In the early morning of February 2, 1925, a sled team carried serum toward Nome, Alaska. Balto led the dogs through a snowstorm, though he was only a backup and not the first choice to lead.
The serum sat in a 20-pound cylinder wrapped in fur so it would not freeze. A train had brought it to Nenana, where the relay began.
On the trail, Balto suddenly stopped and refused the next step.
Why stop right there?
His paws had broken through thin ice over the Topkok River. If he had gone on, musher Gunnar Kaasen and the whole team could have fallen into the water.
That refusal may have saved them.
Balto then led the team of 13 dogs by the smell of the beaten trail, not by sight. Ice built up on his long coat. After 53 miles (85 kilometers), they reached Nome at 5:30 a.m.
Kaasen went back to Balto, hugged him, and called him a damn fine dog.
The delivery still had to continue.
To survive, they first had to stop.
Enjoyed the story?
Follow Colossal Facts for a new story every day.
Or watch them as short videos on Facebook →
