Monthly Archives: March 2009

Thank you, Target!

Bullseye makes it to the finish line of Target® has always had a commitment to providing educational support for America’s schools and teachers.  They have been active in an early childhood reading program, Reach Out and Read, that puts books in the hands of pediatricians to distribute to their young patients.  They have also helped military families stay connected through a program entitled, United Through Reading. In fact, since 1946, Target® has given 5% of its income through community grants and programs that support education, the arts, social services, and volunteerism nationally and locally.  And now they are in partnership with the Iditarod, sponsoring the Teacher on the Trail™ program.  This partnership has provided opportunities for classrooms across the country and world to connect to “The Last Great Race on Earth®.”  It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the 2009 Target® Teacher on the Trail™, and a joy to share lessons that use the Iditarod as a theme of instruction across curricula.  Thank you Target®for this teaching adventure of a lifetime!

“Riding with the King”

After a month of travel and excitement, I am now home in North Carolina, safe and sound.  But I couldn’t leave Alaska without one final adventure.

Mt. Redoubt before the eruption. I was scheduled to fly to Anchorage late Sunday night from Nome after the Wells Fargo Awards Banquet.  Due to the large number of folks who needed to be transported to the airport to make that flight, my driver needed to drop me off and then go back for a second load.  I walked into one door of the terminal just as Jeff King walked through the other.  We looked at each other and quickly assessed the situation.   If we hurried, we might be able make the flight that was just boarding.  Of course, the clerk recognized Jeff immediately and granted his request to make the flight.  Though I was an unknown, they graciously accommodated me as well.  Unfortunately, I had checked my bags earlier in the day for the later flight, so they were not going with me.  But I took the chance, hoping that eventually I would be able to claim my bags.

Jeff King and Salem at the start of the 2007 race. It turned out to be a serendipitous meeting, because that was the last flight to make it out of Nome that night and for the next two days.  While we were in the air Sunday night, Mt. Redoubt erupted, sending an ash cloud nine miles into the sky.  The flight I had originally been scheduled to take was forced to turn around to avoid the ash cloud.  The volcano erupted five more times in the next 24 hours, but the prevailing winds were blowing north/northwest; most of the ash blew away from Anchorage and into the interior of Alaska.  My bags were eventually sent to Fairbanks and then forwarded on to Asheville.

I was happy and relieved to make it to Anchorage Sunday night so I could make my flight to Charlotte on Tuesday.  But that early flight also gave me a special gift – the opportunity to chat with Jeff King for the two-hour flight from Nome to Anchorage!

The Sportsmanship Award

Aaron Burmeister at the White Mountain checkpoint. Aaron Burmeister was traveling to Kaltag.  The wind was blowing in his face on the mighty Yukon River, making the temperature colder than the recorded negative 30 degrees.  Aaron had braced himself in his sled, putting a snowshoe on either side of his sled seat, so he wouldn’t fall off the sled if he fell asleep.  It is very hard to stay awake between 2 and 3 a.m. even on the trail.

In the blinding snow he wasn’t sure what that bent over figure was in the night.  Could it be a bear?  It seemed to be panting, out of breath.

Aaron was brought quickly back to wakefulness when he realized that this figure was a fellow musher separated from his team.  The big panting bear turned out to be John Baker trying to chase down his team.  Aaron pulled the exhausted John onto his sled and set off into the night hoping to locate John’s team further down the trail.  John slept while Aaron ran along side the sled searching the night for John’s dogs.

John Baker leaving White Mountain in 3rd place. It was over an hour before he spotted the glowing eyes of dogs in his headlamp.  He woke John.  Trying to keep his dogs from taking off without him, John quietly crept up to the team.  He lunged for his sled and grabbed it-success!

John Baker regained his team and went on to place third in this year’s Iditarod.  Aaron’s sacrifice of his own time and effort enabled John to be one of the prizewinners, a position for which Aaron himself was in contention.  For his selfless assistance to a fellow musher in need, Aaron Burmeister was this year’s recipient of the Fred Meyer Sportsmanship Award for heroism on the trail.

