As the 2024 mushers count down the final days before the Ceremonial Start this coming Saturday, they are preparing drop bags, choosing the final dog team, and many other preparations. I anticipate that many of them will be carrying personal items, wearing special jewelry, or sporting significant patches on their parkas. Importantly, Trail Mail cachets are being prepared by Jane Holmes, Director of Education for the Iditarod Trail Committee. These cachets are part of each musher’s mandatory gear and will have special significance because of being carried on the Iditarod Trail. Mushers will sign each envelope. At the end of the race, the Trail Mail is stamped and then returned to teachers around the country, so that students can have a piece of Iditarod history that was carried on the trail.

Chad Stoddard carried this Trail Mail in 2021. Photo: Iditarod Media

Astronauts also carry significant items into space. There is even a special lingo for this: items that have been in space are termed “flown.” When I asked Paul Spana, Director of Exhibits at Space Center Houston, about flown items in the collection, he shared with me many stories about how astronauts, like mushers, carry items of personal value on their missions.  Paul said, “The first story that comes to mind is that my friend had an astronaut fly his wedding rings in space. They have a photograph of the rings floating in front of a window on the ISS.”  He also shared a very important story from popular culture: “One time I had Luke Skywalker’s original light saber flown on a shuttle. It was to celebrate an anniversary of the Star Wars movies.” 

Other items of special significance, many holding a touch of humor, include a toy dinosaur. In preparation for Space Shuttle mission STS-65 in 1994, the shuttle mission simulation training team adopted a raptor as their team mascot because the movie Jurassic Park had come out the previous year. Another fun item is a baseball from the 2002 All Star Game flown on Expedition 5. Expeditions are long-term crewed missions to the International Space Station, where astronauts work and live aboard for six months or longer. In 2017, a bubble gum cigar and a pink onesie were flown on Expedition 52/53 for the birth of astronaut Randy Bresnik’s baby who was born while he was in space. On long-term missions, astronaut Megan McArthur confirmed that small gifts of food, letters, and cards sent up in resupply capsules are very welcome.

A toy velociraptor flown in space. Photo: D. Newmyer

In addition to these personal items, patches, flags and pins are flown in space to give as gifts. Paul told me, “After each mission, astronaut crews would put together a collage of images from their mission and present them to people as thank you gifts. The “mission presentation” usually includes a flag that was flown. We have one from STS-37 and STS-135 in the collection at Space Center Houston.”  Flags are significant on the Iditarod Trail also as many mushers display them at the Ceremonial Start and at the finish line in Nome.

DeeDee Jonrowe looks on as Mille Porsild attaches a flag to her sled in 2023. Photo: K. Newmyer

Items of personal significance carried by mushers are also relatively unknown, partly because competitive mushers prefer not to carry extra items so as to cut down on weight.  A story from KTUU about rookie musher Hal Hanson, who ran the Gold Trail Loop in 2021, mentioned that he was carrying several personal items. Taylor Clark wrote that “Carefully wrapped up together, Hanson carries a lock of “his best girl’s” hair, a medallion of St. Christopher patron saint of travelers, a crucifix medal from his father’s days in Vietnam, a coin pressed from his father’s bronze star from the 101st Airborne, and a tag from a dog’s collar named Tanner.” In 2023, Ryan Redington carried leg pins from his dog Wildfire, who had surgery to repair an injury. 

Ryan Explains Plates Removed From Wildfire’s Leg (Photo: Insider)

Learning about personal significant items influenced me to request items from my family to carry on my Teacher on the Trail journey in Alaska.  Among these items is a lapel pin from my son’s state wrestling tournament, a necklace crafted by my 16yo, and a tiny clay angel sculpted by my dear friend Christine. My students often carry items of personal significance, and I imagine yours do too. I encourage you to incorporate this concept into your teaching! Look for significant items that book characters or historical figures carry, or have students write about important objects in their lives.  Let me know how you share this idea at emailtheteacher@iditarod.com.