One EARLY Morning Spectator Looks into the Fog Hoping a Musher Emerges
People in Unalakleet are looking to see Mitch Seavey arrive early this afternoon. Dallas Seavey is close behind by just five miles followed by Wade Marrs, Nicolas Petit and Joar Leifseth Ulsom. Mitch departed Kaltag at 04:40 followed by Dallas at 04:45. Wade left at 05:28, Nicolas at 06:35 and Joar at 06:50. Clearly we have a race here that’s going to be marked by strategic moves all the way along the coast as well as on the old portage trail from Kaltag. It’s anybody’s guess as to how Mother Nature will play into the picture. Usually the coast provides storms and winds that challenge the mushers and their best devised plans.
So before the first musher arrives and receives the Wells Fargo Gold Coast award, here’s a little bit about Unalakleet commonly referred to as UNK. The big news here right now is the fog – Ice Fog. When fog freezes in the air and then the fog settles on sleds, grasses, trees and other objects you have hoar frost. While the visibility was good last night with stars shining, the opposite is true today – thick ice fog. The windbreak on the dragon’s back across the slough is barely visible and it’s thick with hoar frost. While the frost is downright amazing, it’s also pretty problematic when trying to stage a sled dog race.
Hoar Frost Covers Sleds Shipped to the Checkpoint with Drop Bags in the Background
There’s one young spectator who is patiently waiting and watching for a dog team to emerge out of the fog. Closer to the arrival of the first musher, there will be plenty more spectators. It’ll be a crowd of folks not only locals from the village but also spectators who’ve flown in with tour groups and musher family/friends who’ve come in by commercial flights. The slough will be a fashion show of gorgeous native winter attire.
Right now everyone in the checkpoint is trying to read minds. What’s Mitch’s plan? He’s just taken his 8-hour Yukon rest and he 24rd in Huslia only 200 miles back. His team is well rested. Will he make the whole 90-mile run from Kaltag to the coast in one stretch or will he rest at the river just out of Unalakleet and then charge on through Unalakleet to Shaktoolik? What about those who are close behind Mitch – Dallas, Wade, Nicolas and Joar? Aliy Zirkle has now joined the group on the Kaltag Portage so add her to the mix of contenders. What are their plans? When do they plan to rest and refuel? Long and short it’s for them to know and us to wonder.
The population of Unalakleet is roughly 900. It’s the largest community between Fairbanks and Nome on the 2017 trail. Residents can shop at the AC store or the Native store. Each is well stocked with groceries and other necessary products. There’s a regional health center located in the village and the airport is large enough to accommodate passenger and cargo planes as well as bush planes. It is a hub of activity for the Iditarod Air Force and also a dropped dog hub .
The two restaurants in town are extremely busy during Iditarod. There’s the Igloo, which is right next to the checkpoint that serves up a delicious burger and fries. That’s the place to get an espresso drink too. They will open at noon today. The other place, Peace on Earth, serves pizza and sandwiches. It’s a short hike from the checkpoint right on the coast. It’s always open during Iditarod week. One can purchase containers of Haagen Dazs ice cream with spoons provided for dessert after pizza.
There are three churches – Catholic, Covenant and Baptist. No worry for those who want to worship AND see the first mushers arrive. Church is at 11:00 and the mushers won’t be here until sometime this afternoon. The Covenant Church hosts a pie social during Iditarod week. Spectators, volunteers who are stationed in UNK and the community really enjoy the pies and the conversation over pie.
Several years ago, the village erected six wind chargers high on the hill just outside of town. The wind always blows in UNK. As a result of the investment in the chargers, the community saves roughly 80,000 gallons of diesel fuel in generating electricity on an annual basis.
Nancy Persons who teaches 2nd grade and is the Biathlon coach, conducts ski lessons for the children of the community. They ski every Saturday morning. Once a year she organizes a community ski race for all ages. There are the real young children right up through the high school skiers and adult skiers. Along with Iditarod, the ski race brings a huge number of local spectators to the slough. It’s another fashion show of native winter wear.
Very soon the Wells Fargo folks will show up with the gold nuggets and the large trophy that will be awarded to the first musher to arrive in UNK. While it looks like it’ll be Mitch Seavey, anything can happen in the last few miles of the portage trail. When will he rest? It’s for him to know and us to wonder.