On this level, the Iditarod is about more than winning; it is about character.  It harkens back to the original serum run, the race against time to save lives.  For Aaron Burmeister, it wasn’t much of a decision; when someone is in distress and his dogs are in danger, you stop racing and you start caring.  And thus the Last Great Race continues to give educators everywhere on the globe real stories of compassion, character, and sacrifice to share with our students.

The Wells Fargo Awards Banquet

March 23, 2009

The Wells Fargo Awards Banquet was held last night at the Nome Recreation Center.  Hundreds of race fans packed the arena for this event that recognized the achievements of the teams that finished Iditarod XXXVII.  The following is the list of special awards that were presented.

PenAir Spirit of Alaska Award – Aaron Burmeister received a $500 credit for travel or freight and a beautiful framed mask depicting the spirit of the “team,” for being the first musher into McGrath.

GCI Dorothy G Page Halfway Award – For being the first musher to arrive in Iditarod, Lance Mackey received $2,500 in gold nuggets and a beautiful trophy.

Millennium Hotel Anchorage First to the Yukon Award - Lance Mackey received a nine-course meal for being the first team to Anvik.  Tonight Mackey received an additional $3,500 in one dollar bills as the “after dinner mint” for his efforts.

Rookie of the Year – Chad Lindner was the first rookie to pass under the burled arch in Nome.  He received $1,500 and a trophy for his efforts.

Nome Kennel Club Fastest Time Safety to Nome – Ramey Smyth completed the trek from Safety to Nome in 2 hours and 27 minutes, receiving $500 for his efforts.

Horizon Lines Most Improved Musher Award – The most improved award was given to Dallas Seavey for going from 41st place in 2007 to sixth in 2009.

Fred Meyer Sportsmanship Award – This award includes $1,000 in Fred Meyer Gift Cards and was awarded to Aaron Burmeister for helping a musher find his team.

Chevron Most Inspirational Musher Award – Trent Herbst received this award for the work he has done in the classroom teaching his fourth grade students all about “The Last Great Race on Earth.” The honor included a trophy and $1,000 worth of Chevron gas.

Golden Stethoscope Award – This award was given to Dr. Denny Albert, the veterinarian deemed most helpful on the trail by the Iditarod Official Finishers Club.

Golden Clipboard Award – Nikolai was given this award for being the checkpoint along the Iditarod Trail that most exemplifies community teamwork.

Alaska Airlines Leonard Seppala Humanitarian Award – Lance Mackey received a trophy and two round trip tickets to anywhere on the Alaska Airlines system.  This award is given to a team in the top 20 who has best demonstrated outstanding dog care as voted by a team of veterinarians.

City of Nome Lolly Medley Golden Harness Award – This award honors an outstanding lead dog, chosen by the mushers. This year’s recipient was Kuling a 9-year-old member of Jessie Royer’s team.  Kuling has completed seven Iditarods and led this year’s team to an 8th place finish.  She has been Jessie’s lead dog for all seven of her Iditarods.

Northern Air Cargo Herbie Nayokpuk Memorial Award – Sonny Lindner received a free freight allotment on Northern Air Cargo, $1,049 cash, and a trophy.

Wells Fargo Red Lantern Award – Timothy Hunt was the final of the 52 official finishers to cross under the burled arch in Nome.  He completed the 1,049 miles in 15 days, 14 hours, 6 minutes, and 22 seconds.

Howdy!

Bill Samuels, Cathy Walters, and Gayle Tate. I’ve run into the nicest folks along the trail and many of them have been veterinarians.  Many of these men and women make it a habit of going home and sharing their trail adventures in their local schools.  Gayle Tate of Woodbury, Tennessee, and Bill Sampson of Bernardsville, North Carolina, are two of these super nice guys. Yesterday, in between the long hours of volunteer work they were doing for the Iditarod here in Nome, Gayle asked me to send a message out to one of the schools he regularly visits. So here is a big “HELLO!” from Nome to Ann Bartholamew and her sixth grade class at Short Mountain Grammar School.  “Happy Trails!”  from Mr. Tate and Cathy Walters, 2009 TargetTM Teacher on the Trail.

