Cody Strathe

42 year old Yukon Quest veteran

Nationality: American
Current Residence: Cantwell, AK
Occupation(s): Archaeologist, Sled Builder, Guide
Kennel Name: Squid Acres Kennel
Name Origination: We first got sled dogs in Fairbanks while attending UAF. Paige studied squid for her Master's Thesis and we decided to name our little homestead Squid Acres as a cute little joke. It stuck.
Kennel Bloodlines: Squid - a little of this and a little of that, all mixed up.
Breeds: Alaskan Husky
# of Dogs in Kennel: 45

Musher Question & Answer

How many years have you been running dogs?
13

Tell us about your dogs?
Turkey ran the 2019 race with me and it was his first big race. He ran almost every step in lead in my team. He was an absolute rock star in storms and tough conditions One of the best I have seen. The harder it got, the better he performed. Two weeks after finishing, he went on to run the Iditarod with my wife, Paige. He led most of that race and they came in 7th place. I can't wait to see how he does this year.

How did you get started running dogs?
Started skijoring on camping trips and then it morphed into a small team, which didn't stay small for long.

What do you love most about running sled dogs?
The ability to explore this amazing landscape with my best friends.

Why did you enter the Yukon Quest? What are your goals for the race?
Last year, I ran my 5th Yukon Quest, it was with our young inexperienced dogs. I had 10 dogs that had never run a thousand mile race before, they did so amazing! Four of those youngsters went on to run a very competitive Iditarod with my wife two weeks later. I'm looking forward to seeing how this group of dogs mature this winter. I think they will be hard to beat.

What music do you listen to on the trail?
Anything happy that makes me sing and dance. the dogs like it when I'm boogying behind them.

How did your dogs get their names?/ How do you choose names?
Sometimes we go with themes. For instance, we have the Car-themed litters...Chevelle, Nova, Sierra, Astro, Iroc, Coupe, Volt, Cuda, El Camino. Sometimes a name just comes to them, like Fredro Starr.

List recent sled dog races and/or best performances
2019 Yukon Quest - 12th; 2018 Iditarod - 29th; 2017 Iditarod - 30th; 2017 Copper Basin - 5th; 2016 Iditarod - 42nd; 2016 Yukon Quest - 15th;