Salem & Jeff King 2006 Champions

Jeff King spoke at the Iditarod Winter Teacher’s Conference on Friday. He’s the winningest musher of all times and has four Iditarod victories to his credit. He shared stories about his rookie trip from Anchorage to Nome in 1981. It took him 15 days to cover the route and he finished in 28 place. He didn’t run Iditarod again until 1991 when he finished in 13 days, taking 12th place. Jeff has made the trip from Anchorage to Nome 20 times, has won 4 and placed in the top ten all but 4 times. What a record that is! It was a surprise to everyone in the room when he announced that this Iditarod would more than likely be his last. He plans to run other races but wants to retire from the Iditarod at the top of his game rather than run his final race knowing that he had run one to many.

Salem in lead for the 2010 Ceremonial Start

Jeff has a very famous lead dog named Salem. Had it not been for Salem, Jeff’s 4th victory in 2006 might not have been. One of his wheel dogs came loose from the gangline and was running out in front of the team. King stopped the team and stomped the snow hook into the trial. He took treats and walked out toward the lose dog. This dog had a playful streak and as soon as King would get close, he’d run off a few yards. All the time, King is saying, “Come boy, come, here boy, come on…” Well the team thought Jeff was calling them so leaning into their tugs, they pulled the hook and trotted toward Jeff who had just caught the loose dog. When they reached King who was holding the captured wheel dog, they trotted right on by expecting him to jump on the runners. With the dog in his arms, Jeff stood helplessly as the team continued down the trail and disappeared over the crest of a hill. Jeff was calling, “SALEM STOP! SALEM WHOA!” Carrying the captured dog, King made his way to the crest of the hill to find his team waiting on the other side. Now there’s a lead dog that listens to and follows commands. If Salem hadn’t stopped the team, Jeff would have had a long walk to the next checkpoint and quite likely would not have won the race. Salem hasn’t run Iditarod since 2006 but has been training puppies. Jeff ran Salem in lead for today’s ceremonial start.

Jeff King steers the sled with a gee-pole

King used a gee-pole set up to guide his team 11 miles from 4th & D in downtown Anchorage to the Campbell Airstrip. There’s a long sturdy pole lashed to the side of the sled which the musher uses for steering and support. Two sturdy skis are attached to the gangling behind the wheel dogs. The musher is pulled along by the team while standing in bindings on the skies behind the wheel dogs but in front of the sled. One of Jeff’s daughter’s was riding the runners of the sled. It’s a most unusual set up that originated from the gold rush when dogs were scarce and miners had to propel their loaded sleds themselves. Jeff used this old method of steering the sled in the 2009 ceremonial start also.

Well there you have it, the latest scoop on Jeff King and his Iditarod Career. Will Jeff earn another Iditarod victory and join Rick Swenson as the winningest Iditarod mushers. Only time will tell.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Bosca - once a bully, now a friend

Now days, there is much concern about bullying in schools, on the play ground, in Physical Education class and even in the dog yard. All age groups can be the target of a bully – puppies, yearlings, two-year-olds, adults and seniors. I want to share a story about bullying in the Just Guts Dog Yard.

When I was a little puppy, just off the plane from Alaska to Wisconsin, most of the dogs were wondering who this tiny little dog was who now lived in the puppy pen and was getting so much love and attention from the humans. I sized up the other dogs that were close to the puppy pen. There was Blackjack – BIG, Black and seemed pretty nice. There was Bootleg – BIG, Black and seemed friendly. There was Bosca – BIG, Wolf-like and barked even when I looked at him. On my first venture out of the puppy pen under the watchful eye of Handler, I trotted on over to Blackjack who flopped over on the ground and let me bite his ears and his tail. Ditto with Bootleg. Those guys were so friendly – I like them right away. I loped over toward Bosca where I was greeted by vicious growling, lunging and barking. I hightailed it out of there! Gee, what did I ever do to him? Then I heard Handler scold Bosca for bullying. What?

