I arrived in Nome today and actually got to see the finish line! I was with another new friend, a veterinarian, and we were walking through town to see what we could see. We headed down the hill—and there it was! The Finish banner! It felt surreal! The sign was up and there was the …
Dear Friends, There are wonderful schools in each of the populated checkpoints. I say populated, because some checkpoints are either ghost towns (abandoned) or just places for mushers to stop, get their supplies, and have vets available. Yentna Station is a roadhouse, population 8, where the family hosts people who want to visit interior …
All eyes have been glued on the tracker today as the Iditarod starts to set up in anticipation the top five finishers’ order. Checkpoint denizens will mentally calculate the time it will take for the musher to arrive, based on GPS data from the unit each musher carries. The trail down to Unalakleet is long, …
Dear Friends, What do pure gold nuggets, salmon fish, beaver fur mittens and hats, and a gourmet dinner have in common? These are all specially awarded prizes along the Iditarod Trail! At certain checkpoints, the first musher to reach certain checkpoints wins a prize donated by an Iditarod sponsor. For example: Mille Porsild won handmade …
Today was an amazing travel day. While mushers cruised along the Yukon River at 5-8 miles per hour on average, they were able to appreciate individual trees dripping with snow, fallen branches, the craggy edges of river bends—all the details of a magnificent, slow journey by dog team. Instead, today I got a bird’s eye …
Dear Friends, Have you been noticing the race standings? Of the 16 rookies, or first timers on the Iditarod, 14 are running in a row toward the back of the pack today. Even though they are not in the lead, we need to cheer them on! It is an accomplishment to even enter the Iditarod, …
I’ve been at Galena for about 27 hours now. In that time I’ve observed many interactions that help me understand better what community means. Here are some examples: Charlotte, who lives in this remote Alaskan village, brought moose soup for the mushers. Robert and Katie, volunteers, attend the comms desk and do a great job …
The Iditarod is full of majestic, sublime moments that are worthy of a painting. Being on the ground and in the air on the trail has put me into close contact with the race, closer than I’ve ever been. Because I’ve only seen the Ceremonial Start and Restart prior to this, my immersion into the …
Dear Friends, How does your school desk look? Is it stuffed full, or organized with only what you need? Sometimes mushers’ sleds get messy and full of things they just toss into the sled bag. They don’t have much time to organize their sleds during the race when they only stay a few minutes in …
This morning I was sitting in the McGrath roadhouse having breakfast with new friends, Iditarod Trail volunteers. Suddenly a representative from Logs, the logistics arm that gets people where they need to be, rushed over. “I found you!” the agent said. “Do you want to go on a scenic flight to Ophir? It would just …
