“There’s no place like Nome”. “Nome, sweet Nome”. “Nome is where the heart is”. There are so many sayings like these that have been tossed around, but they all ring true. There really is no other checkpoint like Nome. Nome is the end of the Last Great Race and the place where I …
On Sunday, June 25th, 25 Iditarod educators arrived in the UP of Michigan for the beginning of the 2023 Iditarod Summer Conference. Teachers from all over the country were in attendance, from states as far as Massachusetts, Virginia and Nevada! It is the first time in a while that there has been a conference in …
Relationships. For me that’s what this event is, and always has been about. Whether it is the relationship between the mushers and the “true athletes” – the dogs (as most of the mushers would say). Relationships amongst fellow mushers… …
There is a popular quote that states, “It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later”. These words couldn’t be more relevant as I sit down to write my final post as Teacher on the Trail™. It’s hard to believe that it was during the Summer of 2019, when I started working on my application. Since then, …
For the final installment in this series of posts, the volunteer who I interviewed is a former Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™. Martha Dobson served as the teacher in 2011, and knew after her year was over, that her time with Iditarod was not ending, but rather, adjusting. She has volunteered in a couple …
One common misconception about sled dogs is also a question I frequently get from my students: “Why do the dogs look so much like wolves, are they part wolf?” This misconception is not helped by the 1995 Disney cartoon movie “Balto”, where it is falsely stated that Balto is half wolf and “can’t be …
Karin Hendrickson is a familiar name and face in the current Iditarod scene. This year was her 10th Iditarod race as a musher since her rookie year in 2009. However, during her non-racing years, she has still been an important part of the race, serving as a Race Judge on a few occasions. This …
This lesson is a very fun STEM project created to relate to the job of the Iditarod trail breakers. Unlike some of the other STEM activities I have posted, this one is much quicker. It can be completed in one (longer) class session. In this lesson, students work with a certain type of …
Dan Harrelson has been a very big figure in the small community of White Mountain for decades. He is currently a member of the city council and is the VPSO (Village Public Safety Officer) in the community. However he had also been the mayor of White Mountain as well. But as he said, “ …
What an adventure… Last night was the musher banquet that formally wrapped up the 2022 Iditarod Sled Dog Race. It was a night to celebrate, for a variety of different reasons. Some for finishing their first Iditarod, some for taking a step back from the race for a bit, and still others for simply …
