Published Thursday, March 31, 2005 11:36:45 AM Central Time

By Mike Leverton

of the Times

NOME, ALASKA -- When Bryan Mills first helped Bennie Stamm of Argyle prepare for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska two years ago, little did he know what was in store. In two years' time, Mills, who grew up in Iowa County, went from knowing next to nothing about mushing to having completed the most grueling sled dog race in the world. At this year's Iditarod race, which concluded Saturday, Mills became only the second Wisconsin musher ever to finish the race.

"When I first started the race it was overwhelming," Mills said. "Lots of times you felt like quitting. But then you get to watching the dogs and you could take pride because you trained them to be able to finish the race."

While Mills received inspiration from his dogs at times, sometimes it worked the other way around. On the 13th and final day of the race, the dogs decided they had had enough. In viewing range of the village of Nome and less than three miles from being finished with the 1,131-mile trek, the dogs decided to stop.

"It was hot and they decided they were going to rest," Mills said. "There was nothing you could do."

Even after a couple hours of rest and some food, the dogs still wouldn't pull the sled. So Mills took the reins and walked the last 2 1/2 miles with the dogs.

"I think they wanted me to lead them across the finish line," Mills said. "They were fine, but the second I would get on the sled they would stop. I had to walk them across the finish line."

Stamm, who completed the Iditarod in 2003 and 2004, said he had no doubt Mills would be able to finish.

"It's almost unheard of for a rookie to train their own dogs," Stamm said. "Most first-timers lease a team of dogs. He spent six months training his own dogs."

Stamm said Mills couldn't spend enough time around his dogs the past two years when Stamm competed.

"I wouldn't have even been in the race if it weren't for Bennie (Stamm)," Mills said.

Mills said the temperature varied greatly during the race, and that the veteran mushers generally agreed it was the worst conditions they had ever seen for the Iditarod. Temperatures were often above freezing during the day.

"It was warm and it rained, which made for a soft trail," Mills said. "The dogs had to work that much harder."

At one point, Mills had to lead the dogs through waist-high water. On a different day, 50- to 60-mile winds made for some hard maneuvering and a very chilly ride.

"I had to physically walk up the hills leading the dogs," Mills said. "The wind would tip your sled over. Then the wind would push us down the hills and you'd be all over the place."

But perhaps the biggest hardship for Mills was a bout with pneumonia and laryngitis. Five days before the race began, Mills developed pneumonia and couldn't talk for the next 10 days.

"(My condition) did make it pretty tough to communicate with the dogs," Mills said. "I didn't really talk to the other mushers the first five days. I could say 'gee' and 'haw' and that's about it. I also stepped on the brake (to get the dogs' attention.)"

Mills said the dogs were well-enough trained to understand what he wanted them to do despite his lack of vocal commands.

"The race is so hard," Stamm said. "You have to take care of 16 dogs in the worst possible conditions. It's all about the dogs."

Mills also got momentarily lost at one point during the race, but found his way back to the trail. Despite all the hardships, Mills said the race was definitely worth it.

"It was a great time," Mills said. "The camaraderie with other mushers is pretty neat. It feels good to get that rookie status off your back."

Margie Walls of Monticello, Mills' mother, said her son is already talking about next year.

"When he finds something he really likes," Walls said, "he'll put his whole heart into it."

Walls said her son shot several hours' worth of videos a year ago while checking out the Iditarod trails. He also studied the top 10 finishers from the previous year to help gauge how he was doing in the race.

After the race, Mills was one of five mushers asked to stay with his dogs and work on the glacier. His job will mainly be to give rides to the public.

Mills said an interesting fact he learned at the race was that there are fewer people to have completed the Iditarod than have reached the summit of Mt. Everest.

"It's a pretty big feat," Mills said. "I owe just about everything I know about mushing to Bennie, how to respect the dogs and care for them."

Mills said it was difficult at the start of the race not to have Stamm around. Stamm was unable to attend this year's Iditarod due to a health concern in his family.

"It didn't really hit me until I started getting ready by myself," Mills said. "There was no Bennie, no Alice (Stamm's wife). It was just me."

But Mills more than made a name for himself, creating quite a stir by walking his dogs across the finish line and becoming only the second Wisconsin man ever to finish the Iditarod.