Meet the Mushers

Saturday, March 21st

Dee Dee Jonrowe and Jessie Royer.

Today was Meet the Mushers at Iditarod Headquarters in the Nome Mini Convention Center.  Hundreds of people, young and old, were there to meet and greet, and get the autographs of the mushers who finished Iditarod XXXVII.  The top three finishers, Lance Mackey, Sebastian Schnuelle, and John Baker literally took the stage to chat with fans that came by their tables.  The rest of the finishers sat behind three long rows of tables on the floor of the center, armed with their Sharpies.  Folks had such a wide variety of items to be autographed.  They brought posters, race guides, trading cards, scraps of paper, maps, calendars, t-shirts, hats, coats, bib numbers, bandanas, and newspapers to be signed.  It was a grand three-hour event.

Enjoy the slide show!

Other folks on the trail…

Iditarod Trail Invitational participants. Tim Hewitt and Tom Jarding. When I was in Grayling there were a lot of folks spending the night at the school.  I took photographs of everyone assuming they were all mushers.  That was not the case.  Two gentlemen were part of the Iditarod Trail Invitational, a human powered race to Nome.  Athletes in this competition can bike, ski, or walk the trail.  Tim Hewitt, a lawyer from Greenburg, Pennsylvania, and Tom Jarding, a mailman from Wyano, Pennsylvania, were walking the trail. They had both accomplished this tremendous feat before.  In fact, this was Tim’s fourth attempt.  They told me they cover about 50 miles a day and can complete the entire trail from Willow to Nome in about 26 days.

The above photograph shows Tim and Tom ready to hit the trail at Grayling.  They are equipped with ski poles and a sled that carries all of their equipment.  I have a feeling that this year’s severe weather may slow down these athletes just as it slowed down the dogs and sleds.  Good luck fellows in your adventure of a lifetime!

“There’s No Place Like Nome!”

Standing under the burled arch in Nome. Nome is a city of 3500 people and at this time of year the population seems to double with Iditarod fans.  The town comes to life for the Iditarod with a wide assortment of activities.  First and foremost among them is the celebrating that goes on at the finish line of the Last Great Race.  At all hours of the day and night, the fire siren sounds to announce that another winning musher is about to cross under the burled arch.  Folks rush to Front Street to cheer, take photographs, and listen to the live interviews of each one.  At that moment, each tired but elated musher embraces the motto of this community, “There’s no place like Nome!”

Sebastian Schnuelle in the finish shoot. The lists of events that occur during race week are posted all over town.  Each day there are a great variety of cultural, local history, and culinary opportunities.  There are also numerous documentary movies, a host of presentations, and contests.  Today I had the opportunity to hear about how the first Iditarod was put together on the Nome end of the race.  Howard Farley was a good friend of Joe Redington and told his audience at the Nome Museum all about the early days of the race. He was fascinating.  Later I went to the library for a casual and intimate conversation with Martin Buser.  Martin was very reflective and honest about his performance. He was disappointed in his 18th place finish, but knew that he ran the race that was right for his dogs.  He is so passionate about the Iditarod; the race that he says is the “ultimate equal opportunity sport for young and old, men and women.”  I couldn’t agree more. Martin Buser at his kennel.

I also made my way to the Native Alaskan Art Fair.  It is held in one of the many churches in town.  There were fine carvings of ivory, whalebone, and walrus, and mittens and hats made of a great variety of furs.  I enjoyed chatting with the artists and hearing their stories of how they learned their craft.  Many had learned their trade from parents and grandparents.  One artist was actually wearing 52-year-old mukluks made and previously worn by her grandmother.  That is stitching that has withstood the test of time!

At any time of the day or night anyone can drop in to Iditarod Headquarters located at the Mini Convention Center.  Many mushers gather there to chat, check email and keep up on the race.  It’s just down Front Street, a block from the burled arch.  Tomorrow from 2 to 5 p.m. is when all the mushers will gather for autographs.  I’ll be there for sure!

