It’s clear, frosty and minus 18 degrees in McGrath. The final mushers, six of them, departed the checkpoint in the wee hours of the morning. Monica Zappa hitched up her team of dogs that were definitely ready to be on the trail and departed McGrath around 03:00 this morning. At that hour, she had plenty of company on the trail to Takotna – John Dixon out at 03:07, Yvonne Debakk 03:36, Lisbet Norris 03:31 and Tommy Jordbrudal at 03:52. Marcelle Fressineau was the final musher to depart McGrath. She was lead around the community center and dropped down onto the river at 05:38. It’s only 18-miles to Takotna and all were there in time for breakfast although Fressineau is the only who stopped. Of the 6-some, Jordbrudal had the shortest run time. Moving at nine mph, he covered the distance in 1:59.
Okay, so I had to check the whole 2014 field for the fastest run time from McGrath to Takotna? From checkpoint stats on the Iditarod website – Jeff King made the distance in 1:55 (9.39 mph), rookie Alex Buetow in 1:56 (9.31 mph), Christian Turner in 1:58 (9.15 mph), and Tommy in 1:59 (9.08 mph). If there were an award for the fastest time to the friendliest little checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail, or should we call it the Race to the Pie, Jeff King would receive the award.
Takotna checkpoint has a great history of hospitality. Early in the race, the village residents made chili and invited all mushers to have a bowl and warm up. Over the years, chili evolved into full course meals topped off with pie. Dick and Jan Newton hosted the Takotna checkpoint for years and years and have been inducted into ADN’s Iditarod Hall of Fame for their exceptional service to the mushers. When a musher parked his or her team they were offered hot water for cooking. After tending to the athletes the mushers would head toward the community center. Inside, the greeting received would not be hello or welcome, it would be a question. “How do you want your steak?” In a short time the steak, cooked and spiced to perfection, would be placed in front of the musher. Mushers didn’t have to be reminded to save room for the pie. The reputation of Takotna Checkpoint is well known. After devouring the steak, salad and fruit there’s pie. Sitting on the table next to the window where the spotter sits would be every kind of pie imaginable.
Takotna pie, too many to choose from and too good to only choose one. The bakers of Takotna create nearly 80 pies for Iditarod. They are literally fresh out of the oven although most double crusted fruit pies are made in January then frozen. The crème pies are made fresh during the race. One race, Sonny King from South Carolina complimented Jan Newton on the delicious pies and then asked why she didn’t make his favorite. Newton inquired as to what that might be. When Sonny replied pecan, Aunt Jan laughed and said, “Do you see any pecan trees around here? If I had pecans I’d make pecan.” In future years, King (Sonny not Jeff) took care of that. He faithfully shipped a case of pecan to Aunt Jan prior to the race. As promised there was always pecan pie waiting when Sonny King made the checkpoint. Newton and her cadre of bakers knew what kind of pie every musher liked and made sure it was available when they made Takotna. For five-time champion, Rick Swenson it was coconut banana cream.
Jan Newton passed away in August of 2012 and was chosen by the Iditarod Trail committee as the honorary musher for the 2013 race. Jan worked with a wonderful group of volunteers who carry on her tradition of hospitality in Takotna.
Everyone who has attempted Iditarod and has made it as far as Takotna knows who Jan Newton is and what she has done for the race. Pam Flowers from Talkeetna tells about her experience in 1983. “My dogs and I arrived in Takotna in the early evening. I went inside the community center to find the checker and was greeted by a small, enthusiastic group of people. I was running in the back of the pack and was surprised not only by how welcome they made each musher feel but also amazed at the huge array of food they had available. They invited me to stay and eat but I explained that I was anxious to get back on the trail while there was still light. Jan looked so disappointed and said something like, “Everyone is rushing through this year. We have all this good food. Won’t you just stay for awhile and eat something?” Well, since I was in the back of the pack and these people had obviously worked very hard to provide us with hospitality, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave right away. So, I sat down and had a huge and delicious meal. I remember how happy this made them. Takotna was a small checkpoint but like Jan, big on generosity.
