Alastair Scott, the Scottish adventurer, is possessed only of chronic
wanderlust and the perfectly beguiling pipe dream to dogsled his way
across Alaska, following, for the most part, the Iditarod Trail. He
arrives in Manley Hot Springs without dogs, sled, or experience. In
amazingly short order, he outfits himself, begins to learn the rudiments
of mushing, and one day lights out across the Land of the Midnight Sun.
Tracks Across Alaska is the entertaining, humorous, and humble account
of Scott's journey through the Alaskan bush. Scott evokes the awesome
magic of the landscape and encounters an extraordinary range of
Alaskans, from the Iditarod champion Susan Butcher and other dog sled
racers to trappers, Eskimos, a bush priest, the faceless fire and
brimstone of KJNP (King Jesus North Pole) radio, and icefisherman on
Little Diomede Island three miles from the Soviet Union, and F-15 pilots
ever-watchful for encroaching MiGs. Scott's narrative recreates these
characters in all their many lively and distinctive qualities, recording
events and dialogue with crisp journalistic skill and an eye for the
timeless, the transcendental, and the telling image.
His affection for the dogs adds an extra dimension to his tale. Each dog
has its own remarkably unique personality, and the eight together make
an unforgettable team. As Scott writes, "When dog sledding is perfect it
is one of life's supreme sensations. It is the spirit and pleasure of
travel in highest refinement. Man, animal, earth: a primitive trinity,
beautiful in harmony." Tracks Across Alaska is a travel book like no
other-this is as close as vicarious experience comes to the real thing.
