Not so long ago, dogsled racing existed in our collective consciousness as a quaint, abstract activity that that only took place in Alaska.

That wasn’t really the case, of course; dog-sledding enthusiasts weren’t nearly as rare as we non-mushers assumed. But that’s the way it seemed.

Nowadays, that has changed. Today, sled dog clubs are cropping up and private kennels are growing, and youngsters across the northern tier of the nation (including right here in Maine) are getting serious about a new sport.

Today, the notion of hitching a slender wooden sled to a team of eager huskies and trekking for hundreds of miles across the frozen tundra isn’t nearly so abstract, nor so quaint. Instead, it’s real. It’s something to dream about.

For many, it’s something to reach out for, and to achieve.

Over the weekend, 30 teams of mushers filled each of three events at the Can-Am Crown Crown races in Fort Kent.

Across the continent, in Alaska, the sport’s best-known race got under way.

And there at the Iditarod Trail Race, in a field of 79 of the world’s best mushers, was Mainer John Hessert.

“Hessert” is a familiar name in local mushing circles. John’s father, Stephen, was the dogsled driver who was struck by a snowmobile and severely injured near Berlin, N.H., two years ago. Stephen Hessert and his wife, Louise, are both John Bapst graduates.

John Hessert’s uncle and godfather works here at the BDN. He’s our librarian, Charlie Campo, the man you never hear about, but who contributes greatly to putting out this newspaper.

John Hessert, a 21-year-old, has inherited his father’s passion for mushing. He qualified for the Iditarod by finishing second at the Klondike 300 in January.

And on Wednesday, after more than four days of mushing, Hessert was 54th among the 79 starters. Hessert had covered 365 miles and arrived at the Rohn checkpoint.

Hessert, a North Yarmouth Academy grad who grew up in Cumberland Center, is living in Big Lake, Alaska, and is working for legendary musher Martin Buser while learning as much as he can about the sport.

Hessert is participating in this year’s Iditarod in order to gain experience … for him, and for a group of Buser’s younger dogs.

If you’re interested in tracking Hessert’s progress across Alaska, you can find plenty of information at www.iditarod.com.

Seen and heard …

While driving down Main Street in Bangor last week, I saw evidence that even our wild critters are getting a bit tired of the long winter.

On this day, a crow had apparently decided that hunting for food the old-fashioned way was overrated.

This bird wasn’t pecking the ground, looking for morsels. Nope. Instead, it apparently decided to opt for a local takeout window (or at least a dumpster where it could find plenty of stale snacks).

The low-flying crow sailed over my vehicle while firmly holding what looked like a whole doughnut in its beak.

I know what you’re thinking. I didn’t believe it, either.

Hooked on Fishing program set

If you’ve been meaning to take your child ice fishing, or if you’d love for your son or daughter to have the chance to be exposed to the activity, even though you might not have any experience, this may be your lucky weekend.

For the past eight years, a group of involved adults have helped organize a Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs event that introduces kids to fishing.

According to Steve Norris, the owner of The Pines, a sporting camp on Sysladobsis Lake, that program will take place on Saturday from 9-3 p.m. at Maine’s Youth Fish & Game Association clubhouse on Pickerel Pond.

The event will be underwritten by the Dead River Co, which allows the program to be offered for free to kids age 15 and younger.

“We hope to have some of those kids hook into a trophy brookie, but I’m sure they’ll be just as happy with a five-inch pickerel or a piece of bait out of the bait bucket,” Norris said.

There will be plenty of bait and traps to use, and free hot dogs and drinks will be available.

Norris said last year’s event was a success even though Mother Nature didn’t fully cooperate.

“Even though it was a little cold, I think we had almost a hundred kids,” he said.

Maine’s Youth Fish & Game Association is located in T32 MD. Head out of Milford on County Road, then turn right at the intersection with Stud Mill Road. The clubhouse is on the left.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.