These past two years, we have lived through a pandemic that is unforgiving, and relentless. Thankfully, there are now vaccines available to everyone that reduces the risk of getting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. But imagine living in a town that doesn’t have access to this vaccine, with the closest town you could receive it being 1,000 miles away. This was a reality for the citizens of Nome, Alaska 100 odd years ago. Today, we are going to explore the heroic story of Togo the sled dog, and how he helped deliver a serum across 700 icy miles of tundra, frozen lakes, and dense forests.  

In 1925, a ruthless epidemic sliced through the town of Nome, creating an urgent health crisis. Those who caught it complained of respiratory problems and not long after their symptoms became apparent, they began dying. The only doctor in town diagnosed this as diphtheria, a highly contagious bacterial infection that among Alaskan natives had an expected mortality rate of 100% Amid this distress, however, news that a serum – an antitoxin to neutralize the bacteria — was being produced and would soon be available in mass quantities. The only problem was that distribution was complicated by the brutal winter and the nearest supply of this serum was in Anchorage, 1,000 miles away. Reaching Nome was a challenge even in the most benign of times so in a winter as brutal as this one was, it seemed impossible. The people of Nome needed a miracle; they needed Leonhard Seppala.  

Almost from birth, Seppala was conditioned to harsh living conditions and always had a fascination for dog sledding. He competed in several dog races throughout his life and won handily every time. Because of Seppala’s skill and passion for dog sledding, when authorities decided that mapping out a relay to deliver the serum was Nome’s only hope, it only made sense that he would lead the effort. Although he was 47 at the time, he was still in peak physical condition, and he knew the terrain – and the dogs – better than anyone else. The relay included 150 dogs and 20 mushers arrayed between the station in a neighboring town, Nenana, and assorted towns and villages on the route to Nome. The goal was to hand off the serum like a pharmaceutical baton. Seppala was supposed to carry the serum for the final leg of the run, but organizers decided that he was the best musher for the most treacherous stretch, crossing the frozen Norton Sound that covered 91 of the 674 total miles, almost twice the distance of anyone else.  

On January 27^th, a train from Anchorage arrived in Nenana and 300,000 units of serum were placed inside a 20-pound cylinder and wrapped in fur. Temperatures were hovering around –40 degrees, and many complications arose. The first musher lost three of his Malamutes and his face was blackened by frostbite while another musher had several dogs collapse from frostbite; it was not looking promising. When Seppala and his pack got hold of the serum, temperatures had plummeted as low as –65 degrees. The dog in the lead though, Togo, was up for the challenge.  

Togo was a 12-year-old gray and brown Siberian Husky who was said to be durable, tough, and undeniably loyal. He was Seppala’s lead, logging as many as 4,000 miles in a single year. For his part of the relay, Seppala had a choice: he could go around Norton Sound, or he could take a dangerous 42-mile shortcut across it. Of course, Seppala took the risk and because they crossed it in the dark, he couldn’t see or hear the cracking ice and was completely dependent on Togo to lead them safely. Ultimately, they made it across to a stopping point where Seppala fed his dogs, slept for a few hours, and with the snowstorm still raging, finished his leg. The decision to take the treacherous shortcut saved them at least a day.  

Overall, the collective crew of mushers had covered 674 miles in 127 hours and 30 minutes – five and a half days – a remarkable clip, especially considering the extreme conditions amid the coldest winter in decades. The serum was quickly distributed and administered in Nome, saving an innumerable amount of lives. Many give credit to Balto and his musher, who took on the last leg of the race and crossed the finish line because it’s easier to award one winner rather than 20, but Seppala and Togo traveled nearly twice the distance of Kaasen and Balto, as well as covered the most treacherous leg, and they are the real heroes of this story.  

Happy adventuring, friends!