Boots

Aily Zirkle finishes the race in 17th place! Here I am in Nome.  The weather is a little cool, minus three, but I keep on wearing my North Carolina boots.  I do have proper Alaskan footwear with me; a top-of-the-line waterproof boot put out by Cabela’s.  The problem is that I just can’t move fast enough in the big boots, so I continue to wear the lighter boot with foot warmers and my feet have stayed perfectly dry and warm.  That’s the important thing.  My feet are dry and warm.

Aliy's boots that she made on the tail. Aliy Zirkle was the seventeenth musher to arrive in Nome today, just minutes behind Paul Gebhardt.  She was her usual upbeat smiling self, but I noticed she was wearing some unusual footwear.  They looked like giant, black, puffy slippers that weren’t put together quite right.  Aily had run into a problem out on the trail, she had gone through an overflow and completely saturated her boots.  She had to get those boots off so her feet wouldn’t freeze.  If she were to get serious frostbite she could lose her toes.

One of Aily's frozen boots. Aily had to think fast.  How was she going to cover her feet?  What would you do in this situation?  She didn’t have extra boots and there was no one to ask for help.  Aily was on her own.  She solved her problem by cutting her extra $300 snow pants to a size to wrap around her feet.   She roughly sewed the sections together with bungee cords. They weren’t beautiful, but they did the trick, her feet were warm and dry when she passed under the burled arch.

The boots Aliy got wet were in her sled, frozen solid, and covered with frost.  She had a really good reason for not wearing her Alaskan boots.

Under the Burled Arch in Nome

Lance and Dick Mackey at the start of the 2007 Iditarod. I flew into Nome today right after Lance Mackey made it to the finish line.  I could see from the air that the crowd had gathered around the burled arch.  I wasn’t too disappointed that I didn’t get to see him win the race.  After all, I did have dinner with him the night before in White Mountain, and I did make it to his post finish interview.  While Lance was talking about his dogs and giving them full credit for the win, tears came to his eyes and his wife, Tonya, handed him a tissue. Sebastian and his dad under the finish line banner.

Watching Lance, then Sebastian and John Baker come to the finish line of The Last Great Race made it clear to me that none of these men had made it to the finish line alone.  Of course there were their dogs, the super athletes of the Iditarod, but there were others present at the end of the race that you could tell were also an important piece of these winning teams. Family and friends.  They were there to greet, hug, and congratulate these men on completing something extraordinary.  These folks were there to bask in the glory of the moment, but you could also tell that they had been a part of the journey that had led to the start of the 2009 race for each of these me John Baker and his son. n.

Here are three photographs of fathers and sons, two from this race and one from 2007. That was the year that began Mackey’s reign as Three Time Iditarod Champion.  Dick Mackey, the 1978 Iditarod champion, was there to see his son at the start of that race wearing the same number he had won in victory, bib #13.  This year Sebastian’s dad came all the way from Germany to see his son’s second place success today.  And John Baker, a native Alaskan, had his son and daughter embracing him after his third place finish.  Our families support and encourage us through our successes and our trials.

Congratulations Lance, Sebastian, and John!  This was one of the toughest Iditarods in quite a while.

Aaron Burmeister in White Mountain

Aaron Burmeister on the Fish River. Aaron going into the shoot. Profile shot of Aaron. After Lance Mackey, Sebastian Schnuelle, and John Baker left White Mountain today, Aaron Burmeister came down the Fish River.  I happened to be in one of those magic places to see the beauty of sled dog racing.  I hope you enjoy these pictures of Aaron coming into the White Mountain checkpoint.  In just a few hours we will know if Aaron held on to that fourth place position. Running into the checkpoint. Aaron's alert and hapy dogs.

