Originally, I wrote an entirely different post to conclude my 2022 Iditarod experience. In fact, it’s sitting in draft, ready for just one final click of the publish button. Then White Mountain happened. My intended post was about the Iditarod as family. There is a legacy and multigenerational nature to Iditarod, both mushers and volunteers. …
I’ve spent the last 8 days in Alaska immersed in the culture of the Iditarod. Today at the Willow Restart, as I watched the mushers take off across the lake and down the trail, I realized I haven’t really talked about the dogs. And the Iditarod is all about the dogs. Watching the them pull …
Stepping outside to the start of the 50th Anniversary 2022 Iditarod Dog Sled Race was like walking into a snow globe. Giant powdery flakes fell heavily from the sky, turning downtown Anchorage into a winter wonderland. The perfect atmosphere for the Iditarod! As we wandered around 4th Avenue a plan began to form for how …
It is impossible to make the Iditarod a reality without the volunteers. This race is spread across 1,000 miles of Alaskan wilderness, takes between 8 and 15 days, and requires nearly 2,000 people to support human mushers and their canine athletes. The sheer number of people involved in making this happen is simply astounding, and …
This is a very special race year, the 50th anniversary of the Iditarod. With all the festivities surrounding this event I can’t help but think about the early runs: the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, before technology exploded. Personally, at my age, I prefer we not think of those decades as “history” because they were part …
Iditarod gives me all the feels. It would be difficult to cover the range of emotions that I have been experiencing since arriving in Alaska. I’ve been excited, nervous, overwhelmed. I’ve felt admiration for the volunteers who make this event possible. I’ve laughed so hard it hurt. And yes, I’ve definitely cried a few times. …
As a special area educator I have the choice to teach in a silo — drop the class at my door and pick them up thirty minutes later. I also have the option to reach outside my library and engage in collaboration with the teachers in my buildings. I greatly prefer the second option. Attending …
Today’s adventure took us out to the Potter Marsh Wildlife Viewing Boardwalk to witness the most incredible landscape and immerse ourselves in natural beauty. Interestingly, the marsh is a result of human intervention in the Alaskan landscape. The construction of the Alaska Railroad required an embankment, cutting off smaller creeks and the marsh was born. …
I’ve been dreaming of Alaska and the Iditarod for more than a decade but getting to the starting line of any great adventure takes time, effort, energy, training, perseverance, and more than a little positive thinking. Finally, it all came together and I was ready for the experience of a lifetime. It was time to …
