Spilling Thought: The #Iditarod National Historic Trail commemorates a 2,300-mile system of winter trails that first connected ancient #Alaska Native villages, opened up Alaska for the last great American gold rush and now plays a vital role for travel and recreation in modern day Alaska. Today marks the start of the annual Iditarod race -- which is a tribute to Alaska's history and the role the sled dogs played. Pictured here is park ranger patrolling across #WonderLake at Denali #NationalPark. While the #IditarodTrail doesn't go through the park, #Denali's sled dogs play an important role in the history of Alaska's first national park and help protect the park today. Photo by Jacob W. Frank (@jwfrankphotography), http://ift.tt/18oFfjl. by usinterior