Herb is traveling by plane with the Iditarod Air Force.  He is updating his journal each day with pictures and information about his experiences and observations.

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By Martha Dobson, Finalist for Target® 2011 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail,™ North Carolina

Standing on the runners of his future with his history and culture for a foundation, this young boy embodies Native Alaskan lifestyle. His story is where he came from, a great-grandfather who carried antitoxin on a leg of the 1925 musher effort to deliver medicine to Nome to treat the diphtheria outbreak. His story is where his father is, running dogs now in the Iditarod. His story is where he will be, running dogs in the future, carrying his past to the present and beyond, on the runners of a sled

Choosing just one picture to represent the Iditarod and all that the experience means is next to impossible.  There are so many faces intent on the experience, so many moments waiting to explode and so many hearts skipping a beat captured in just one click.  That is why I chose this picture.  I was absolutely fascinated by the fascination itself.  The lengths that a photographer will go to to capture a fleeting experience are very revealing.  We are fascinated by the dogs, but we are also fascinated by ourselves and the highs to which we can rise.

A photographer, for a moment, actually becomes part of the moment, part of the story itself and that is what we all want to do.  Our experience is vicarious, but as we select it and photograph it we become part of it.  As we become part of it our collective experience grows and our world becomes a little bit bigger.

In many ways that is what teaching is about.  We capture moments, we capture worlds that our students might not otherwise touch and by so doing enlarge their worlds and understanding beyond the microcosms in which they live.  I can’t wait to share all of my pictures from this trip with my class because within every picture lies a constellation of stories that brings to life a world my students long to imagine and I can’t wait to share and relive.  We can never take too many pictures because we might miss something.

Another advantage to the click of the camera is our subsequent ability to then analyze the moment.  Just as hind sight is 20/20, the ability to analyze experience allows us to perfect it.  There becomes no limit to what we can do.

There are only a few special happenings each year that bring us all together in this kind of feverish excitement and the Iditarod is one of them.   People from all corners of the earth, all walks of life, young and old all focused on the dogs, the mushers, and the challenge of a lifetime.  Click on!!!

I used to think the Iditarod was all about dogs.  Dogs and the relationship between dog and human.  Man against nature.  Overcoming obstacles.

The Iditarod is all these things, but it’s so much more.  It’s about connections and relationships.  It’s about teamwork.  I could show you an entire album of pictures that illustrate the different types of teamwork developed during the Iditarod.  Pictures of mushers and their handlers, veterinarians and dogs, volunteers at work setting up fencing, and even three ladies from New York, California, and North Carolina vying for a coveted position yet working together.

I chose instead a picture of mentor and student.  The mentor is Jim Lanier, veteran Iditarod musher from Alaska.  The student is Guillermo Anton, exchange student from Madrid, Spain.  The story is simple.  Guillermo came to Alaska in August to spend a year in America.  His host family, the Laniers, showed him various wilderness activities: fishing, canoeing, and eventually dog sledding.  Guillermo took to it quickly.  This sixteen year old started to run races after just a few months training.  I met Guillermo at the end of the Jr. Iditarod this year.  He was the sixth racer to cross the finish line out of 13 teenagers—all the others being from Alaska.  I thought that was an amazing accomplishment, but what I really noticed was the pride in Jim Lanier’s face while they talked about what happened on the trail.

Take a good look at the picture of mentor and student.  Guillermo was clearly tired but had the strength to answer every question Jim asked.  He didn’t act cranky or annoyed.  He showed a deep respect for his teacher and his appreciation for the opportunity afforded him.  Now turn your attention to Jim.  Look first at the mouth.  It appears as if Jim is trying to keep from grinning ear to ear, but the internal smile shows through.  Now look at the eyes.  They can’t hide his feelings.  Do you see what I see?  An incredible sense of pride, with a hint of love and respect.

I found myself looking at this picture several times this week, and I wasn’t quite sure why.  Now I am.  I’m drawn to the relationship it represents—the mutual respect and teamwork that comes from a mentor and teacher working together to accomplish a goal.  The giving of one’s experiences to another in hopes they embrace them, make them their own, and grow from it.

Or, maybe I’m just drawn to it because I’m a teacher and it reminds me of the experiences I want to share.  But, it also reminds me that I’m a student and have so much to learn from those who have lived longer or differently than me.

This week in Alaska made me feel like a mentor—that as an educator I have a lot to give.  This week in Alaska also made me feel like a student.  There’s still so much to learn about Alaska and its people, the Iditarod and the world of dog sledding.  My goal is to continue my journey as both.

Grandpa Phil holds a special place in the hearts of the family of Iditarod volunteers.  His volunteer job is to head up the “pee patrol,” a special squad of about twenty volunteers who assist in random drug testing of Iditarod athletes.