Lance Mackey

Lance and his dogs in White Mountain. Lance Mackey.  He is amazing.  This evening he breezed along the Fish River into the checkpoint at White Mountain, hours ahead of the competition.  After checking in, Lance moved routinely, methodically, through a long to-do-list.  First, he put down straw; sometimes he even dumped the straw right on top of the dogs for more warmth.  He pulled off their booties, opened three bottles of Heet, lit a fire, and began boiling water for the dog’s food.  While the water was heating, Lance pulled jackets out of the sled, straightened each one and put them in a pile.  After putting the jackets on the dogs, the water was heated; the frozen meat added to the water.  Lance put kibble (dry dog food) in each bowl and poured the hot meaty broth over it, serving the dogs in the same order every time.  Once they had eaten, he massaged the paws of some of the dogs and then they were set for their eight-hour rest.

Lance and his mom. Lance managed to take care of his dogs in the midst of chaos.  There were hundreds of people standing around.  The media was filming and taking still shots and interviewing him while he was working.  The vets are also caught in this jumble of people, checking each dog and making notes in Lance’s Vet Book.  Lance and his dogs seem to take all of this attention in stride.  Neither are distracted enough to interfere with what they are suppose to be doing.  The dogs ate their dinner and curled up and went to sleep.  Lance took care of them, never losing his concentration while answering non-stop questions.

While Lance was working, his mom surprised him by coming to the checkpoint.  She gave him a huge hug.  Lance said to his mom, “Aren’t these dogs superstars?”  Her response, “You are a Superstar!”

The “Superstar” may receive the big prize tomorrow under the burled arch in Nome, for the third time.

White Mountain

There are three things I must take care of when I arrive at a checkpoint; check in, get the books, and find a place to sleep.  Today in White Mountain the first two were easy, but the checkpoint looked a little crowded, so I thought I’d wait to find a place to sleep.

Delivering books in White Mountain. After landing by bush plane on the White River (which was very cool!), I checked in with the Iditarod communications folks, picked up the books and headed up White Mountain to make my delivery.  The Anchorage Municipal Library mails a box of books to each school along the Iditarod Trail.  It is a wonderful gesture and it is my privilege to deliver the books.  The principal of White Mountain School, Andy Haviland, introduced me to each classroom.  When we arrived at Cheryl Silcox’s combined first and second grade they were in the middle of writing a song about the Iditarod.  The artist in residence, Ellen Frankenstein, allowed me to jump right in and sing a couple of songs with the children from my Idita-Tunes.  Ellen specializes in videography, so she filmed the teacher, students, and I singing and moving to, Iditarod, Iditarod, A Dog Sled Race.  We had a blast!

As I was walking back to the checkpoint I started thinking about where I should sleep tonight.  On the trail it’s best to work these things out long before bedtime.  My sleeping arrangements are pretty special tonight; I have deluxe accommodations right beside the checkpoint.  I have a mattress on a platform bed in my own room…behind bars!  I’m spending the night in the town jail and all I can say is, “The Jailhouse Rocks!”

P.S.  The jail has been offered to the Iditarod for guests staying in White Mountain.

Unalakleet

Snow drift in Unalakleet. Unalakleet is like nothing you have ever seen before.  It is on the coast of the Norton Sound entering the Bering Sea.  As far as you can see in any direction it is icy and white.  Last night the wind chill made the temperature feel like it was 50 degrees below zero!  It is definitely the coldest place I’ve been on the trail.  The snowdrifts are 7 to 10 feet high in town and it has made it a little difficult for me to keep my bearings.  After being in the Athabascan villages of Nikolai, McGrath, and Grayling, Unalakleet feels like a big city.   It is the largest checkpoint on the trail with cars and trucks and snow machines moving the 600 inhabitants around town.  The native people here are Inupiat (Eskimo).

Student interviewing Hugh Neff. The school in Unlakleet is very involved with the race.  Once the mushers arrive, the student broadcast team from the Bering Strait School District (BSSD) goes full speed ahead with interviews, filming, and editing.  Their products are aired on a program moderated by Chick Beckley that is broadcast to schools in Alaska and the lower 48.  I was invited to participate in the live broadcast this morning.  It was such a thrill to be in Unalakleet and chat and answer questions from students in Minnesota and Florida.  The other amazing piece is that I knew the teachers in those schools!  Sheryl Cater teaches in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  We spent time together just last week at the 2009 Iditarod Teacher’s Conference in Anchorage, and at the restart of this year’s race in Willow.  Bonnie (a teacher from Merrit Island, Florida) and I both met at the 2006 Iditarod Summer Conference.  She has the quilt the teachers made in 2006 on display in her classroom.  This is truly instructional technology that empowers teachers and students.  This BSSD project is an outstanding example of how Iditarod brings learning to life for students around the world.  Their web site is: http://mushing.bssd.org.  For photos and video go to: http://mushingmedia.bssd.org.

