Mushers Erin Altemus and Anna Hennessy to present at upcoming ‘Journey Along The Iditarod Trail’ event

It’s been an inspiring journey for Cook County musher Erin Altemus and her good friend, Anna Hennessy, who recently returned home after participating in Alaska’s historic 52nd annual Iditarod race. 

Altemus and her husband, Matt Schmidt, own and operate Sawtooth Racing near Grand Marais. Hennessy has Cook County ties and previously worked for Sawtooth Racing and the YMCA Camp Menogyn. She later moved to Alaska, spending two winters training and racing with Shameless Huskies kennel near Willow, AK. 

The two mushers are hosting an upcoming presentation at the North House Folk School on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. to share their experience racing in the historic 52nd annual Iditarod race with the public. The presentation will be in the Red Building and is free for the public to attend. 

During the presentation, Altemus and Hennessy will share their experiences through a collection of photos and videos. They will also provide insights about the process, highlights from the trail, and a unique perspective on their Iditarod adventure. 

“I mostly feel excited and touched that people want to be a part of the dogsledding world,” Hennessy said. “Pretty wild adventure that Erin and I had on Iditarod, so I just want to say thank you to everyone who is interested and excited to hear about it.”

WTIP spoke with Erin Altemus and Anna Hennessy before the Tuesday, May 7 presentation. The audio from the interview is below. 

Kalli Hawkins May 4, 2024