Buddy Blackjack

What is a bully? A bully is somebody or somedog who leaves others out on purpose. A bully wants to harm others. A bully says unkind things to others. Bullying often involves lopsided power and strength along with abuse or negative actions. Ask yourself these 3 questions to make sure your behavior isn’t bully like, 1) Do I hurt others by what I say, 2) Do I make others feel afraid and 3) Do I leave others out of games, sled pulling and other activities? If you answer yes to any of those questions, then your name could be Bosca and you should change your ways.

What should you do if somebody or somedog is hounding you or making you feel afraid? Do what I did – walk or trot away and don’t look back. Tell an adult, a bigger dog or your handler or your musher. And just like Blackjack and Bootleg were to me, be a friend to others. A really good strategy is to avoid the bully – I can tell you, when I was socializing in the dog yard, I just avoided Bosca. I never went over to visit him unless Handler or Musher took me there. It took a while but finally Bosca realized I was nothing to be afraid of – there was no reason for him to be insecure because of little Sanka. By the time we were pulling the sled just a few months later, Bosca and I were good friends.

New puppy Smoke

Bullying is not okay! From this story, you know what bullying is and what to do to stop bullying. I was so thankful that Blackjack and Bootleg were friendly toward me, I made sure that I returned the kindness when little Smoke joined our kennel. I hope you’ll do the same!

Born to Run,
Sanka

Marissa Osmar wins Junior 2010

After reading my last story about differential time for the Junior Iditarod, you may be wondering about bib number one. The first Junior to leave the start line at Willow was wearing bib number 2. The final musher to leave the start for Yentna Station was bib number 14. Of the 13 mushers who ran the Junior Iditarod, why wasn’t one of them wearing bib number one?

It’s a long-standing tradition that bib number “1” is reserved for the “Honorary” musher. So the Junior Iditarod and Iditarod races start with bib number two. EXCEPT for the Iditarod Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage where the winner of the Junior wears bib number one and carries the honorary musher through Anchorage.

Al and Bev Marple were honored by the Junior Iditarod as Honorary Mushers for 2010. Al, a former Iditarod musher, was instrumental in organizing the Junior Iditarod back in the early 80’s. As a carpenter, Al handcrafted and donated many famous Marple Sleds as prizes to Junior Iditarod Champions. Al has served as a race judge and marshal, insuring the Junior Iditarod went well for the young mushers. He’s also served

Osmar approaches the Finish Line

on the Board of Directors for the Junior race and has filled numerous other volunteer positions. Al is credited with knowing how to make things work, keep the race going and he knows how to be fair without causing problems and he can stand outside in the worst weather and call it fun. Al has shared his racing expertise outside of Alaska by serving as a race official for the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in northern Minnesota. Bev, Al’s wife, has over the years been an important contributor to the banquet, a vital volunteer at Headquarters and has spent countless hours gathering prizes for the junior mushers. Together the Marples have contributed toward making Iditarod what it is today.

Here are the answers for the differential problems from the Junior Iditarod. Keep in mind that the required layover is 10 hours. Bib #4 who came in at 17:29 would have a 20-minute differential and be able to leave Yentna at 03:49. Bib #5 who cam in at 17:46 would have an 18-minute differential and be allowed to leave Yentna at 04:04. Bib #10 who came in at 18:27 would have an 8-minute differential and could leave at 04:35. Finally, bib #3 came in at 19:15 and would have a 22-minute differential and be allowed to leave at 05:37. How’d you do on your computations?

With so few days left before the race starts, Handler says things are really getting exciting in Iditarod Land. Stay tuned for my next story.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Team 6 is ready for their Junior Start

One can’t help but compare the upcoming Iditarod Sled Dog Race and Olympic speed events – skating, skiing and sledding. One thing they share in common is that champions are determined by time. The first junior musher to cross the finish line in Willow and the first musher to cross under the Burled arch in Nome have the best times and are declared Iditarod champions. In some Olympic events, time is also used to determine champions

In Junior Iditarod and Iditarod, teams leave the starting chute in two-minute intervals. The first team leaves at 10:00 followed by the next team at 10:02, the next at 10:04 until all teams are on the trail. How can the first team to cross the finish line in the Iditarods actually be the winner when they don’t all start at the same time?