Educated as a civil engineer and after a long career as a marketing executive, Grandpa Phil retired to his avocations some thirty years ago.  A longtime wilderness enthusiast, he has canoed, fished and traveled the wild lands world wide.  His outdoor interests led him to organize fishing tournaments in Florida, canoe in the Yukon and explore in Alaska which eventually leads us all to the ultimate wilderness experience, the Iditarod.  Grandpa Phil loves his avocations and advises us that in life “If you don’t love it, don’t do it.”

At the start, the restart and check points along the way Grandpa’s volunteers collect urine samples, put them in screw top jars, seal and label them with an identifying number and ship them to Oregon State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine.   Lab results come back within twenty-four hours, unless weather delays flying the samples out,  in which case samples can be frozen to prevent degrading until they can be shipped.  It only takes about a minute per dog to obtain the samples so the intrusion is minimal.  There are over 200 designer drugs out there that can disappear from a sample in 24 to 48 hours so the random quality of the procedure addresses this concern.  Phil Cady notes that as the reward for the Iditarod grows, so does the incentive to do inappropriate things in order to win.  Violations of policies are very low and health risks to the athletes are significantly lower than comparable human sports.

Some of Grandpa’s other causes have included the Boy Scouts, establishing a catch and release fishing program and addressing concern and awareness of a significantly high level, 27%, of juvenile diabetes in the native population of Alaska due to drastic changes in diet over the recent years.

Called “Grandpa” since his early fifties, Grandpa Phil considers his “pee patrol” and other Iditarod volunteers his Iditarod family.  He says sometimes it is not what you know so much as who you know when it comes to addressing his avocations and concerns.  He has all kinds of stories and adventures to tell of his life, and considers his gathering of volunteers like creating a family of passionate workers for a cause.  We think our family of the Iditarod is better for having a grandpa like Phil Cady and would like to toast him with his favorite—root beer floats.

Click here to listen to a podcast of Dr. Nelson, Iditarod Head Veterinarian, talking about the “P-team.”

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”  Click here to listen to a podcast about how Grandpa Phil came to volunteer at the Iditarod and how he recruits new volunteers.

Click here to see a photo story of Grandpa Phil and his team in action at the restart of Iditarod 2010. in action at the restart of Iditarod 2010.

Bernard Harris was a boy with a dream of becoming an astronaut.  Now he’s a man of accomplishment giving back to others so that their dreams can come true too.

I was lucky enough to talk to this incredible man:  the first African American to walk in space, a man who created a national motivational program (The Dream Tour) that encourages middle school students to achieve their potential, and a man who runs over twenty summer camps to expose students to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) with the hope that they’ll study math and science in college.

You might be wondering what this has to do with the Iditarod.  So, let me explain.  Mobil Exxon is a sponsor of the Last Great Race, and particularly the education department.  They are committed to supporting efforts to improve math and science education in the U.S. and they think teaching the Iditarod is one way of doing just that.  (http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/community_math.aspx)  They also support the Bernard Harris Foundation (http://www.theharrisfoundation.org/), and have selected him to be their Idita-Rider for the ceremonial start.  He spoke to the teachers at the Educator’s Conference earlier in the week to inform us of his foundation and the programs he offers.

When I interviewed Bernard, he spoke passionately about how minority kids and girls get messages from the media and their peers that “they can’t do certain things.”  It stifles their dreams.  His mission is to counteract those messages and give them back their dreams–at least as far as math and science are concerned.

This is a message near and dear to his heart.  Coming from a broken home was tough on him as a kid.  His mother, who was a teacher, encouraged him to challenge himself and instilled in him the belief that he could do anything.  So, he decided to reach for his dream.  He also credited many people that “paved the way for him” as well as education.

On his journey to reach his goals, he said he had a team of people behind him including family, mentors, and teachers.  He said, “I am not a loner.  I didn’t get where I am by myself.”  He said it takes a team of like-minded individuals.  He learned that early on from the NASA program.  Being an astronaut is a total team effort.  Starting a foundation to inspire kids to learn math and science wasn’t any different.  He started his science camps fifteen years ago with only one camp and then had some help with a few sponsors including NASA, and for the past five years, Exxon Mobil.

Listening to Bernard made me realize that teamwork is not only an important aspect of the Iditarod, and education, but the business world as well.  Many jobs require collaboration and teamwork, including teaching.

As a teacher I need to guide my students to set goals and encourage them to reach for their dreams.  To teach them how to work with others to accomplish a goal.  To show them examples of teamwork in action.  To show them people like Bernard Harris who have excelled in math and science and Lance Mackey who have excelled at mushing.  To make them believe that dreams do come true.

