match and might gain a sufficient advantage in battle. That is one of the main reasons why I needed the other dogs: For their fighting skills and ability to overcome the most difficult obstacles. Even if it meant that one or a few of us had to sacrifice themselves to save others, it would ensure that we would get through. In short, Muk, Luk and Stella were mainly there to navigate to the bush plane, but also to lend a hand in numbers in case of an obstacle.  

When the sled team caught up with you on the way back and they saved you and Duke from falling down to the abyss when the bridge collapsed, it was apparent that Kodi was leading them on the way. Is that true?

Yes it is. It was Kodi who had caught and stopped me from falling into the abyss, and was able to hold me before the other members of the team; Kirby, Ralph, and Dusty; followed suit and grabbed the sled carrying Duke and pulled it back up before he let go and fell in.

Kodi was leading the team into the wilderness and tracked us down with his sense of smell, which he inherited from me. Because he inherited my senses he was able to find me easily, whereas the others would not have had as strong a sense as he and I did. Kodi had a very good sense of direction, and it was because of that that the team was counting on him to lead them in and find us. Kirby was the original leader of the team; even before Kodi joined them; and he was very experienced and fast, but his sense of direction was not as advanced since he has no wild animal blood in him. It was the very wolf part in Kodi that not only helped the team to find us, but also helped him to endure cold temperatures and overcome difficult obstacles. All in all, Kodi saved mine and Duke’s lives and proved that he is worthy of lead dog. It was really one of the proudest moments of my life to see my son lead the others that night, and I really love him.

When you and the team returned with Duke, was there any afterglow or other things that happened?

Firstly, the whole town congratulated me and the team for rescuing Duke, but they were also impressed that we were able to find him in the middle of the wilderness where humans would not be able to in such short time. The postmaster, Mr. Connor, said that we had proved our superiority and fidelity in helping others in need and we were very reliable in our duties; and because of that, humans would still want us for important things; even if the sled dogs did have their jobs taken from them. He concluded that there will always be something for sled dogs to do, especially in a cold climate like this where certain transport is dangerous or risky and sledding is the safest and most reliable way of bringing supplies into towns. Duke even agreed that the weather conditions in the air blinded his views and made it difficult to control his plane, but it also caused him to slow his plane down because flying too fast in bad conditions would be dangerous. Another point to add is that it is not just about how fast mail and supplies gets to the towns, but ensuring that transport makes it safely. Therefore the postmaster made a joint agreement: Both the dogs and the bush plane would deliver the mail and supplies. This would ensure that double the amount of mail and supplies would reach the towns, which would save the number of trips for both to take. The agreement also said that the bush plane only flies when conditions are favorable, and when conditions are too severe for flying, mail and supplies only travels along the ground. Everyone was satisfied with the agreement, and it certainly prevented conflict not just among the sled dogs, but also all the mushers who were afraid of loosing their jobs. So the agreement ensured that people and dogs were not out of a job and that there was always something for all the bush plane pilots to do.

Are you officially retired now as a sled dog?

Yes, I decided to retire after the mail race was over. I am 6 years old now and I probably have another 5 to 7 years left until I die, so my age is reaching the point where my body is weakening my ability to run and endure. It is still strong is some senses, but it is not worth risking my body’s weaknesses for another race where I could loose my edge and have other teams outrun me because of their youth and strength. It is my time to give in and relax for the rest of my life, which I have hopefully earned after all this time. Everyone’s time comes in life where they have a decision to make, and we all must make the right and wisest choices. Besides, Kodi is a sled dog now and so he will take my place following in my paw prints and fulfilling the family legacy. He continue to do me proud as he already has done, I’m sure.

So is Kodi new lead dog now?

Yes he is. After he led the sled team to rescue us he proved that he is capable of being a leader. He has been practicing his running for a long time from when he was a puppy to a mature adult, and now he runs very fast; just about as fast as me; and not only that, but he has a great sense of smell and direction. He is also strong in endurance and very loyal to his teammates; plus they look up to him as the son of The Great Balto, as I am known, and respect him not just for who he is, but for his courage and commitment to important duties. For that, they and original leader Kirby decided that Kodi should take over as lead dog. He has been leader for a few months now, and so far he hasn’t failed a run. He has been getting mail and supplies to other towns on time and on average at the most is no more than 10 minutes late. The team also hasn’t crashed, got lost in the wilderness, got attacked by wild animals, or faced dangerous obstacles as yet. Kodi has made me even more proud of him to see him following in my paw prints as a very loyal and trustworthy lead dog and fulfilling the family legacy. I believe that one day he will be as good as his old man, and other people will look up to him.

What have the other members of your family been doing growing up and what are they doing now?

In general they have all been living very good lives with their owners so far. Not one of them seemed to have any trouble with themselves or even others. They are making plenty of friends; well, everyone looks up to them as the children of the Great Balto, so they will always be as popular as me. Metaphorically speaking in human terms, they are the children of a multi-millionaire, and so they were born rich and famous (laughs). Not to mention that Jenna is also the most popular female in Nome at the moment because she is the mate of Balto. So it all fits when you think about it. I still see them around town a lot and they always come around to see Jenna and I. It seems that they want to keep in contact with their parents because they miss us too much. I certainly missed them when we had to give them away. So it is great to see them remaining in contact. Specifically speaking, Dakota always came to watch the annual dog sled races growing up because as I said earlier; he was passionate about racing, like me. He kept working as hard as he could to become a sled dog. He ran up and down the beach almost every day on the beach like Kodi always did. His work eventually paid off about a month ago when he was accepted into the sled team with Kodi and the others after coming third in the race to determine who was going to be on the sled team. He was at the very back behind Dusty’s position. It makes me proud to see not just one but two of my children on a sled team and hopefully Dakota will earn his way further towards the lead position with his brother. Dingo is owned by a boy called Jason, who was one of Rosy’s friends; and so we got to see a lot of Dingo and Jason when he was around visiting Rosy. Dingo loved Jason very much, and he was a very good parent who treated him well and gave him everything a good owner could possibly give; love, affection, and a wonderful life. Dingo still loves to sing like his mother and his friends loved him for who he is just as much as I do. He has lived a great life and there is nothing more that he can really ask for. Kiona was really trying to be like a guide growing up, teaching her friends the wisdom in the ways of life and what she believes in life. She would never hesitate to help others out in desperate need, and she would always be there to dry their tears and comfort them. She would show them their true self deep down inside them and help them to find out who they were. She very much inherited my mother’s genes; being a guide and helping those out in need. I love her for choosing the correct ways of life and teaching others all about what life is about. I am so proud of her for being a second guide in the family behind Jenna and I. She has done me proud. As for Saba, she came to see me a lot when she needed help. She never really had much confidence about herself and it was hard for her to choose the right path of life. Therefore she always looked up to me as a father and a guide whenever she wasn’t sure what to do in any particular situation. She mentioned that because of me her life is worth living and she didn’t know how she would continue her life without me. It really flatters me to think about what she has said about me, and I love her so much. I will always be proud of her, no matter what she does or where she goes. As long as she knows the correct path, I will love her forever more. In short, all my children are very happy with their lifestyles and they love Jenna and I for being good parents to them, and we both love them all for being such wonderful children. God bless them all and I hope that they will continue to do me proud when I die.

Are you and Jenna thinking about having a second litter?

It’s hard to