We're on our way to Yentna Station

It’s called “differential” and here’s how it works. Time is added to the required rest stop to equalize for the start time difference. There were 13 teams that started the Junior Iditarod from Willow. Bib number 2 went off at 10:00 and bib number 14 went off at 10:24. When the teams get to Yentna Station their arrival time is recorded. They are required to rest at Yentna for 10 hours plus the differential. So let’s just say that Bib 2 got to Yentna at 18:34.00. All the required information is in place for the starter at Yentna to determine the departure times for bib 2.

Handler has worked as the starter for the Junior Iditarod at Yentna and here’s the procedure for putting the kids back on the trail so the first team that crosses the finish line is the winner. Add the required rest time of 10 hours plus the starting differential to the arrival time to determine the out time. Bib 2 came in at 18:34.00; adding ten hours brings that to 04:34.00, now add the 24 differential minutes. Bib number 2 can leave Yentna at 04:58.00. Don’t forget this is recorded and reported in Military Time.

Can you figure the out times for these Junior Iditarod mushers? Bib 4 started at 10:04 and arrived at Yentna at 17:29.00. Bib 5 started at 10:06.00 and arrived at Yentna at 17:46.00. Bib 10 started at 10:16 and arrived at Yentna at 18:27.00. The last musher left the start at 10:24.00.

Well there you have it – some great real life math problems from the Junior Iditarod. Just so you know, for the race that goes to Nome, the differential is added to the required 24-hour rest. Check my next story for the answers to the problem. Go Juniors!

Born to Run,
Sanka

I'm crazy about running - all I want to do is run!

Quick-change Runner System appreciated by musher in Galena

Tim White is a Minnesota musher who some consider to be the “ultimate dog man.” Iditarod’s trail boss, Mark Nordman says, “Sleddog sports are his life. His every thought and action is somehow connected to dogs.” Besides being an international champion, Tim is an expert innovator and sled builder. He has designed the quick change runner (QRS) system. Different snow conditions require different runner plastic not to mention, runners become damaged on poor trail so it’s necessary to change the plastic periodically. With Tim’s QRS, an aluminum rail is screwed to the bottom of the runners then lengths of plastic can be easily slid into the rails. White has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Mush with P.R.I.D.E for his never-ending energy in being goodwill and promotional ambassador for sleddog sports worldwide. White is also known for his knowledge as a mushing historian.

Shorthaired Pointer

Egil Ellis was born in Sweden but now calls Willow, Alaska home. His father introduced him to sleddogs almost 30 years ago. Today he is known as an exceptional Scandinavian Hound sprint class racer with a long list of victories on both the European and North American circuit. With the Scandinavian Hound line, Ellis and other mushers are seeking to develop a faster sleddog by crossbreeding Alaskan Huskies with German and English Shorthaired Pointers. The outcome is a tough dog with enormous stamina and endurance that is eager to please and extremely friendly. When asked in an interview with writers from Sled Dog Central what advice he would give to beginning mushers, Egil replied, “You must LOVE dogs and ask experienced mushers a lot of questions – that way you will avoid many stupid mistakes.”

Hans Gatt grew up on a farm in Austria and now lives near Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Hans used to focus his energies on motocross racing but after attending a sleddog race, he parked the bike and devoted his life to sleddogs. Hans started raising dogs and amazingly, he won all eight races that he entered in his first year of competitive racing. Was his success due to the breeding of his dogs, his dog-driving abilities or the sled he built to race with? Hard to say for sure but many other mushers ordered sled from Hans. Hans is the current Yukon Quest Champion and has won the Quest 3 other times. He’s won on the Wyoming tour, is a 4-time winner of the European Championship and a long list of other accomplishments. His current goal is to improve his best finish of 6th place in Iditarod. Keep an eye on Hans in Iditarod this year.

