Appel Mountain – When the Top is Bare, Breakup is Near

Once the race has moved on from a checkpoint, such as McGrath, there’s a little more time to talk to people who live in the community that is gracious enough to host an Iditarod checkpoint.  Not only is McGrath a checkpoint, but McGrath is also a hub.  People and supplies come into McGrath and then are shuttled to smaller checkpoints. Even though the teams are now beyond Ophir, McGrath Logistics is still a happening place.  People are moving up the trail to Unalakleet, people are moving off the trail to Anchorage and returned dogs are flying into McGrath to also head back to Anchorage. Granted, I’d far prefer to be on the ground somewhere with mushers, dogs and Internet.  For now I’ll settle for returned dogs and Internet in McGrath but hope to move to Unalakleet on the coast very soon.

In talking with the residents of McGrath, I’ve learned about the community and some of the early, if not founding residents.

A rather scenic photo from the checkpoint of a team departing for Takotna has a tall mountain far in the background.  I learned the mountain is called Appel Mountain. It is named after, a Mr. Appel who opened the first trading post in McGrath at the old town site.  Years ago, McGrath was situated on the far side of the Kuskokwim River and a little further up river.  Over time with currents and breakup, the riverbed changed its course. It was no longer deep enough to get the big steamships into the old town of McGrath.  Then to contribute further impetus to relocate the town, the old site was flooded out. 

The town served as an important supply hub for the mining industry so there was no question about rebuilding.  The only question was, WHERE?  They moved to the current location, which put them on higher safer ground and on deeper water.  McGrath continued to serve as the transport and supply head serviced by sternwheelers.  Soon the airplane took over as the major means of delivering supplies and people. Planes could operate year-round and soon sternwheelers where no longer seen on the river.

Emily Maxwell Departs Cap’n Snow Center – McGrath Checkpoint

The checkpoint building that houses the Library and some City Offices is called the Cap’n Snow Center.  Cap’n Snow was a young fellow of 14 when he made his way from Seward to McGrath on a Sternwheeler.  He worked the boats and worked his way up from a deck hand to the ranks of Captain.  He married and raised a family in McGrath.  The city chose to honor him by naming the building on the shore of the river he travelled so often and knew so well, the Cap’n Snow Center.

In the McGrath Hotel (my go to spot for espresso) stands a very tall trophy adorned in a gold harness.  The trophy and gold harness was awarded to Ernie Baumgartner in 1980.  Ernie place 3rd in the 1980 Iditarod.  Jennifer, the proprietor of the McGrath hotel shared some of her father’s stories as I enjoyed my mocha.

In recent years, the gold harness usually goes to one of the lead dogs of the Champion.  Back in the early days of the race, a lead dog that made a significant contribution to the race was often named as the recipient.  Ernie’s leader, Brandy, found and broke trail for a whole bunch of teams who were stranded in a blizzard.  On Ernie’s team that year where siblings from the “booze” litter.  As a teetotaler, Ernie often joked about “Brandy” becoming famous.

The Baumgartner Family came to McGrath from Florida.  Parents and five sons loaded important belongings on the top of an old station wagon and drove from literally one end of the United States to the other.  They settled in the far north community of Barrow, AK.  At some point Ernie went outside for training with electronics giant, RCA (Radio Corporation of America).  Because of his training, he was offered a job monitoring Earth Stations in and around McGrath.  It was only a short time before Ernie began to acquire dogs and build a team. Baumgartner started six Iditarod runs and completed four.  He claimed two top-ten finishes; 3rd in 1980 and 6th in 1982  His third place time in ’82 was 15 days 9 hours and 9 minutes.  For 3rd place he received $6,000.

A scrapbook from the 1980 Iditarod Found at a Palmer Estate Sale

Most amazingly, Jennifer was at an estate sale in Palmer, Alaska a few years back and couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a scrapbook from the 1980 race.  It’s filled with yellowed newspaper clippings sharing the story of the mushers along the trail.  It’s displayed with the trophy and gold harness.  Given a snowy or bitterly cold afternoon, this would be a fantastic read into the history of Iditarod.