracks George on his horrific journey through the Yukon, recording the frostbite, the hallucinations that come with exhaustion, the wolves, and the nights out on the ice at minus ninety degrees Fahrenheit. This is the great story of man struggling against nature and surviving. But unlike most accounts of high adventure that center solely on the adventurer and the quest, RUNNING NORTH is also the story of Ann Cook, who drove the truck and carried the gear and kept the family together. In the tradition of MY OLD MAN AND THE SEA, she tells both stories in simple, elegant prose that reveals the tragedy, joy, and folly that lie on either side of the curtain separating the adventurer from the world left behind. They run up against crazy landlords, win over gruff neighbors, drive a broken-down truck that sucks oil like Alaskans suck coffee, listen to a radio show that keeps trappers in contact with the world, meet mysterious fishermen who appear without notice and disappear without a sign, fight with a young cousin who will betray them in the end, protect their young daughter from the dangers of their new wild world, and stare awestruck at the wide sweep of Alaskan landscape. RUNNING NORTH is the story of two very different adventures on the edge: one among the racers braving the Yukon and the other among the people they leave behind.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Dogs, Memoir, Sports, Animals, Travel

306 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love sled dog race books. I especially love how the folks in this book used Siberian huskies. Everyone scoffed at them being too slow, but I still like the breed. This book did a great job of letting you get to know the personality of each dog in the team. I loved the transition from East Coast to Alaska, the build up to the race, and the build up to the when George stops racing. So really liked the book.
It was however not among my favorite sled dog race books, for example This Much Country or Winterdance and others. Still a very good book. Ann is the wife of the racer so race details are not firsthand. There is some family drama that may not hold as much interest to some others, but is part of the whole experience. Unlike fiction where people make interesting stuff up, real life just happens, and part of the charm of a book is when people are open about stuff that does happen. Not a lot of training or racing tips that people who are seriously dreaming or working to becoming a racing musher would appreciate. So I recommend the book, but perhaps after some others.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read a book set in the Yukon while I was in the Yukon... and it seemed that most of the books were about dogsledding, which I wasn't that interested in. But this book was written by the wife of a dogsledder from the east coast who decided to move to Alaska and try to run the Yukon Quest dogsled "the most grueling dogsled race." There was more of an emphasis on the personal sacrifices and strains that went into making the race possible - the race itself was only a small section. I actually really enjoyed reading it, but I felt that her writing sort of petered out at the end of the book. I would have liked to hear more about what happened to their family and relationship post-race. It made me want to visit and take a tour of some of the racing kennels up in the Yukon, but no one else wanted to because they hadn't read this book.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent account of a woman supporting her husband as a musher on the difficult Yukon Quest sled dog race in 1992. I found the team dynamics of the dogs and the selection process most interesting. Anyone who is into dog rescue (I did that for greyhounds) will be wary of reading the book, because it includes a discussion of culling and destruction of dogs deemed unproductive and likely to pollute the purer lines (as often do owners of racing breeds). Also some good insights into Alaskan culture.

[Susan Santangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended!

For someone who knows little about dogs and nothing at all about ice and snow, this book was a revelation. It was a look at life on another planet, one that was both magical and filled with danger. What it takes to succeed at a near impossible task, however, became understandable; and the sense of shared community necessary to reach the goal made attaining that goal an achievement almost as rich for the reader as it was for the musher and his family. What an adventure!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing

I decided to read Running North because I love anything Alaska. Add in dogs and an epic dog race through areas that I've travelled and what could be better? The adventurous spirit of George Cook and his wife, Ann, the logistics of such a grueling challenge, were totally engrossing. I could almost feel the cold, the wind on the summits. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves dogs, adventure stories, or tales of human (and canine) endurance.

[Tanya Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I was really into it especially during the race. I was annoyed though how it ended, I felt like it was rushed and left me with a lot of questions! Did she get the key back for the gas tank? What ever happened with Sandy? The Aunt who almost had her arrested? How did the dog make out when back home?

[Meg H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts slow and in the first couple chapters I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. However, by the midpoint of the book and when George begins the Alaskan race it is very much a page turner! Really loved the descriptions of Alaska and the brutality of the landscape - almost feels like you are there alongside the sleds!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is an older book I think I found at a used book sale, so glad I found it. I don’t know why anyone would want to run in the Iditarod or the Yukon Quest. It is sooooo hard. In this story I felt I was there with the author. Well written.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had all the elements of a great book: compelling story, well described characters, and good writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

[Barb.hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Splendid book detailing sled dog teams with particular care and obvious love to describe their individual personalities. Great adventure read!

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[MentorPublicLibrary]

Cook, her husband, their 3 year old daughter and 32 Siberian Huskies pack up their lives in New Hampshire and head to Alaska for the Yukon Quest, a grueling 1000 mile sled-dog race. Although they are experienced racers in non-Alaskan treks, having participated in northeastern US races, they have a great story here about their learning curve in the Yukon race, as well as the customs and lifestyle of the Alaskans. Cook was responsible for keeping all her husbands gear together, general coordination for the race and driving the truck to various checkpoints. There is a bit of suspense as we await news on her husband's progress in the race and hear about run-ins with wolves, battles with the frigid weather and hallucinations. She does a nice job with simple writing describing her beautiful environment and the Alaskan people, and the story has an unusual element that may attract females to the tale, as it is written by a mother and wife.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book about the absurdities, bravura, and terror involved in participating in one of Alaska's great sled races (this one is about the Yukon Quest). Cook and her family move from NH to Alaska for this race, and her book provides a more contemplative, thoughtful, lyrically written perspective on the preparations, ill fate, and survival involved. A journalist by profession, her writing is much more palatable than that of other authors in this genre (Iditarod/Yukon Quest books). She also provides a larger look at how the race impacts family, friends, networks - and how, indeed, running the race is impossible without the support of both familiar faces and strangers.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is such a GOOD book!
Wonderful descriptions of Alaska,very cold weather,and dog mushing.
It made me want to go on a dog sled ride or visit Alaska.
At the end I wanted to know more about the characters.
Loved it!

[Dee Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It started a little slowly for me and didn't catch fire until the race began. However, I was interested in her descriptions of the prep work involved before the race. I liked their relationship and loyalty to their dogs. Good read.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book I thought I'd enjoy, but have found it most interesting so far. It's a choice of the library book discussion on women going to the edge. Read it.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT! About adventure, Alaska and dog sledding. You felt like you were there!

[Bonnie DeZelar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Running dogs is awesome, but this is crazy! The strength it takes to do this race is unbelievable.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great description of life in Alaska and the experience of running the Yukon Quest - called the most difficult sled dog race.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect book to read when it's 100 degrees outside.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful adventure book! It reminded me of the friendly Alaskan culture and of the challenges of reaching a goal! A nice, quick read.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about a couple who move to Alaska, raise sled dogs, and enter the Yukon Quest
sled race. Great story and easy reading.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. So good. A grand adventure indeed!!