Doug Swingley tends his dogs in White Mountain

Doug Swingley from Lincoln, Montana is a 4 time Iditarod Champion. He joins Susan Butcher and Lance Mackey in being the only mushers to have won Iditarod 3 consecutive years. In 1995, Doug became the first non-Alaskan to win Iditarod. From 1992 to 2001, Swingley finished every Iditarod in the top ten. He’s also a champion on the Montana race circuit. Because of eye problems experienced in Iditarod 2004, Doug has some difficulty with night vision so he prefers to race during daylight hours. Stage racing is a perfect fit. It’s like the Tour de France – there is a different distance to cover each day but then the athletes rest all night. Along with the stage racing dogs, Swingley still raises and trains Iditarod dogs that are known to be excellent marathon athletes and are renowned for their speed, endurance and durability on the trail. With his superior animal coaching skills, Swingley has now expanded to training horses for endurance racing.

Alan Stewart, John’s father, lifelong mentor and friend says, “My advice… which he does not need… would be – follow the game plan and the advice from those real close to you.” It will only be a few days and John will have the chance to put what he has learned from his mentors to use on a very tough Iditarod Trail. Good Luck John! Godspeed.

Born to Run,
Sanka

You could have some fun with John’s journey by being a Map Quest Agent. Create a route; calculate distance and estimate time from Montana to Wasilla, Alaska. Keep in mind that most of the travelers are canine so their trip won’t be at a human pace. They’ll have to stop at least every 4 hours to “drop” the dogs and they’ll have to feed the dogs and the dogs will need to be exercised. Get a map and go to work. Handler is going to ask John, Colin and Alan about the trip, shipping supplies, preparing food and drop bags and all that important stuff. As soon as she gets that information, I’ll pass it on. Stay tuned.

John Stewart photo by Jeff Schultz

Back at home in Scotland, John’s family maintains their kennel and “sleddog centre” at the foot of the remote Cairngorm Mountains which is considered to be the last wilderness of the United Kingdom. The centre includes Europe’s only Sleddog museum. The museum covers modern events; Iditarod’s Last Great Race and has a section that’s dedicated to the “King of Dog Team Drivers,” Scotty Allan. The centre is located a short distance from Scotty’s birthplace and childhood stomping grounds.

We’ve been in contact with the Stewart family via Internet and asked what role the legendary Scotty has played in John’s mushing career. John has known about Scotty from a very early age. He has often visited the blacksmith forge, now a ruin, where Scotty was brought up. Alan says that Scotty’s whole way of life has influenced John. He’s been brought up with Scotty’s history all around him – he knows all about his life and what type of dog person he must have been and now John’s goal is to reach Scotty’s Alaskan residence, Nome. Heroes plant the seed from which dreams grow and play an important role, inspiring people to achieve their dreams. Now this is really cool – Scotty’s oldest living relative, Lewis Allan has written to John, personally wishing him well and Godspeed on his journey to Nome. Mushers often bring items of inspiration or personal significance along on the trail. Perhaps John will carry this very special letter to Nome.

Check these websites to learn more about John Stewart – www.iditarod.com, www.sled-dogs.co.uk, and www.johnfortheiditarod.com. Stay tuned for more stories about John and his journey to Nome.

Born to Run,
Sanka

John Stewart meets Mark Nordman in Argentina

Since the age of six, John has been around sled dogs. He started out by going on training trips and overnight camping adventures with his father, Alan. At the age of 10, John accompanied his father to remote mountainous Argentina where he helped during races by handling dogs. Now here’s where coincidence takes over. John and Alan met a fellow in Argentina by the name of Mark Nordman. Nordman is the Iditarod Trail Boss. From that moment on, it was young John’s dream to run the Iditarod! So how did John make it to the threshold of accomplishing this great dream?

