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Teacher's Journal
Today was an amazing travel day. While mushers cruised along the Yukon River at 5-8 miles per hour on average, they were able to appreciate individual trees dripping with snow, fallen branches, the craggy edges of river bends—all the details of a magnificent, slow journey by dog team. Instead, today I got a bird’s eye …
I’ve been at Galena for about 27 hours now. In that time I’ve observed many interactions that help me understand better what community means. Here are some examples: Charlotte, who lives in this remote Alaskan village, brought moose soup for the mushers. Robert and Katie, volunteers, attend the comms desk and do a great job …
The Iditarod is full of majestic, sublime moments that are worthy of a painting. Being on the ground and in the air on the trail has put me into close contact with the race, closer than I’ve ever been. Because I’ve only seen the Ceremonial Start and Restart prior to this, my immersion into the …
This morning I was sitting in the McGrath roadhouse having breakfast with new friends, Iditarod Trail volunteers. Suddenly a representative from Logs, the logistics arm that gets people where they need to be, rushed over. “I found you!” the agent said. “Do you want to go on a scenic flight to Ophir? It would just …
“This is why I’ve been doing this for forty years,” Mark Nordman said, nodding at some school kids animatedly talking across the shop in McGrath where the checkpoint is located. Iditarod finisher, Race Marshal for many years, and all around amazing person, Nordman has been up and down the Iditarod Trail more than anyone. It’s …
Iditarod mushers and their dogs are making their way down the trail! It’s exciting to see the tracker, watch live feed from the trail, and view Insider videos. Iditarod does such an amazing job of helping the public follow along with the race. After watching dog teams come and go on the river at the …
The Restart of the 2024 Iditarod took place on Willow Lake at 2pm! The starting chute was full of excitement as the dogs, handlers, media, and mushers readied to start the nearly 1,000 miles of remote winter trail travel. Checkpoints along the Iditarod Trail help the mushers and their dogs have a safe and orderly …
One of the things I love most about teaching writing is that I get to help students learn how to use sensory language. Sensory language just means that writers are telling about what they see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. It’s a skill that takes a lot of practice because it’s not something we really …
Mushers are announcing their bib numbers on social media after the banquet last night. The banquet, and the bib draw especially, is a huge event that creates a lot of excitement. As I was excitedly watching the bib draw, writing numbers in my race guide, I noticed that there was a feeling in the air …
As the 2024 mushers count down the final days before the Ceremonial Start this coming Saturday, they are preparing drop bags, choosing the final dog team, and many other preparations. I anticipate that many of them will be carrying personal items, wearing special jewelry, or sporting significant patches on their parkas. Importantly, Trail Mail cachets …