Reflection Lake

I stopped by Reflection Lake today on my way into Anchorage, which gave me time to think about and reflect on my first week in this great state. There has simply been so much that has happened in the last week, it feels like one amazing whirlwind. I have met some incredible people, heard some incredible stories and taken in the incredible landscape this state has to offer. I have started to learn more of the “lingo” and learned many new things. For example, a “2-up” refers to a second seat on a snow machine that is strapped onto the back and sits a little higher than the driver’s set; hence the 2-up. Also, I learned that male Caribou shed their antlers in the winter months, and the females keep them to protect their young from predators. (Therefore, all of Santa’s Reindeer are female!) The Junior Iditarod from last week was a great introduction to the community of mushing. I witnessed and experienced some amazing acts of generosity, kindness, hospitality from some very “salt of the earth” people. 

Here are just some of the people I met this week…

Jr. Iditarod XLV Honorary MusherBob Morgan (Photo Credit Jim Deprez)

Bob Morgan, the honorary musher of the Junior Iditarod this year is a 2-time Iditarod finisher. He ran the race in 1993 & 1994. After experiencing both the Northern and Southern routes, I was able to ask him some questions about it. He said that he had a personal preference for the Northern Route. On those even numbered years, he explained that running down the Yukon river is much easier than running up it. I asked him if this was largely due to the winds, and he said that played a factor, yes, but that when you are running down the river, you are actually running slightly downhill. Since water travels in a downward direction, even though it is a very slight grade, it does make it a little bit easier than running up the river. This is something that I never really thought about before. He also shared an incredible story about being a member of the “gas house 5”. In this interesting tidbit, he was sharing a tent with 4 other people, but the heat was turned up very high; so much so that condensation started to form on the roof and drip onto him. Not wanting to get wet, and trying to get some sleep, he opted to sleep outside with his dog team. The others in the tent were not so lucky. They were rescued from the tent after suffering from some carbon monoxide poisoning from the propane heater being turned up so high. Just an incredible story from an extraordinary individual. 

Dakota Schlosser, Vet Phil Meyer and Emily Dinges at Vet Check (Photo Credit Terrie Hanke)

Phil Meyer has been a veterinarian with the Junior Iditarod for over 40 years. He has been a member of the board for the Iditarod and race veterinarian for many years as well. I had the privilege of listening to his stories from the trail on my 3 hour return trip from Cantwell this past Sunday. A retired military man, he was sharing stories of his life, family and of course, Iditarod. Some of the things that he shared includes his time with the Smyth family. From father Bud, to two of his sons, Ramey and Cim, with whom he has worked with for years. Joe May and Libby Riddles are other big names in Iditarod lore that he has worked with. If you are familiar with the popular book by Libby Riddles entitled “Danger, the Dogyard Cat”, Dr. Meyer was the veterinarian that took care of Danger. Upon conclusion of our time in the car together, he even invited me over to his house for lunch the next day. Unfortunately, I was not able to take him up on his offer this time, but I do hope to stay in contact with this amazing individual. 

As I have mentioned over the past few days, the junior mushers themselves are an extraordinary group of young people. Their dedication to the sport, their dogs and their families is truly remarkable. Their genuine nature and care for everyone around them is truly something special. Here are a few more photos from the race this year of these inspiring young people. 

Finally, today I got to meet the 3 finalists for the Teacher on the Trail 2023. They represent the states of Colorado, Maryland and New York. It is so wonderful to hear the excitement and enthusiasm that these three women share about this amazing sport. I look forward to getting to know them more as the week goes on. Whoever is selected for this position next year will carry the torch with pride and continue to spread the fascination and wonderment of the Iditarod to a whole new group of students in a different part of the country. 

Teachers: In my walk around Reflection Lake today, there were many interesting signs posted. For those who teach life cycles or adaptations to your students, use this informational sign to share with your students about how the wood frog during winter turns itself into a “frogsicle”.