Ceremonial Start—Saturday AM, Downtown Abchorage, Part II
The quiet of the early morning is replaced by madness, barking dogs, caucophony, human pedestrian congestion, and action. I think the entire Iditarod community of mushers and handlers and media just want to end the posturing and unloose the dogs. Friends, spouses, girl friends, boy friends, joke that they would like to get Junior or Missy on the trail, so everyone else can reclaim their lives while their musher initiates their adventure.
Ramey Smyth, top contender, last years 2nd place finisher
Walking about, I happen to see Ramey Smyth, last years 2nd place finisher, a fortunate meeting. Not mentioning Ramey Smyth in previous articles has been a serious oversight as he comes into the race a solid favorite. Ramey Smyth is at once a race favorite and described first by most mushers as the grand spoiler.
micracle kids checking out the dogs with Ramey
He loves to race with a strategy which enables him to come from behind and gradually pick off competitors in the last third of the race. The experience of being passed, as can be imagined, is often more poignant, more long lasting, than actually passing someone else. What is also disturbing is that Ramey Smyth is such a genuinely likeable human being. It really is quite impossible to hate Ramey Smyth when he approaches from behind and politely asks for the trail as his team rumbles by your team and leaves you sweat soaked as you try to help your team stay in contact. For this reason, he is well remembered by many. He particularly enjoys whistling up the dogs in the last 22 miles of the race from Safety to Nome, a real danger zone if you find yourself just miles ahead of Ramey. He will almost certainly diminish your pay check by one place.
Additionally, Ramey Smyth is a runner, a great bare boned athlete, that likes to work behind the sled, often jogging behind. He often dresses so lightly, that, truthfully, the only way he can keep warm is to keep running, which seems unfair for some of our mushers who are disinclined to work behind the sled. I always tell Ramey that he is actually helping and encouraging some of his musher friends to get signed up for a fitness program and developing their character. He always laughs.
Asked about the team, he told me that all looked good but that he couldn’t bring Bishop, his super leader this year. Apparently Bishop was left at a checkpoint with a small injury in the Kusko300, a race out of Bethel, Alaska. While he was still racing, Bishop somehow suffered a laceration on his shoulder. Its not clear whether it was a dog bit, or contact in the box, but the cut required attention. Unfortunately, the cut did not heal well, and Bishop misses the big event leaving leaders Scott and Zeus to shoulder the responsibility of team leadership.
I mentioned that he was like Lance Mackey in that he was doing all the work with the dogs. He agreed that it forced you to be race ready and toughened in to the trail. He mentioned an old friend of ours, Musher Vern Halter, who at one time had a well organized crew of handlers. In fact, this abundance of help gave Vern a great amount of leisure time to contemplate his place in the universe. He must have been afforded in excess. At one time he stood and berated his handlers, “Look at me,” he screamed, “I’m getting fat and it’s all your fault.”
Hey, can you ride in the dog boxes like the dogs?
Ramey works with the Miracle Kids from Providence Hospital
Ramey and his wife Rebecca are wonderful ambassadors for kids and mushing. Approached by Providence to participate in the Miracle Kids program, their representative told me they chose
Ramey and Rebecca because of their commitment to fitness and health and their kid loving demeanors. The large group of kids were engaged and fascinated. Several disappointed kids in the program, I am told, were unfortunately not well enough to make the trip.
A crowd of kids gathered around Ramey as he explained how the dogs worked and how he cared for them. One little girl was absolutely intrigued with the dog boxes and peered inside to investigate the straw bedding and commodious plywood quarters. In a short time, huskies become quite attached to their box and will often voluntarily jump in their boxes after a training run. Of course, you cant speak for the dog, but you tend to believe that it’s a welcome retreat, comfortable, kind of cave like, and secure.
“Can you ride in the dog boxes?” said the little girl. How can you answer such a question without previous experience? All the adults looked to Ramey, not expecting an answer. “Well,” said Ramey with authority,” you actually can, and my brother and I used to ride in the dog boxes on my Dad’s truck.”
This statement was actually astounding, especially since none of the adults appeared to have ever thought about it. Then, the little girl asked, “Did he let you out?”
Non-plussed, and with great theater for the adults, Ramey answered, “Yes, every couple of hours to take a pee and get a snack.” This satisfied everyone, children and adults. I’m still laughing.
Ramey hooks up one dog for a very interested little girl
Miracle Kids drive Dog
“I have an idea, let’s hook up a dog,” With Rebecca giving a helpful push in the back, Ramey led a one dog team and basket full of kids.
John Baker honored. Simeon Paktotak, Sr., 79, legendary whaling captain from Barrow rides as passenger in his sled.
The Iditarider program was developed to give fans a chance to ride in the sled of their favorite musher on the Ceremonial start. On line bidding enables fans to secure a place in the sled, and also gives the Iditarod trail committee an income flow for the race.
Whaling captain Simeon Paktotak is John Bakers Iditarider
This year, John’s sponsors purchased the Iditaride to honor Simeon Paktotak, 79, a whaling captain from Barrow. The position of whaling captain in the Arctic is traditional. Not only is it a position of authority on the boat, a whaling captain is held in great respect in the community. Conversely, however, the whaling captain is expected to exercize a great responsibility to the community.
Simeon’s son Crawford Paktotak rode as a musher on the second second sled behind John. Crawford is also a whaling captain. In the tradition of the Arctic region he has also shouldered the burden of leading the Inupiat community. Recently, Crawford was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (known in Alaska as ASRC), a resource management company with nearly 10,000 employees worldwide, and extensive resources and property in the Arctic region.
Simeon Paktatak's view of the Baker dog teaam
I spoke briefly with Simeon just before the entourage left for the start line. Knowing that he had used sled dogs in his life, I hoped that he would enjoy the watching John’s dogs working on the trail. He assured me that he would.
His son Crawford then spoke to him in Inupiaq, his native tongue, and Simeon nodded his head in agreement.
John Baker told me it was a tremendous honor to carry Simeon Paktotak,Sr., in his sled.
Final Thoughts
Frivolity will now disappear from the musher visage, at least the ones to the front. Hugh Neff will still be joking around, but his game face is on. “We have enough experience now,” he told me, “to hunt anyone down that tries to make a move on us.”
Most mushers are retreating to quiet corners of Anchorage or bailing out of town in direction Willow (the official Restart of the race) to consider their last minute preparations, check weather reports, and evaluate gear.
