Neither of these fellows have run a dog team to Nome but they represent the past, the present and the future of Iditarod. Who are these two fellows? What Iditarod volunteer job do these men have in common? Where was this photo taken?  Read on to find the answers to these questions.

It’s Monday morning. The post office at zip code 99667 is open for business. It’s not just any Monday morning. It’s the Monday after the start of Iditarod 2010. The race went through the second checkpoint of Iditarod in less than 15 hours.

The first musher arrived in Skwentna around 9:00 pm (2100 hrs) Sunday evening and the final mushers left the checkpoint around noon on Monday. The early checkpoints are fast and furious. Mushers spread out as the race progresses and arrive in the later checkpoints over a longer period of time.

Skwentna Postmaster, Joe Delia stands behind the counter and visits with Keegan Fritts, a young man who grew up in the community of Skwentna. The Iditarod volunteer job they hold in common is checker. Joe was the checker for the first race and greeted every musher as they pulled into Skwentna for the next 25 years. When it became time to turn the work of the checkpoint over to younger legs and stronger backs, Rob Fritts became the next checker. After eight or so years, Rob passed the official clipboard to members of the Darling family know as the River Crew who ran the river portion of the checkpoint. Now it’s Keegan, Rob’s son who holds the clipboard as the official checker.  Rob Fritts passed away in 2007 and Joe Delia in 2014.

Watch for more Telephoto Stories.  Having worked as an Iditarod volunteer for twelve years and having my camera handy every hour of every day, the Eye on the Trail Iditarod photo library contains roughly 20,000 pictures.  Sharing photos with a brief description to tell a photo story is a great way to share favorite photos and unique pieces of Iditarod history with Iditarod fans, family and friends.  Enjoy and comeback soon for another Telephoto Story.