Besides the dogs, the sled is very important to mushers. Yuka made her sled herself. The sled itself weighs about 20 kilograms (about 50 pounds) or the weight of a kindergarten student. By the time she packs all her gear, dog food, straw and other items she'll need to get to the next checkpoint, it will weigh several hundred pounds – heavier than a big man.
Yuka's been training – so when she brought the sled into the school, it had some snow on it. We put it on a tarp to keep the floors dry.
When she made the sled, Yuka choose materials that were light weight but also very strong. The wood is ash.
The break, drag mat and tread to stand on while mushing.
Continue to the next page – The Break and Drag Mat.