Shaynee Traska, originally from Gladwin and now living in Alaska, works with her dogs in prepping for the upcoming 1,000-mile Iditarod. Traska and her team of 16 dogs will compete aginst an estimated 60 other teams in the Iditarod. - Midland, Michigan 
Gladwin native gets closer to Iditarod dream
With less than two weeks left until the start of the 46th Iditarod, Gladwin native Shaynee (Seipke) Traska is preparing to experience a dream 20 years in the making.
"It has been a ton of work," Traska said of preparing for the Iditarod, set to begin Saturday, March 3. "One of the most stressful parts of the race is planning for and packing our drop bags. These are bags full of literally everything we will need on the trail for 1,000 miles. If it's not packed, you're out of luck."
Traska is believed to be the first woman born and raised in Michigan to compete in the Iditarod. She is one of 68 mushers competing in this year's race.
Upper Peninsula resident Laura Neese, 21, of McMillan, finished seventh in the 2017 Iditarod, according to the race's website. But Neese was born and raised in Ohio and moved to Michigan in 2014. (Neese was signed up to compete in this year's race but then dropped out.)
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