Yentna Station Roadhouse – Oasis, Wilderness Lodge and Iditarod Checkpoint

Soon teams will on the trail to Nome in Iditarod XLVII.  Yentna Station Roadhouse is the first checkpoint on the trail.  The distance from Willow to Yentna Station is 53 miles. The dogs will still be jazzed when they stop on the Yentna River in front of the Roadhouse.  Most mushers will continue on toward Skwentna and take their first layover there.  Others will camp between Yentna and Skwentna and maybe a few will set the snow hook for a little rest at Yentna Station Checkpoint.

Of all the checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail, Yentna experiences the greatest density of traffic.  The teams haven’t been on the trail long enough to spread out. They arrive at Yentna Station one right after the other.  It’s quite a set up that’s been devised to handle the intense traffic.

Lanes have been created with lath and flags. Picture coming to a toll station on a highway or leaving an airport; there are lanes and you pick the one that looks the shortest.  At Yentna Station, mushers will have FIVE lanes to choose from.  Arrival times are recorded, dogs in/out are recorded, dogs are checked over by vets, bibs are collected, departure time is noted and they’re back on the trail heading to Skwentna.  It’s not unusual for 2 or more teams to be waiting in each lane to pass through the checkpoint.  They’ll handle 52 teams in three to four hours.  Fast, furious and efficient pretty much sums up the activity at Yentna Checkpoint.

Dan is Perpetually Moving Serving Wilderness Cuisine to Roadhouse Guests

Dan and Jean Gabryszak have hosted the Yentna Station Checkpoint point since the 1982 Iditarod.  Yentna is the only checkpoint that is common to both the Jr. Iditarod and Iditarod.  The Yentna Station Roadhouse, a wilderness lodge and home of the Gabryszak family, was built in 1981.  With its proximity to Willow, the lodge offers easy snowmachine access race viewing with available food and rooms.

The trail begins on Willow Lake and winds through typical northern woodlands, consisting of birch forests and spruce swamps. The trail runs over flat land and through gently rolling hills.  The Yentna Station Checkpoint is located 18 miles up river from the confluence of the Susitna and Yentna Rivers.   The Gabryszaks have long supported and partnered with Iditarod.

The Ceiling Sports Autographed Posters from Iditarod and Other Sporting Events – Be sure to Look Up

Call it roadhouse, call it lodge, call it checkpoint of call it home like the Gabryszak family, Yentna Station Roadhouse is the epitome of Alaska’s backcountry friendliness.  Ask any Iditarod musher, Jr. Iditarod musher, Iditasport participant, Ultra sport athlete or volunteer who’s descended upon the wilderness oasis in late February and early March, They’ll all share different stories praising the hospitality offered up by Dan, Jean and their children. 

Dan & Jean, Proprietors of Yentna Station Roadhouse

The Gabryszaks met in Reno, Nevada where Jean was working as a fire department dispatcher and Dan happened to be touring as a musician.  It was Jean who suggested hey go to Alaska and it was Dan who saw the potential of a piece of land across the river from his moose hunting grounds.  Dan’s dream location became available in a public land distribution program.  The stakes they placed on the land in 1981 eventually became their home and business as well as roadhouse and lodge fore adventurers, sports enthusiasts and travelers.

The Roadhouse welcomes travelers 24/7.  With all the signed posters stapled to the ceiling, it feels like an Iditarod Hall of Fame.  The photo is taken from just inside the front door.  As usual, Dan is on the move.  He’s either cooking, serving up food or busing dishes.  It’s pretty near impossible to get a picture of him, as he NEVER stand still.  The same is true for Jean.  It’s a rare treat for visitors at the lodge when Dan gets out his guitar and sings folk songs after the evening meal has been served. 

The roadhouse, a large permanent structure, offers guide services, meals and rooms.  On any given day there might be Idita-sport participants, folks who want to fish or hunt or watch Iditarod or travelers enjoying the comforts of the roadhouse.  The Yentna kitchen is famous for plentiful delicious food and Gabryszak hospitality.

Roadhouses are quite significant in Alaska’s history. They are like hotels that were built along trails used by miners, mail carriers, loggers and anyone else who had to travel along wilderness trails.  They were generally built a day’s travel apart.  Some were permanent wood structures while others were just temporary tents.  Some were quite nice and others just provided shelter and a meal.        

The Iditarod Trail Committee appreciates the long-standing partnership with the Gabryszaks and the Yentna Station Roadhouse. Hosting a checkpoint is no small undertaking and hosting the first checkpoint of the race is especially challenging because of the large number of teams that come through in a short period of time.  The Yentna Station Roadhouse is an institution of bush Alaska much like the Iditarod itself.