Gold Coast Award – Unalakleet

I flew out of Grayling this afternoon and headed for Unalakleet.  The pilot received word that Lance Mackey was on the trail and that if we were lucky we could see him on the trail.  Luck was not with us, but when we flew over the checkpoint there was a huge crowd and we knew that Lance had made it into town before us.  It was close to 3:00 p.m.

Lance Mackey in Unalakleet Wells Fargo presented Lance with a trophy and $2,500 in gold nuggets for being the first team to reach the Gold Coast.  It took me about 40-minutes to get from the airport to the checkpoint, but Lance was still there.  He is always such a positive example of how to be polite, upbeat, and pleasant no matter how tired he might feel.  I watched him give several interviews, sign autographs, and head for the checkpoint to take care of himself.

A vet coming in for dinner this evening just told me that Lance wants to be awakened at 8:30 p.m.  Is it surprising that the next team is scheduled to arrive into Unalakleet sometime after 9:00 p.m.?   There is only one more 8-hour mandatory rest at White Mountain, and then the push is on to Nome.  What is Lance’s next move?

I heard Lance answer that question in an interview he gave today, “Watch out, because you don’t know what I’ll do next.”

It’s All Happening at the School in Grayling

Wow!  It is all happening at the school!  The David Louis Memorial School is where all the mushers in Grayling stayed last night.  After caring for their dogs they came into the school to prepare their own food.  Then the race chatter began.

“Where is Lance?”

“How long did it take him to get to Eagle River from Grayling?” Ray Redington andMelissa Owens

“How long did it take Hugh?”

“Has Sebastian taken his eight hour?”

“How many dogs does he have?”

“Which of the other mushers have made it to Eagle River?”

“How long did it take them?”

“What’s the weather forecast?”

“Is there more wind upriver?”

“How long have the front teams been resting?”

And on the questions went with each new arriving musher.  You could see each one weighing the information and working out what they should do next.  How long should they rest?  When should they hit the trail?  What a treat it was to be a part of their camaraderie and conversation, to glimpse into their world.

At the time they were so thankful to be able to come into the school, out of the wind.  But not for long.  They didn’t enter this race to escape the elements.  In fact, fundamentally, they entered it to test themselves against those very elements.  It’s the whole point-in a weird way, they are truly in their element only when they walk out of the school, step back on their sleds, and bark, “Hike!”

Speaking of being in one’s element, I am spending a lot of time in schools while I am in Alaska, both on the trail and off.  As an educator, it is both instructive and fascinating to see how others deal with the challenges all educators face in one way or another: space, weather, technology, curriculum development, discipline, etc, etc.  Character development is one of those challenges, and one of the reasons the Iditarod has always had a strong pull on me-it exemplifies so much of the character that we are trying to instill in our students and children.  So, while visiting in the Athabascan communities of Nikolai, McGrath, and Grayling, I have thrilled to see this list posted in each of the schools.  It is entitled, “Athabascan Values.”   Compare this list of good character traits to the character education program you use in your school.

Athabascan Values Iditarod Insider Film Crew

Self Sufficiency

Hard Work

Care and provision for family

Family Relations

Unity

Humor

Honesty

Fairness

Love for Children David-Louis Memorial School Teachers

Sharing

Caring

Village Cooperation

Responsibility to Village

Respect for Elders and others

Respect for knowledge

Wisdom from life experiences

Respect for the Land

Respect for Nature

Practice of Traditions

Spirituality

The sharing and caring by teachers for their communities and for these Iditarod mushers has been truly remarkable.  School is a vital part of these communities well after 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Watch the slide show presentation!