When he finished school, he lived in Alaska and trained with Egil Ellis. He’s also worked/trained and raced with current Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt. For the past couple of years, he’s been training and racing dogs out of four-time Iditarod Champion, Doug Swingley’s Montana Kennel. With a great team of Swingley dogs in front of the sled, John has already done well in Montana races this season.

John’s father, Alan took him to the USA, Argentina, Chili and other European countries as a handler for the race team because he was good with dogs, not because John was his son. So to speak, John earned his position as a dog handler because of his talents, not just by inheritance. Now Alan says that John has far more experience with racing than he has and he’s thrilled to switch roles and be a handler for John’s racing activities.

Now that you’ve had a chance to learn a little about Iditarod rookie, John Stewart, I hope you’ll be watching him and cheering him on as he heads to Nome. Handler leaves for the race in just a couple of days. She’ll get to actually meet John and his father. Stay tuned, as I’ll be sharing more about John, his life with dogs and his run to Nome. I also predict that there will be a more recent picture of John and Iditarod Trail Boss, Mark Nordman coming soon.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Clydesdale horses originated in Scotland

Allan Alexander Allan was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1867. The boy became known as Scotty. Growing up, he loved to work with animals. At the very young age of 12, he began vocational training on how to train horses. At the age of 19, he accompanied a beautiful Clydesdale Stallion on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and then to a ranch in South Dakota. Once in American, Scotty headed to the west coast where 10 years later, news of gold in the Klondike lured him to the far north.

Like many young men, Scotty left his wife and two, soon to be three children behind with the promise of returning rich or sending for them when he was settled. He didn’t strike it rich in the Klondike. He earned his wages as a teamster, moving supplies over the dangerous trails to the mining camps, first with teams of horses and then by dog team. He became well known in the Dawson area as a top notch dog driver.

News of abundant gold in Nome prompted Scotty to travel the frozen Yukon River, a distance of over 1,200 miles, with his dog team lead by Dubby. Get a map out and compare this trek to the Iditarod race. Scotty didn’t strike it rich prospecting for gold in Nome either so he took a job in a hardware store and focused on training dogs. once settled, he brought his wife and family to Nome.

Nome Kennel Club Patch on Handler's Anorak

In 1907, dog drivers in Nome banded together to form the Nome Kennel Club. The purpose of the organization was to improve the care and breeding of sled dogs. The club sponsored the All Alaska Sweepstakes running from Nome to Candle, a distance of a little more than 400 miles. In the mean time, Scotty acquired Baldy. With Baldy in lead, Scotty placed in the top three a total of eight times – with three victories.

After WWI broke out, Scotty was contacted by the French Military to train drivers and 450 dogs for transporting supplies and wounded soldiers in the mountains between Germany and France. The dogs became famous around the world and many received medals of valor.

Scotty was elected to the Alaska Territorial Legislature and served terms in 1917 and 1919. He and his family moved back to California prior to the 1925 Diphtheria Epidemic. Seeking the best dog trainer, Admiral Richard Byrd sought out Scotty to train the dogs for Byrd’s 1928 Antarctica Expedition.

Scotty, the most famous musher of his time once said, “Dogs are the most intuitive creatures alive. They take the disposition of their driver. That is why I never let my dogs know that I am tired. At the end of the day…, I sing to the little chaps and whistle so they always reach the end of the trail with their tails up and waving.” Murphy and Haigh, share these words in Gold Rush Dogs. Handler says that Iditarod mushers follow his advice today.

Tenor, Thunder and Chaser in the 3 Dog - 3 MIle Race sponsored by the Nome Kennel Club

The Nome Kennel Club still exists and organized the All Alaska Sweepstakes again in 2008. Check the Internet for more information on that – who was the winner, what was the purse, what was the route, how long did it take, are the rules different than Iditarod? When Handler was in Nome, she ran in the 3 Dog – 3 Mile Business Man’s Race (open to men and women amateurs) sponsored by the Nome Kennel Club using dogs and a sled provided by club member, Dempsey Woods.