If you would like to see Bernard Harris speaking to the kids at his summer camp, here are three links:

1)      Bernard talks to kids (Part I)

2)      Bernard talks to kids (Part II)

3)      Bernard talks to kids (Part III)

Twenty-four years of Iditarod dog experience. That’s what Dr. Nelson, the chief vet for the Iditarod has under his belt. Starting as a trail vet in 1986 and becoming the chief vet after nine years of trail vet experience, Dr. Nelson oversees the volunteer veterinarians and works with mushers and the race to coordinate a high level of care for these canine athletes. It’s easy to see that these working dogs have a mission, a job to perform, which is to run and pull.

Three things drew Dr. Nelson to work with caring for the dogs of the Iditarod—the people and volunteers of Alaska and the race, the history of the race and state, and the sense of adventure that Iditarod and Alaska provide.

Nelson contacts experienced vet volunteers in late spring and early summer. Other volunteer vets contact him. In the 2010 race, vets come from Australia, Germany, Austria, and the lower 48, as Alaskans call the rest of the United States. He sends information to vets and mushers throughout the months preceding the race, and rookie vet volunteers attend a training session he conducts.

As they have for the past 15 years, Nelson’s vet techs begin the required dog screenings about three or four weeks before the race. These include a 6-lead electrocardiogram and bloodwork and take place around the state for the mushers’ convenience. The bloodwork checks basic blood chemistry panels. About 1600 dogs are screened or mushers can also have their own vet perform the screenings.

Within 14 days of the race start, vets perform the required physical on each dog the musher is considering taking on the race. The vets listen to the dog’s heart, check its gums for color and hydration, evaluate the dog’s body condition, and check each leg and joint. The paws get a good look, and their temperatures are taken.

Nelson was supervising and consulting with other vets at the last vet check in Wasilla the Wednesday before the race start. He instructs his vets to consult with each other as they need to, and Nelson himself assists in these consultations and evaluations of dogs. On the trail, vets continue to evaluate the dogs and consult with each other, performing about 10,000 routine exams during the course of the race.

At the rookie musher meeting, Nelson shares his knowledge about dog care and conditions to watch for when running the race. The Musher and Vet Handbook is another of Nelson’s tools in caring for the dogs. Informing mushers and vets about what to watch for so they can quickly evaluate how their dogs are doing during the race is another duty Nelson performs.

Nelson says several schools undertake sled dog research including Ohio State University, Oklahoma State University, Colorado State University, Oregon State University, Purdue, and Washington State University. Information gleaned from research on Iditarod dogs benefits those dogs, of course, but it also benefits research on people. Research shows the sled dog is the most elite mammal in the area of metabolic turnover. That means they are very efficient in using calories during their marathon called the Iditarod. The research model for measuring this information is used to measure human performance in marathoners.

Mushers are responsive and receptive to research and dog care ideas and participate in the studies voluntarily, according to Nelson. One protocol Nelson is pleased with and recommends is the ulcer prevention protocol of a once a day medicine during racing and training.

Watching Dr. Nelson examine dogs, consult with vets, and listening to information he’s gained with his years of experience lets you know these dogs are in good paws…hands, that is.

On Friday, March 5, 2010 four time Iditarod Champion Jeff King shared with an attentive crowd at the Millennium Hotel stories of thirty years of dog mushing. It was an hour that flew by more delightfully than an evening with friends. He told stories of exploits both challenging and euphoric, thrilling and tragic.

Jeff admits that in the early days he might have been a bit full of himself, but with such a great sense of humor about his mishaps that you can’t wait to hear more. He told the crowd that back then a thousand miles on a dog sled sounded utterly impossible, but since others had done it, “clearly” it wasn’t. Jeff went on to tell stories showing how sometimes passion trumped preparation and good sense, and found him in situations both frightening and humbling more than once.

King expressed great respect for the history of the early mushers as he admired their toughness and simplicity. He compared it to today’s complex, high tech innovations admitting that we have really come a long way from Leonard Seppala’s tin can candle headlamp to lights today that can be seen for miles.

Jeff told the crowd that this is probably his last Iditarod, but calmly reminded us that it is just a fork in the trail. He says he doesn’t want to put himself or his dogs in the position of feeling some day that he had done one too many Iditarods. Don’t be sad for me, he said, be happy for the wonderful trail I have traveled. He reminded us that the Iditarod is two weeks of some of the best and worst moments of your life.

King reflected on fifteen years of Make A Wish Foundation Iditariders with fondness and said that he keeps in touch with them still. He then told the story of one young lady that felt the thrill of competition very keenly as they passed other teams on the trail.

He pointed out that there are still many things to accomplish in the dog racing world. This year Jeff organized a new race, a 260 miler out of Cantwell with two mushers and one team of dogs each. It brought together some very unique teams. He said he was very satisfied with how it had turned out, but wasn’t ready to say if it would be a regular event. He also ran a sprint team at Rondy quite successfully. I think we can expect a lot more from a man known for innovation and always tempted by challenge.