Watch the slide show presentation!

Grayling Food Notes

I wanted to give you two more food stories from  Grayling.  There are no restaurants here and there is only one grocery store, The Native Store.  The prices are much higher at The Native Store than most places in the United States because everything has to be shipped here by airplane.  Today I went into the store to see what the prices were like. The Native Store in Grayling. [singlepic id="734" w="320" h="240" mode="" float="" ]

- Rice Krispies – $7.15

- Can of Del Monte green beans (14 oz.) – $2.70

- Kraft Parmesan Cheese (8 oz.) – $10.50

- Barilla Fettuccine (1 lb. box) $3.25

- Campbell’s Cream of Celery Soup – $2.40

- Chunk tuna – $3.20

- Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing – $5.40

- Tide laundry powder (70 oz.) $16.40

- Dozen eggs – $4.50

- Milk (only in a quart box from the shelf) $2.70

- Cake mix – $3.90

- French’s mustard (20 oz.)- $3.95

Check the prices of these food items in your community to see what your total bill would be.  Compare that total to what you would spend in Grayling, Alaska.

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My other food story comes from Martin Buser.  In a way I had dinner with him.  Okay, I didn’t really have dinner with him, but he gave me what he would have had for dinner if he had stayed in Grayling.  Here’s the Buser menu:  smoked salmon, rice, mixed nuts, dried apricots, craisins, poppy seed cake, and tiny Toblerone chocolate bars.  All but the candy was in vacuum-sealed bags.  He gave me more food than my friend and I could possibly finish.  This gives you an idea of how many calories mushers burn in a day.  Martin told me that he usually loses 10 pounds during the race.  I would definitely gain 10 pounds if I ate that much food!

Martin Buser's vacuum-packed meal. Each musher has to be so prepared before coming out on the trail.  They pack their food, food for all their dogs, and all the gear they will need further down the trail in bags to be sent out to the checkpoints.  Each “drop bag” (or bags) has the name of the checkpoint printed on it and is color-coded, and as you can see in the picture, Graylings colors are green and pink.  To tell the bags apart, mushers use a permanent marker and write their names on the outside of the bag.    When the bags are delivered to the checkpoints they are put in alphabetical order so it is easy for the musher to find.  It is very important that enough food and gear arrives to each checkpoint.  Good mushers, like Martin, are well prepared for their journey.  They must plan well in advance for the adventure that awaits them on the trail.  This is a great life lesson – prepare now for the adventures that lie ahead.

Grayling Sunrise

Saturday, March 14

2 degrees, clear skies

Sunrise in Grayling. Sunrise on the Yukon.  It is a beautiful clear morning in Grayling, and we can see how the teams are spreading out.  The first team in last night was Jeff King, followed by Sebastian Schnuelle, Aaron Burmeister, and Lance Mackey.  The first three stayed, and Lance breezed through this checkpoint.

When I got up this morning I could just begin to see the pinks, purples, and yellow of the rising sun.  It was breathtaking!  I ran out to snap some shots of the new day and find out who had come in while I was sleeping.  I felt so fortunate to see several ladies of the race.  Aliy Zirkle was preparing to leave, Jesse Royer was snacking her dogs, and within the hour I watched Dee Dee Jonrowe pull into the checkpoint.  What a thrill!

Dee Dee Jonrowe snacking her dogs in Grayling. At the front of this race there appears to be no weak teams.  The top 15 or so teams are all strong and capable.  The dogs of these teams are highly energized and eating well.  Even at this point in the race, the first team into Grayling may not be the first team into Nome.  There are still far too many challenges to predict a winner yet.  This race is very interesting.

Aliy Zirkle leaving Grayling on the Yukon River. Once again, just like in Nikolai, this village is making the mushers feel very welcome.  Grayling has opened the school for mushers to get water, to shower, and spend the night.  The children are so excited about the race.  They were running, leading the way into the school to show the mushers where to get water.  The teachers at David-Louis Memorial School guided mushers to the classrooms where they had provided extra mats for them to sleep on.  They even had a sign on the door, “Shh, Musher’s Sleeping!” In fact, Jeff King and Hans Gatt slept a few hours in the classroom beside the one I slept in last night.  It is important for the mushers to catch naps when they can.

