“Bad Bob” Baker demonstrating safety

Whenever I’ve skied the 50K Sonot Kkaazoot, no matter the weather, I feel like it’s more a vision quest, than a race. Towards the end, as I’m limping down the Chena River towards the finish line, I expect to see a bison head materialize in front of me and offer some profound insight, something along the lines of “Don’t do this again.”

Endurance athlete Bad Bob Baker founded the race and for him 50K must seem like an appetizer before the main course. He’s skied more than a thousand miles several times: along the Iditarod Sled Dog Race trail and along the Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race course.

But as you’ll hear, a recent heart attack has brought him a new found appreciation of life and the limits of endurance. I began our discussion by asking about how he met his wife Sharon, who can often be found skiing right alongside Bob and volunteering with him at ski and track events.

If you want more information about the Sonot Kkaazoot and “Bad Bob” go to sonotkkaazoot.org