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Juli Westrich 2023
Iditarod 2023 is coming to a close and it’s ending just as it should, all the pieces coming together, all the loose ends tied up, all the closure necessary to move forward and back to real life. Last night the race concluded with an epic finish. Jason Mackey came up off the ice to receive …
“Camaraderie is built through shared agony and laughter. “ Today, just after noon, the journeys of Gerhardt Thiart and Bridgett Watkins came to an end – a successful finish in the 51st Iditarod. Their trip to the burled arch in Nome began more than a year ago when they both started the 2022 Iditarod ready …
How do you get the latest news and information? I usually turn to social media and free news sources. I subscribe to a daily email that gives me the top stories and rarely dig deeper. Prior to my departure for Iditarod I did several interviews with local tv news outlets, and was shocked by how …
As I write this post I am sitting in a beautiful corner of the Kegoayah Kozga Public Library in Nome, Alaska looking out the window at local children sledding down a giant hill. It is peaceful and serene; quite different from the excitement of the Iditarod FINISH on Front Street. And it was definitely exciting …
Fifty-one years ago Joe Redington Sr. saw a dream realized when the first Iditarod mushers completed the race he worked so hard to develop. Today his grandson, Ryan Redington, won the Iditarod – closing the circle from creator to champion. Ryan, in bib #5, came down Front Street just after noon having raced for 8 …
I am a total museum geek. Before I became a librarian I worked in museums and I just love that format of learning – objects that tell stories. Today I had the greatest museum experience in Nome, AK. We got here a day before any Iditarod mushers are expected to arrive so there was …
One of the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons I shared with students before I left for Alaska focused on FLEXIBILITY. Sometimes we have to be able to adapt to changes and open our mind to other possibilities. Unexpected changes happen, and it takes some practice to roll with the unknown. I have been flexible about …
This morning dawned beautiful and brisk in Kaltag. It was -14 degrees and the sun poked over the trees illuminating the river in a glorious pastel light. All was peaceful, calm, serene. Back at the bunk house there was a flurry of activity; bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches cooking, coffee poured, conversation and good-natured …
A – Anvik: First checkpoint on the Yukon, mile 512 of the Iditarod Trail Race, and my home for next night or two! B – Brent Sass: Third into Anvik; he made a quick stop to check in and then took off up the Yukon! C – Church Bell: Ringing the bell signals the first …
Attitude. Optimism. These are two of the 8 Traits of Iditarod. Sometimes they can be a hard sell. But they can be incredibly useful in the face of difficult situations, particularly those we have no control over. I have been looking forward to this adventure for almost a year. Yesterday I was to fly to …