After the talk at the Millennium, he signed copies of his book, Cold Hands, Warm Heart with illustrations by Donna Gates King. This book comes in audio CD also which is a rewarding listening activity for classrooms or a great companion on a long car trip. Jeff is an amazing storyteller and I hope we can look forward to more.

Today, March 3, was field trip day for Iditarod race fans and teachers attending the Winter Educators’ Conference. At 8:00, we loaded up a charter bus to visit the final vet check at race headquarters in Wasilla, followed by lunch and a visit to Martin Buser’s kennel, Happy Trails. We were well entertained on the bus by Rod Perry, storyteller extraordinaire.

Rod grew up in Oregon and moved to Alaska in the 1960’s after earning a degree in wildlife management. As one of the original mushers in the first Iditarod of 1973, Rod tells story after story of not only that race, but of the Alaskan lifestyle. Rod was the only Anchorage area musher to run that first race.

Today Rod explained using snowshoes to break trail for his team, telling a story of a near-desperate run to reach a point on a trapline to resupply the dwindling food supply for him and his team. Using the old style, large snowshoes, Rod broke trail for his team snowshoeing a 14 hour day with the team following.

Rod knew that 2 person teams were allowed in the first race; race organizers were hoping to encourage husband and wife teams to race by allowing 2 person teams. He told of two women standing at Knik, watching the teams disappear into the Alaskan wilderness, crying, because the chances their husbands would not survive this race were high.

In 1973, the first race, Rod had to rebuild a busted sled in Ruby with the help of friends. Instead of leaving after making repairs, he stayed two hours longer in Ruby during the first race to hear, on radio, the finish of the first race, won by Dick Wilmarth.

He told the story of why the route runs through Rainy Pass now instead of Ptarmigan Pass, as it did originally. Believing that getting through Rainy Pass was not possible, early race planners ran that route section through Ptarmigan Pass until Colonel Norman Vaughan ended up in Rainy Pass after missing Ptarmigan. Vaughan proved that Rainy Pass was possible, and the route changed to run through Rainy.

Rod is a fountain of knowledge with details galore, explaining that the race route first ran only a northern route until 1977, the first year the route ran through the ghost town of Iditarod. Before the race existed, Rod pointed out mushers used a variety of trails, depending on their destination, when they left Iditarod which was a busy goldmining town. The route now alternates between the northern route in even years and the southern route in odd years.

When asked about vet care on the trail in those early races, Rod “went down a rabbit trail”, as he says, telling the story of meeting a familiar face years after those races. The familiar face belonged to the one and only vet long ago, who shared Rod’s tent during a blizzard on the trail. Nowadays, Rod would have to have an enormous tent to hold all the trail vets!

Barely scratching the surface of his store of stories, Rod entertained us all the way to Wasilla. You can hear more stories Friday, March 5—Rod is a featured speaker that day at the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage. Or find his book, TrailBreakers Pioneering the Iditarod Trail to read more of Rod’s stories. The pictures show Rod’s 18 foot freight sled and Rod with Dick Mackey, a recent Alaska Hall of Fame inductee.

]]> http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/03/05/stories-stories-stories/feed/ 0 http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/03/05/it%e2%80%99s-all-about-the-dogs/ http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/03/05/it%e2%80%99s-all-about-the-dogs/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:23:17 +0000 Diane http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/?p=3031 By Blynne Froke, Finalist for Target® 2011 Teacher on the Trail™, California

Another great day at the Winter Conference!

We visited Headquarters today and observed the official vet checks. I don’t get this much attention from my doctor, nor do I have this many doctors. Each dog was examined carefully by three veterinarians. They checked for microchips, to make sure that they were checking the right dog, checked heart, lungs, joints, eyes, ears, teeth and gums, absolutely everything. If there was any concern by anyone about any dog the dog was referred for further testing. A musher and team could expect to spend an hour and a half to two hours being examined.

Then we were off to a great lunch and then to a kennel of the master of dog care, Martin Buser’s Happy Trails Kennel. Martin has won the Humanitarian Award a record four times! When I asked him what he felt he owed that to he humbly replied, “Mostly intuition, I guess.” But went on to say that at the end of the day, never go to bed wondering if you did the right thing. “If it makes sense to the dogs, it makes sense.” It is much like being a good teacher – at the end of the day it is all about what is in the best interest of the student and if you think about it you always know what that really is.

Martin spent an inspiring 2 ½ hours with us talking about everything from sled construction, to race strategies and the “art” of the Iditarod. We watched him hook up a team and speed off on a training run. At the end of this day, I am inspired and amazed at the passion, dedication and devotion of Iditarod mushers for their dogs.; the incredible challenge they put before themselves and the trust they put in their dogs.