By Joe Runyan
Nikolai is a village of about 200 people, mostly Athabascan. It’s the first sign of civilization for the mushers since Knik. A big contingent of villagers greets the first mushers into the checkpoint and shows them where to park their dogs and get water. A heated room at the village workshop is usually available for sleeping and drying out clothes. Even a musher who has been hammered by the trail finds it hard not to smile in the midst of these very hospitable people. I am looking forward to seeing old friends again in Nikolai. The terrain is flat and uneventful to McGrath, which is typical of the Interior.
The trail follows the Kuskowkwim River, or portages across the big loops of the river, through swamps of willows and stunted black spruce. The 50-mile run to McGrath can be done in less than five hours. Most of the competitive mushers will push on to McGrath, but some mushers may decide to stop their teams in Nikolai for their mandatory 24-hour break. The rules require that the mushers shut their team down for 24 hours in a checkpoint of their choosing. Sometimes Nikolai comes at the right time to rest a tired dog team and repair a broken sled, even though it is barely a third of the way on the trail. Incidentally, the Iditarod veterinarians check the dogs at every checkpoint but really make an effort to scrutinize the team on the 24-hour break.