You can read more about Scotty Allan at www.litsite.org. and in Gold Rush Dogs by Murphy & Haigh.  Baldy of Nome by Esther Birdsall Darling includes many stories about Scotty – you can’t talk about Baldy without talking about Scotty.” Make sure to read my earlier story about Baldy of Nome. Here’s a question for you – Did Baldy become famous because of Scotty or did Scotty become famous because of Baldy?

Well, there you have it, some information on a Scott who gained fame in Nome for his ability to train and drive dogs in the best and worst of conditions. Stay tuned for another story about a Scott, John Stewart, who’ll be driving dogs from Anchorage to Nome in Iditarod XXXVIII.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Nulato on the Yukon River

The village of Nulato (nu-LAU-toe) is situated on the mighty Yukon 52 miles down river from Galena. Well before the town was incorporated in 1963, Athabascans from the interior and Eskimos from the coast met at Nulato for trading. After the Russian explorer Malakov arrived in the 1830, an actual trading post was built. Because of trade disputes disgruntled natives, not once but twice burned the post to the ground. As contact with the outside world increased through missionaries, explorers and gold prospectors so did disease. Smallpox in 1839 was the first epidemic to wipe out large numbers of the native population followed later by food shortages and measles. Our Lady of Snows, a Roman Catholic school and mission was completed in 1887 and many of the area natives moved into the village. The influence of the mission continues today as most Nulato residents call themselves Roman Catholics. The post office opened in 1897. At the peak of the gold rush, there were 46 steamers that navigated the Yukon. When the river was ice free, a couple of ships each day would stop at Nulato to purchase wood to fire their boilers. The gold was depleted by 1906 and the miners moved on but the Athabascans and missionaries who called Nulato “home” stayed.

Target Teacher on the Trail at Nulato Checkpoint

Currently there are two Nulato town sites that nearly 300 residents call home. Those living at the old town site haul water from the village well or the church and use honey buckets and outhouses. Houses located in the new town site have piped water and sewer so the residents enjoy bathroom and kitchen plumbing. Nulato has a school, a store and a clinic. They have diesel-generated electricity and like most bush villages, they are connected to the outside world by telephone, television and Internet. Most people living in Nulato are of Athabascan descent and live a subsistence lifestyle. Food sources include salmon, moose, bear, small game and berries. Many families still travel to fish camps during the summer.   Trapping in the winter provides some extra income for some families. Some residents have year around jobs with the city, tribe, school, clinic and store. During the summer, some folks work at construction, fish processing and fire fighting. The village has a newly renovated airport otherwise the river is the number one mode of local travel.  Boats, skiffs and barges are common between May and October when it’s ice free then snowmachines, ATVs and other vehicles take over when it becomes an ice road.

The best way to describe the weather at Nulato is to copy and past from Ruby and Galena. Average highs in the summer are in the lower 70’s and average lows in the winter are below zero. Extreme cold often settles in the area for days on end. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Nulato is 90 and the lowest is a frigid 55 below and that doesn’t include wind chill. Average precipitation of nearly 16 inches includes over 6 feet of snow.

Icy Yukon Highway complete with wind, drifts, overflow, rough ice and open water

From Galena to Nulato and then to Kaltag, teams continue on down the icy Yukon. The run can be frigid and windy and will include the usual river hazards – overflow, rough ice, drifts and open water. It’s best not to venture off the trail. About halfway to Nulato, mushers and dogs welcome a change in scenery as the Nulato Hills, a mountain range to the west, rise to 1,000 feet in elevation on the right shore of the river.

