BOO!

The trail used by Iditarod dog teams to travel from Takotna to Ophir (O-fur) follows an old mining road that was built in the 1920’s to connect Takotna and Ophir with Sterling landing. Water levels on the Kuskokwim River were not always deep enough for steamboats to navigate all the way up river to Takotna so an alternate landing was established. The supplies unloaded from the steamboats at Sterling Landing were then transported to the local supply center and mining towns using the road. This “bush” road like all others in Alaska, doesn’t connect to any state highway system.

In his trail notes, Don Bowers tells the mushers that as they leave Takotna heading toward Ophir, the trial climbs to the top of the divide between the Kuskokwim and the Innoko Rivers. It’s not a serious climb, only about 800 feet over nine miles of trail. After cresting the divide, the trail runs along Independence Creek and the Innoko River until it reaches the ghost town of Ophir. Many teams have taken their 24 hour rest at Takotna so the dogs are ready to get up and go. Mushers say that the view from the top of the 1,200 foot divide is very scenic.

Now for a little history. NationMaster.com, an online encyclopedia says that Ophir, Alaska was named by gold miners after the Ophir mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. Supposedly, rich King Solomon received shipments of gold, silver, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks from the famous wealthy land of biblical Ophir.

Gold was first discovered around Ophir, Alaska in the late 1800’s. At its peak in 1907 to 1908, Ophir had a population of 1,000 people and who knows how many dogs. In gold rush towns, dogs were invaluable for hauling supplies out to the mines and gold back from the mines. As the gold supply was exhausted, the miners and dogs moved on. Today the population of Ophir is zero and only a few buildings, a gold dredge and dilapidated runway remain to mark the location of the once vibrant mining town. As of 2006 small mining operations still exist along some of the nearby creeks. Mining today is far different that it was in the early 1900’s.

The checkpoint for Iditarod is located in a cabin owned by Dick and Audra Forsgren. Mushers and volunteers really appreciate the big pot of stew that Audra cooks up on the woodburning stove in the cabin. Ophir Temperatures (-42 to +80) and precipitation (10 inches) will be very similar to Takotna and McGrath.

Well, there you it – some history and information about Ophir, one of the ghost towns on the Iditarod Trail. Thanks so my friends, Jane Blaile the 2007 Teacher on the Trail and Robert Bundtzen for sharing their favorite photos of Ophir. Next Handler will tell us about Iditarod Checkpoint. Stay tuned for that story and remember, in everything do your best everyday and have a plan.

Born to run,
Sanka

The village has 55 residents. It’s a big deal when Iditarod comes through – everyone needs to help. Folks from the lower 48 who have relatives in Takotna head to the little village to share in the work load. The school children are on vacation so they can help. The checkpoint is manned day and night by residents, friends and relatives in 12 hour shifts. Handler worked with school children who were on the 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. cleanup crew. When a musher left, the children would rake up the left over straw, food and poop then bag it. Another crew would work from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Takotna is an amazing place and Iditarod is truly a labor of love.

Takotna is known for its cold winters and cool summers. On Average, temperatures range from -42°F to zero degrees in the winter and between 42 and 80°F in the summer. Precipitation would be very similar to McGrath with 10 inches of rainfall including around 7 feet of snow. The river is frozen from November through May. The community has electricity. The school and community center have running water and flush toilets. Water is hauled from the waterworks for home use and honey buckets and outhouses are used for sewage disposal. Travelers come and go from the village by either plane or boat. The local road system covers about 15 miles including a road that climbs to the airstrip located high above the village. Handler made the 1.5 mile trek up to the airstrip and was treated to a distant but breath taking view of Denali.

The population of the community is a mixed group of non-Natives, Ingalik Athabascans and Eskimos. Some residents have jobs with the school district, post office, health clinic or local businesses like the small grocery store or seasonal construction companies. A great majority of the area residents rely on moose, salmon, gardens and wild berry crops as food sources. Take a close look at this picture of the inside of the checkpoint. What items do you see that also appear on your table at home? Think about this – this tiny village is in the interior bush of Alaska – accessible only by plane or boat – they hunt and fish for most of their meat – yet we have many things in common.

Now for a little history that Handler and I learned from the Alaska Community Data Base. Over the years, Takotna has been known as Berry Landing, Portage City, Takotna City, Takotna Station and Tocotna. In 1908 after gold was discovered in the Innoko District, Arthur Berry was hired to bring supplies up the river. The village was founded at the spot where the river became too shallow for Berry’s sternwheeler to continue. The village prospered during the gold rush having several commercial companies and roadhouses as well as a post office, radio station and news paper. The water level changed from year to year and so it was not always possible to get supplies to Takotna thus a landing was established further down river. Later in the 1930’s mining activity declined, the Alaska Commercial Company closed the store and McGrath became the supply hub for the area.

Well, there you have it – Takotna, the friendliest little checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail. Our friend and Iditarod Champion, Joe Runyan considers Takotna an excellent choice for the 24 hour layover saying, “It’s a quiet spot for mushers to rest inside a warm dry building, dry out wet gear, eat delicious food and gather information about trail conditions and weather.” Next handler will tell us about Ophir Checkpoint. Stay tuned for that story and remember, in everything do your best everyday and have a plan.

