Thank you notes from the Kindergarteners at Larson Elem. I am currently seeking purple ballgown to wear to the 2023 Iditarod Start.

Today I visited Larson Elementary School in Wasilla, Alaska and shared all things Iditarod with excited and enthusiastic students. My presentation focused on the race, the dogs, and my upcoming trail experience. However, I took a moment with the older grades to share where I am from and how it is similar, and different, from their community in Alaska. The statistics are surprising and provide a great jumping off point to discuss where and how we live.

I hail from Western New York, a suburb of Rochester to be specific; land of buffalo wings and home to Kodak, where Frederick Douglas published his North Star newspaper and Susan B. Anthony championed women’s rights.

It’s in a county with more than 755,000 residents. The entire state of Alaska has 733,000 residents. More people in a much smaller space. One student actually asked, “How does that work?” I think we are just smooshed closer together where I live. If we do a state to state comparison you’ll discover that New York has 20 Million people. Yes, we are definitely smooshed. Then we talked about size of the state – Alaska is 663,268 square miles – that is larger than California, Texas and Montana combined!  New York is a mere 54,556 square miles.  Alaska is 12 times the size of New York.  It is HUGE! 

This map from the Bureau of Land Management-Alaska shows the comparison of Alaska to the Lower 48.

Tying into Iditarod, it is the only state that could host a 1,000 mile dog sled race within it’s borders- because it is the only state that is that BIG! Texas is about 800 miles across, and California is 770 miles north to south; if you want to get from one end to the other of these states you can drive.  Alaska is perfect for Iditarod – you can’t drive across the state; dogsledding is a historically essential mode of transportation. Alaska has the space, the tradition, and the snow to make the Iditarod happen.  

Roads?  Where we’re going we don’t need roads.  Photo Credit: Jeff Schultz

If you live outside Alaska compare your state, county, or even city (talking to you NYC with your more than 8 million people) and consider how it measures up. If you live in Alaska explore the lower 48 to discover the biggest, smallest, most/least populated places and compare them to the great big, beautiful, wonderful, world that is Alaska. 

Library Learning: Tomorrow I’m taking a break from presenting to attend the Jr. Iditarod vet checks and pre-race musher meeting. 

QUESTION: The Iditarod has two routes, Northern Route (run in even years) and Southern Route (run in odd years).  Both routes cross the state from Anchorage to Nome.  Which route is longer and by how many miles?  HINT: Check out the RACE MAP

ANSWER for Feb. 22: The author of Kiana’s Iditarod is Shelley Gill, and she will be presenting at the IditarodEDU teacher’s conference next week! I’m excited to meet this wonderful storyteller.