Karin
Hendrickson

LATEST SNIPPET

Karin finished 36th in 2014, 40th in 2013, 36th in 2012, scratched in 2010 and 2011. Karin was a rookie musher in 2009 and was the first female rookie across the line in 40th place. 

Bio
Results
Schedule

Related Issue: Iditarod Racers, Women Racers Directory, Women in Racing, Women Racers, More Women in Racing, Race Schedules, Notable Women
Contact:
www.blueonblackdogs.com

Bio

Karin Hendrickson, 45, was raised in the small mountain town of Mt. Baldy, California. She has a BA in Environmental Conservation from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has worked in environmental regulation since 1998. For the last 10 years, she has been an environmental manager here in Alaska and lives north of Willow.

“I saw my first sled dog in March, 2002, when I came up to volunteer for Iditarod. By 2003, I had sold everything I owned, quit my job, and moved to Alaska to become a handler. After two years as a handler, I tried to quit my dog habit. That didn’t last long—I was miserable without dogs!”

“I started building my own team in 2006. I really never expected to do any racing, much less run the Iditarod! I am not too sure how it all happened, but just two years later I found myself signed up for my first Iditarod. 2016 will be my fifth time to leave the starting line of ‘The Last Great Race.’ I was hit by a truck while training last fall and broke my back in three places. Luckily all my dogs were O.K., but I wasn’t able to run in 2015. I am working hard to overcome my injuries and make it back on the trail in 2016.”

“I am one of a very few mushers to work full-time through the winter. My biggest challenge is trying to fit training and racing in around the demands of my job. It is just this side of impossible to get everything done, but somehow we make it happen.”

Before dogs, she says she used to telemark ski, rock climb, white water kayak, train horses, hike and all kinds of other outdoor sports. Now she spends so much time with her dogs that she doesn’t have time for other hobbies.

Karin Hendrickson, 41, was born and raised in California. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1991 and has lived in Idaho and Colorado working as a teacher and college student. She now works in Environmental Regulation here in Alaska, where she moved in 2003 to be a handler. “My mom had been coming to Alaska to volunteer for the Iditarod since 1998, long before I knew a thing about sled dogs or how they would take over my life. In 2002, she talked me into coming up to volunteer. I returned to volunteer again in 2003 and that is when I knew my future. I sold my house and everything in it, quit my job and headed north. I spent two years learning the ropes and paying my dues as a handler. “I really thought I’d quit dogs and get a real life after that, but I was miserable, so I started building my own team in 2006, but not with any plans to race. Then I decided to race in the Iditarod just once. Well, that was fun, so I figured I’d do it one more time. By now, I’m starting to realize that I need to run dogs to feel like me—so here we go again.” Before dogs, she says she used to telemark ski, rock climb, white water kayak, train horses, hike etc. Now, she says between working full time and training, she barely has time to sleep. Karin is married to Varan Hoyt.

Karin Hendrickson, 38, was born and raised in California. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1991 and has lived in Idaho and Colorado working as a teacher and college student. She now works in Environmental Regulation here in Alaska, where she moved in 2003 to run dogs. "My mom had been coming to Alaska to volunteer for the Iditarod since 1998, long before I knew a thing about sled dogs or how they would take over my life. In 2002, she talked me into coming up to volunteer. I returned to volunteer again in 2003 and that is when I knew my future. I sold my house and everything in it, quit my job and headed North. I spent two years learning the ropes and paying my dues as a handler. I loved the lifestyle and running dogs - then I got to run a race (the 2005 Tustumena 200) and that got me hooked even worse. For the last couple of years I've been working on building my own kennel and racing my own dogs. Now I have a small kennel of talented young dogs, and it is time to shoot for the Iditarod." Before dogs, she says she used to telemark ski, rock climb, white water kayak, train horses, hike etc. Now, she says between working full time and training, she barely has time to sleep. Karin is married to Varan Hoyt.

Results

Karin finished 36th in 2014, 40th in 2013, 36th in 2012, scratched in 2010 and 2011. Karin was a rookie musher in 2009 and was the first female rookie across the line in 40th place.

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