On an unexpected stop in Galena, I was able to talk with a couple of mushers who were preparing to take the trail toward Nulato. It was a picture perfect morning for the mushers and dogs – sunny, light winds and temperatures slightly below zero. The dogs were smiling!
Katherine Keith was preparing to leave Galena. Even if I’d not known who she was or didn’t see the Baker name on the sled, I would have immediately known by the way she booted her dogs. It’s unique and in all the teams I’ve watched over the years, I’ve never seen anybody use the same process. The picture tells the story.
The dog lays comfy on its back between the musher’s legs with all four paws in the air. The musher boots and the dog is ready for the trial. It sounds so simple but when you think of it, not all sled dogs will lay an their backs with feet in the air when asked to do so. Katherine explained that they’ve been trained since wee little puppies to lie on their backs. From the very first boot they’ve put on they’ve been doing it with all four feet in the air and they don’t know anything different. They probably look at neighboring teams that are booting and wonder why they’re standing up. They might even be considering sharing their secret with those other canines. Granted, as Katherine said, there comes an occasional pup that just doesn’t like being laid on its back so it’s back to lifting one foot at a time and slipping the bootie on method. As the dog lays on its back for booties, the musher can also check for harness rub.
Parked a few teams over, Paige Drobney was packing up her return bag in preparation for departing Galena. Her dogs were watching her every and knew what came next – booties, tug lines and snow hooks. Paige was talking to a friend from the village. While completing all her chores, the question in her mind was coats, not hers but the dogs. The temperature was about zero, the sun was shinning brightly, there would be a little wind out on the Yukon River. Should she leave coats on the dogs and take them off a few miles into the run or should she take them off before leaving the checkpoint. That’s just one example of all the decisions a musher has to make every time they leave a checkpoint or camping spot as well as out along the trail. We flew out before Drobney left so I don’t know what she decided.
Almost over night, I’ve jumped from the back of the pack to the front of the pack. The final musher out of McGrath, Marcelle Fressineau left before sunrise on Friday morning. Flying with the IAF later that afternoon put me in Galena not long after the leaders passed through. Mid-morning on Saturday put me back in the air again flying over the trail to Kaltag. We saw a couple of teams in route. The pilot asked Iditarod Teacher on the Trail and me what we’d like to do – fly high or fly low. Our response was if we’re above the trail, lets fly low.
From Kaltag to Unalakleet, we saw teams on the portage trail – most likely Zirkle, Buser and Petit. We were at 800 feet traveling at 160 mph so it’s hard to judge distance between teams. Clearly they were close together. There’s a serious race heading into Unalakleet. Now that I’m here and can look at tracker they are traveling about two-miles apart.
The Kaltag to Unalakleet trail has some significant history. The trail follows a portage trail used by the Athabascans of the interior to travel to the Bering Coast to trade with the Inupiaq Eskimos. Russians also used the trail in their explorations and trading activities. Just 15 miles out of Kaltag, the mushers climb to 800 feet above sea level at the summit of the portage through the Nulato Hills. In Iditarod Trail Notes, Don Bowers warns the mushers that ground blizzards and other storms can blow up in a minute on the western side of the summit. There are a couple of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) safety cabins on the way to UNK. One is in the Tripod Flats and the other is near the Old Woman River. Basic bush etiquette requires that any firewood used at cabins like this be replaced before leaving. If a team stays at the Old Woman Cabin, the musher must leave some food. Legend has it that unless you leave her something, the old woman’s ghost will chase you to Nome and bring you bad luck.
The checkpoint in Unalakleet is buzzing with activity and speculation as the when the first musher will make it to the coast. Wells Fargo presents an award of $2,500 in gold nuggets to the musher leading the way into the checkpoint. Preparations have been underway here for the past several days. Snow berms are in place to shelter the dogs from the often strong winds Unalakleet is known for. The water heating boiler with three chimneys has been fired up. The checker, with clipboard in hand, is ready to sign the first musher in.
As I am officially back of the pack, it’s not my job to scoop the arrival of Zirkle, Buser or Petit. Joe Runyon is here. Enjoy his comments but stay tuned for my stories as the back of the back arrives.
