It’s pretty amazing to be at a checkpoint during the race. Tourists get onto small planes and fly out to Finger Lake and to the Rainy Pass Checkpoint on Puntilla Lake. There you’ll find spectators wandering between the rows of straw observing the dogs and the mushers. How about a virtual tour of the historical Skwentna Checkpoint? Handler has sent many photos and descriptions so I’ll do my best to pass them on to you.

Except for a small tarp covered pile consisting of straw bales, boxes of heet and drop bags, the Skwentna River is just a white path through the woods. Except for Joe and Norma Delia who live a 100 or so feet from the checkpoint cabin and the few people that occasionally stop by the post office, there are mighty few folks in the area. The checkpoint cabin is cold. Snow blocks the doorway and nearly covers the windows. A few days before the race passes through, this all changes in a very dramatic fashion.

The first group to come in by snowmachine or bush plane is the women who cook – the Skwentna Sweeties. They prepare the checkpoint so that by the time the race officials and veterinarians arrive mid-day on Saturday, the cabin is warm and food is ready. The River Crew arrives on snowmachine in time for Saturday supper. In the meantime, the communications people have established contact with Anchorage Communications so that race stats can be posted for Internet users to see. Once the comms equipment is operating, the checkpoint is officially open.

Early Sunday morning, the river crew sorts the drop bags and alphabetizes them perfectly in a line right down the center of the river. Bales of straw are spread along the edge of the river for each dog team. A large hole is drilled in the ice to access water that’s heated for the mushers. Finally, the banner is erected and the race judge declares the checkpoint ready. After lunch, all 45 volunteers find a soft place to catch a nap.

By 1800 hours, the River Crew, Checkers, Veterinarians and Comms People were in place on the river. There was a little daylight left but that soon faded. Everyone is looking up river, watching for the headlamp of the first musher. As was expected, DeeDee Jonrowe, wearing Bib #2, was first to arrive at 20:09. The last musher came in at 04:46. Some mushers go right on through the checkpoint but most stay. After caring for their dogs, they generally trek up to the checkpoint cabin. They’re served a hot meal, they sit, they visit and they sleep. They’re handed a sack lunch as they head down to the river to dress the dogs for the trip to Finger Lake.

The last two teams left historical Skwentna just before 1100 hours. Then cleanup began. The banner came down, the left over drop bags are cleaned up, the straw is raked up. In a short amount of time, the river looks about the same as it did 5 days earlier. After the dropped dogs are picked up by the Iditarod Air Force, the checkpoint is declared closed and Iditarod personnel are flown back back to Anchorage for further assignments.
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There you have it – a brief description of how a checkpoint operates. Let P.R.I.D.E. be your guide.

Born to Run,
Sanka