Dear Friends and Fellow Mushers,
We want to share an important update about the future of Mushing.
After a great deal of thought and many honest conversations, we’ve decided to pause the print edition of the magazine for the foreseeable future. This wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one. Like any long journey, there are times when you need to adjust your course, respect what brought you here, and focus your time and resources where they will do the most good.
If you’re a current subscriber or Mushing+ member, this change does not affect your membership. Your subscription has always included full access to our podcasts, digital archives, courses, events, and community, and you’ll continue to have uninterrupted access to all of those benefits.
Over the past three years, most of what we’ve created and shared has been online. This change simply reflects where our community already spends its time, while leaving the door open to bring back a print edition someday if the timing and resources are right.
Refunds & Your Membership
We know some of you may have questions about refunds. As with our long-standing policy, we’re generally unable to offer refunds for previous subscription periods because members have already received access to our digital content and other membership benefits. That said, if you have concerns about your current membership, please reach out. We’ll work with you personally to make sure your support is recognized during this transition.
What This Means
- The print magazine will pause after our final issue (Number 202).
- All current subscriptions and memberships remain active with full digital access.
- The Mushing Podcast will continue with new episodes and stories.
- If you have questions, we’ll answer them personally and help however we can.
How You Can Still Support Our Work
The Mushing Podcast operates much like public radio. It’s free for everyone to listen to, and we’d like to keep it that way. Producing independent media takes time, travel, equipment, editing, hosting, and plenty of work behind the scenes. Advertising helps cover some of those costs, but the biggest reason we’re able to keep going is because listeners choose to support what we do.
If you’d like to help us continue telling stories and supporting our mission through the Team and Trail Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, every donation is tax-deductible.
There are two simple ways to help:
- $3 per month or $19.99 per year gives you full digital access while supporting our media work, storytelling, and the Mushing Podcast.
- $1 per month supports the Team and Trail Foundation, our leadership programs, and the adventures of our two LEGO travel companions, Chaser and Dream, that many of you have followed on social media.
Whether you become a monthly supporter, buy merchandise, attend an event, or simply share an episode with a friend, you’re helping keep independent storytelling alive in the sport of mushing. Every bit of support allows us to spend more time telling meaningful stories and less time worrying about social media trends.
Looking Ahead
Good leadership sometimes means making difficult decisions before circumstances make them for you. Over the past several years, we’ve paid close attention to how our community connects with us, while continuing to respect the history and legacy of Mushing Magazine. Pausing the print edition allows us to keep telling the stories that matter and to do it in a way we can sustain for years to come.
We also know that many people still think of us first as a print magazine. We hope this letter makes it clear that we’ve grown into much more than that. Today, we’re a podcast, a digital publication, an educational platform, a community, and a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the stories and spirit of dog-powered adventure.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. The trail doesn’t end here. It simply heads in a new direction.
With gratitude,
Robert & Michele Forto
Mushing Magazine & Team and Trail Foundation