Born to Run,
Sanka

 

McGrath has a population of 400 with a few more than half being Native Alaskans – Athapaskan (Athabascan) and Eskimo. There are two stores, one for groceries and one for dry goods, along with a restaurant. The school in McGrath has 181 students. Nearly all the houses in McGrath are hooked up to the village water system but most have their own septic systems. There is village garbage service and electricity is provided by McGrath Light & Power. The village has a public library, a regional health clinic and a well developed air strip. A person traveling to or from McGrath would go by plane, boat, snowmachine or during Iditarod – dog team as there are no roads leading to the village. There are some local roads and winter trails are marked for travel to Nikolai and Takotna. People and businesses in McGrath receive cargo and supplies by air and water. Being a major supply center, there are many cash jobs but some people still rely on subsistence activities. They hunt moose, caribou, bear and rabbits; fish for salmon; trap; tend gardens and harvest berries and other natural crops.

The Kuskokwim River is almost always open from June thru October. Summer temperatures in McGrath range from 62 to 80 but in winter the temperatures run between -64 and 0 degrees Fahrenheit. When Handler was in McGrath in 2006, the temperature was 35 degrees below zero – sort of a frosty morning for the dogs but they had lots of straw. When it’s that cold, the snow talks back, “CRUNCH,” when you walk, run or drive on it. This area receives only about 10 inches of precipitation per year including 80 to 90 inches of snow.

Now for a little history. I did a Google search one day after lead dog training and found some good info at www.alaskatravel.com/alaska/mcgrath.html. Before the gold rush, McGrath was a meeting and trading place for Kuskokwim Athabascan. Then, because this was all the farther north barges could travel on the Kuskokwim River, it became a regional trading center after gold was discovered in 1906. It wasn’t until 1907 that the town was established and named for Peter McGrath, a local U.S. Marshal. From the time gold was discovered in 1906 until 1925, hundreds, even thousands, of people walked or mushed on the mail and supply trail know as the Iditarod Trail through McGrath on their way to the Ophir gold mines in the Innoko Mining District. Initially, McGrath was across the river from its present location but in 1933 a major flood caused residents and businesses to move to the other bank of the river. In 1937, the Alaska Commercial Company opened a new store. With planes becoming safer and more popular for delivering people, mail and supplies, an airstrip was cleared in 1940. About that same time, the first school was built. McGrath was an important refueling stop during World War II. For the most part, gold mining operations in the area shut down many years because of low prices. Today McGrath is an important communications, transportation and supply center for interior Alaska. It also serves as the center of the huge Iditarod School District.

Well, there you have it – some history and information about McGrath, the Iditarod Trail and what its like to live in the village. The next checkpoint on the trail is Takotna. It’s rumored that Takotna is the best little checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail – handler will tell us about that village next. So, stay tuned and remember in everything do your best every day and have a plan!

Born to Run,
Sanka

 

Summer temperatures in the interior range from 42 to 80 degrees but in the winter it can get mighty cold with temperatures ranging between 62 below and zero degrees. They have about 16 inches of precipitation each year including about six feet of snow. The Kuskokwim river is usually open from June through October for boat and barge traffic.

People who live in Nikolai heat their homes with wood. They have a subsistence life style meaning that they grow their own vegetables; pick berries; hunt caribou, moose and rabbit and fish for Salmon to put food on their tables. Some folks earn a little extra money by trapping and selling handicrafts. In the summer many folks work construction.

One afternoon I had some time after lead dog training to do a little research on the Native Alaskans called Athabaskans. I borrowed a little book called Alaska’s History by Harry Ritter and you won’t believe what I learned! Wisconsin, where I live, is situated in the Great Lakes Region and was once populated by Native American Indians. As it turns out, there are MANY similarities between the two groups. Years ago in their traditional cultures, they both used bows and arrows for hunting; they both wore fringed and beautifully beaded buckskin clothing and they both used utensils and canoes made of birch bark. Can you think of why this might be?

Many years ago before modern times, the Athabascans lead a nomadic life – they went where their food was. In the summer they lived in tents by the rivers to catch salmon. In the fall they moved to hunt moose and caribou. In the winter they lived in earth sheltered dwellings. Mr. Ritter said the Athabaskans were famous for their strength, resourcefulness and stamina. All Alaska Natives are spiritual people and have great respect for the land, water and creatures of nature.

I could tell that Handler really liked Nikolai – the villagers, students and teachers were so very friendly. While eating at the Community Center, the villagers told stories about their childhood and their ancestors and the mushers told stories about their experiences in the Farewell Burn. The menu at the Community Center was very familiar – cheese burgers and french fries for lunch and supper – eggs, bacon and hash browns for breakfast. Many of the villagers, adults and children, gathered at the checkpoint and community center to socialize, meet the mushers and see the dogs teams.

Well there you have it – a glimpse of what life is like in Nikolai today and a little historical information about the Athabascan way of life years and years ago. By the way, Martin Buser named one of his sons Nikolai and the other Rohn – how cool is that to be named after a village or checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail! Next Handler is going to tell us about the trail between Rohn and Nikolai. Stay tuned for that story and remember – in everything do your best everyday and have a plan.

Born to Run,
Sanka