As the school year approaches, August 7 for me, I want to share with you what you can look forward to this year. If you read my blog entries from summer camp, then you may have picked up on my theme, “Journey through the Iditarod.” I plan on using this theme in a variety …
20,237 feet above sea level – Denali 1,150 miles in distance – Iditarod 21,182 climbers have summated Denali 731 Iditarod finishers 1 dog team summit of Denali Last night I went to a presentation in my hotel discussing Denali, or Mt. McKinley. Denali means, “The High One,” in Athabascan. An Alaska Nature Guide delivered …
Today was the last day of camp for the teachers. Most of the teachers will travel home later tonight or early in the morning. Kerry, Jen, and I are traveling some more, separately. I spoke yesterday of the letters each camper was given to create a quilt square and how they were to connect …
One task the campers are given at the beginning of camp is to create a quilt square. Terrie Hanke will make the squares that the campers make into a quilt. They will then be shipped to each camper’s school for a month to be used for lessons in the classroom and displaying purposes. Look …
The journey to that 1049-mile race began today for many mushers. They took that first step to reaching Nome. Father and son signing up, sisters signing up, and even boyfriend and girlfriend signing up. Jeff Schultz autographing his new book and taking photos. Camera crews, junior mushers, rookies, veterans, even some old-timers, and many …
You are driving your family over 1000 miles this summer on vacation. I’m sure you want your family to arrive safely; after all, they are the most important people in your life. With that in mind, you probably have been checking your car inside and out to make sure it is safe to travel. On …
What do you do when you get lost on your journey? People get lost on their journeys all of the time. What you do when you get lost says a lot about you as a person. Many mushers get lost along the trail. Getting lost doesn’t always mean you fail, it teaches you many …
As young mushers evolve into seasoned veterans, they build a lot of character along the way. Today our group made a visit to Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla. While there, we were able to listen to Barbara Redington speak. Barb is the wife of Raymie Redington, son of Joe Redington, Sr. (“Father of the Iditarod”). …
The Iditarod is the “Last Great Race.” We must remember the history and journeys of this last great race. Today we had the pleasure of listening to Joe May, 4-time Iditarod finisher and 1980 Iditarod champion. This man is incredible and shared many exciting stories with us. One aspect of the race that Joe …
What do mushers do with their sled dog when he/she retires? Just as they had the best life before their journey through the Iditarod, they have the best life still, but more relaxing. Our best bud here at Vern’s, Charles, retired as a sled dog on March 1, 2014. Charles is a 10-year old …