Well there you have it, information about the village and people of Nulato and the trail between Galena and Kaltag. This completes the Virtual Trail Journey series that began last year. Now you can find detailed information about ALL the checkpoints from Anchorage to Nome – southern and northern routes. All of the Virtual Trail Journey stories are in Zuma’s blog under “Sanka’s Posts.” The villages and villagers along the trail are far more than just Iditarod checkpoints and fans. Folks living in the checkpoint villages are historically unique; their ancestors have survived famines, disease, violence and other hard times. Looking forward to the future, the villagers will adapt to an ever-changing lifestyle by combining wisdom and practical advice from their elders with the skills and knowledge obtained through education.

Stay tuned for my next story about Nome’s mushing phenom, Scotty Allen whose lead dog was Baldy of Nome.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Moose forage along the Yukon near Nulato

Resting teams and checkpoint from a Cessna 180

The first town site of Galena was established in 1918 near a native fish camp called Henry’s Point, one of many fish camps located on the Yukon River. Athabascans in the area were nomadic living in spring, winter, fall and summer camps dictated by where and how the wild game was migrating. The town became important as a supply and transportation hub for the lead ore mines. Athabascans living a few miles up river at Louden moved down to Galena to harvest and sell wood to the steamboats for fuel and also hauled freight for the mining companies. The first school opened in the mid 1920’s followed by a post office in 1932.

Military installments built during WWII and later sparked growth in the area. Devastating floods prompted the residents to move their town to a higher dryer location about a mile away from the first town site. Some houses in the new town have piped water and sewer, a few others use honey buckets but the majority use a flush/haul system. Water is supplied from wells. The village operates a landfill. Galena derived its named from the mineral found with lead and silver ore.

Currently, Galena is a town of over 700 people and serves as the transportation, government and commercial center for the western Interior. While some folks still rely on a subsistence lifestyle, most are employed in government, transportation, health care, education, retail, construction or fire fighting jobs. In 1993, one of the Air Force bases closed and shortly thereafter was reopened by the Galena School District as the Galena Interior Learning Academy, a secondary residential vocational school. This school is for students, grades 9 thru 12, who don’t have access to a high school where they live and who desire a topnotch educational experience. Students completing their education at GILA leave with a high school diploma and vocational certification in areas such as Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Technology, Small Engines or Fire Fighting. The K-12 school in Galena is named after revered Athabascan Elder, Sydney Huntington. He has served on the local school board for many years and believes that education is extremely important for today’s youth. Without educating village youths, there will be no future for the villages of the people. He encourages people in the villages to become educated and move beyond subsistence living. Handler was fortunate to leave Galena with an autographed copy of Shadows on the Koyukuk by Huntington. In the book, Sydney shares stories of his childhood – a simpler but very difficult life.

Dogs with window seats for the trip home form Galena

The climate in Galena isn’t much different than Ruby including the extreme temperature differences. Average July high temperatures are in the low 70’s while average lows in January range for 10 to well below zero. During the winter and often during Iditarod, the area experiences long stretches of bitter cold. Temperature extremes recorded in Galena are 64 below and 92 above. Annual precipitation is close to 13 inches including about 5 feet of snow.

Galena is a regional transportation hub for the surrounding villages. The airport accommodates planes with landing wheels and skies. Barges navigate the river from mid-may through mid-October. Autos, trucks, snowmachines, skiffs and ATVs are used for local travel. During the winter, frozen rivers are used as highways to neighboring villages. Speaking of transportation, Edgar Nollner of Galena was the serum runner who received the medicine from Billy McCarty, Sr. at Whiskey Creek and carried it 24 miles to Galena.

From Ruby, teams run down the Yukon all the way to Galena. Some leaders are spooked by the wind swept wide-open space on the mile to two-mile wide river. It’s important to stay on the well-marked trail to avoid thin ice, overflow and open stretches of water.

Well there you have it – some information about the Alaskan town of Galena.  Thanks to my friend, Target Teacher on the Trail, Jane Blaile for sharing her pictures.  Stay tuned for my next story about Nulato.  Remember, in everything, do you best every day.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Galena Checkpoint in the old Community Hall downtown

Changing sled runners for the run down river