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.

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!

Watch the slide show presentation!