The mushers appreciate Grayling for its fine hospitality; it is also a good place to escape the flow of cold air on the river.  Many have taken the opportunity to give their teams the mandatory 8-hour break (required somewhere along the Yukon).  Others will rest at least 6 hours here because the next push is a tough 60 miles on the Yukon River to Eagle Island.  Resting on the river is a poor place to rest because there are no wind breaks.

I believe I’ll take a rest too, a rest from writing.  I’m going to see what’s happening at the checkpoint.

Race officials in Grayling.

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Grayling Hospitality

The Frozen Yukon River. Today the church bells rang in Anvik as Lance Mackey made his way into town.  Lance is this year’s winner of the “First to the Yukon Award.”  This ward is sponsored by the Millennium Alaskan Hotel and includes an 8-course meal prepared on camp stoves by the hotels chief chef.  Mackey feasted on Alaskan Bouillabaise, Breast of Duck, Artisan Cheese Plate, Flamed Strawberries Romanoff, and an After Dinner Mint of $3,500 presented in an “Alaskan Gold Pan.”

Cold smoked salmon and Sailor Boy Bread. I, on the other hand, flew to the next checkpoint on the trail, Grayling, and was served cold smoked salmon, Sailor Boy Crackers, and hot tea for dinner.  It was just what I wanted and it was oh-so-delicious!  My new friend, Melody Kruger, ran home after my presentation at the David-Louis Memorial School to gather these goodies.  The king salmon she served was netted out of the Yukon right here in Grayling.  Melody, Eleanor Painter, and Edna Deacon, Grayling residents, told me that the best king salmon comes from the Yukon at Grayling.  Salmon netted down river are too big and oily, those up river are too skinny.  I don’t know where to find the best salmon, but I do know that what I had tonight was some of the best I have ever eaten.

This is how Melody makes hers so tasty.  She places each salmon over smoking alder wood for three or four weeks.  To feed her family she nets and smokes over 100 king salmon a year.  Melody calls the meal she served me “standard fare” for lunch in her home.  Thank you Melody for making my first time to the Yukon River dinner.  I found it to be far better than standard fare.  I hope Lance enjoyed his First to the Yukon River dinner as much as I enjoyed mine.

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Last Out of Nikolai

I love this pic!

Where ever I go, so goes the snow.  That’s the way it seems since I’ve been on the Iditarod Trail.  It was snowing in McGrath, so I was there an extra day.  I finally made it to Nikolai and when it was time to go, it snowed.  So, as of this posting on Thursday evening, I’m still in Nikolai.  I have to practice a little patience, knowing that eventually I will catch up with the race.

I did get to see the top three mushers go through McGrath and today I saw the last three out of Nikolai.  So, Rob Loveman may have been the last musher out of Nikolai, but he was not the last visitor to leave.  The snow kept the dropped dogs and nine of us associated with the race from flying out today.  We were a bit disappointed, but that’s the way it goes on the trail.  You’ve got to make the best of every situation.

Rob Loveman leaves Nikolai. So, how did I spend my afternoon?  I spent some quality time with the folks who live in Nikolai.  I had a great time talking to Nick Dennis, an 81-year-old elder of the village.  He told me of the early days of the Iditarod, how he used to break trail, and how the race has improved over the years.  He also told me how much has changed in Nikolai since he was a boy.  Nick learned the customs of his people, the Athebascans, that have been passed down from generation to generation.  The making of snowshoes, boats, and sleds is a dying art.  Over Nick’s lifetime he has made at least 50 sets of snowshoes and the very first set he made is on display in the school.  For many years he taught these fine traditions to the students in his shop class at Top of the Kuskokwim School.  Click the pictures below to see a larger view of Nick and his snowshoes, and to see where I’ve been sleeping while in Nikolai.

P.S.  If those snowshoes are missing from school tomorrow…I’ve borrowed them to make my way down the trail!

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