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by Jane Blaile
Saturday morning, the 21 junior mushers took off from Willow Lake. It was a sunny day and warm, too! After waiting for the honorary musher’s time to elapse, Quinn Iten went at the 3-2-1 countdown. Each musher followed 2 minute apart from then. Families and friends surrounded them as they entered the starting gate; the same watched them grow smaller as they crossed the lake and eventually went up the opposite bank.After the start, I was taken by an 11-year Iditarod Air Force volunteer, Joe Pendergrass to Yentna Station, where the juniors were bound for the mandatory 10 hour layover. My first snow machine ride was a shuttle from the landing strip on the runway to the roadhouse. I tossed my bag into the mudroom and made myself at home, took pictures, and helped sort drop bags. To my surprise, when I went back outside a little later, Joe had returned to offer me a ride to Eagle Song, the checkpoint before Yentna for juniors. It is owned by Mike and Paula Williams who were awarded as honorary mushers for this year’s race since they have been faithful supporters of it for years. I happily accepted. The ride was exquisite – the scenery indescribable! We found and flew over the trail…saw the mushers traveling along. At Eagle Song, we saw the first mushers come through. Because it was sunny, it was a little warm for the dogs and their mushers.
Upon return to Yentna, we waited. The leaders started showing up a little after 4 p.m. and kept coming at differently spaced intervals until after 9 p.m. When each arrived, they signed off on their time and their gear check and were guided to a resting spot. Each musher got 6 bottles of Heet and straw for their dogs. As the time became later, the temperature dropped some. The night sky, punctuated with stars, appeared, and new friends were made. One of the things I most enjoyed about being out there waiting was talking to others.
Once the juniors had all arrived, we went in to eat. Dan and Jean provide scrumptious meals at the roadhouse. And they treat every single person who comes through the door like family. They have a special gift of hospitality and are gracious to extend it to the Iditarod volunteers. After dinner, people did what most people do after dinner. Some read, some worked crossword puzzles, others chatted and looked at pictures on their cameras. Still others picked up Dan’s extra guitar, playing and singing with him, a former professional musician. You can’t help but feel at home there.
The juniors were outside around the traditional bonfire. It is a good bonding time for them. And when the last musher showed up, all the others waded through the snow to cheer for her and greet her.
Since the lead mushers were going to begin leaving at 2:42 a.m., I decided to try to sleep a few hours; so, I took my sleeping bag into one of the rooms and found an empty spot. 3 hours later I got up to help send off these amazing teens and their canine athletes.
The cold (-2°F) night was almost surreal. It was mysterious to see the glow of headlamps silhouetting dogs and sleds as the mushers silently prepared to hit the trail again. And I saw my breath rise very slowly and crystallize in the air. I felt like I was a figure in a snowglobe!
Off they went, one by one. My face got a little too cold for my comfort, so I went inside, missing the final 2 departures. But the last one was at 6:49 a.m. this morning. I know I need to get a face mask for my trail journey next week.
After another hearty meal, we started loading up the planes that were coming to get us out. I rode in a plane with the people doc, piloted by Phil Morgan. Phil ran the 2005 Iditarod, and overcame many obstacles to win the Red Lantern Award. It was great to meet him, because that year I was in McGrath with his friend, Patty, and we kept cheering him on to get there, but he didn’t show up until after I’d left.
The view this morning was outstanding…clear sighting of Denali, blanketed in alpenglow. The plane landed and I arrived back on Willow Lake just in time to see the first 2 mushers standing in the finish gate. They were Jessica Klejka and Cain Carter, quickly followed by Quinn Iten and Wade Marrs. Check out all of the race information at http://www.jriditarod.com/.
The overlying thoughts and feelings I had were of respect for these young people and their maturity and responsibility. My excitement for traveling the Iditarod Trail next week is piqued, and I have met some of the most interesting people there are to meet. That has been my favorite part of this experience – hearing peoples’ stories, finding out what makes them who they are, sharing in Iditarod folklore and swapping weather comparisons.
Watch this slide show!
