Drop longtime conflict photographer Katie Orlinsky in the middle of any “big bad capital city” and she says she’ll be just fine. But working in “middle of nowhere, Alaska,” presents a different set of challenges. Last year she photographed the Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race for the first time and experienced the coldest weather of her life, making her wonder how she could continue working.

Orlinsky returned to cover the race again this year for National Geographic News, and was more confident working in extreme weather conditions—but this year the temperatures dropped to minus 50°F—30 degrees colder than last year.

Orlinsky shared some of her most memorable experiences from this year’s race with us: Riding in a