Remembering 40 Years of Iditarod. . . From our archives….
Conrad Saussele placed 29th int the 1988 Iditarod. In the 1989 Iditarod Trail Annual, Conrad said, “There are beautiful things, glaciers up there, and bridges of ice. The Farewell burn looks like a moon landscape. What do you think about? (Conrad repeated this question from a reporter.) You think about whatever you like to think, without noise or interference.” Upon reaching Nome in 1988, Conrad stated that he was proud of his dogs who had traveled “all those little steps” to bring him to Nome.
Finishing in 12th place in Iditarod 1988, Jan Masek, who was from Rustic Wilderness in Willow, stated to a KNOM reporter and the crowd in Nome, that he’d seen a man driving a snowmachine towing a horse on it. No one really believed him until word reached Nome that a Golovin resident who herds reindeer by horse had been transporting the horse back to Golovin. Masek said, “I was sure glad to hear that. I was almost convinced I was seeing things.”
In 1976, Iditarod Trail Race Headquarters in Anchorage was at the Westward Hotel. Bill Devine of Anchorage was in charge of race headquarters which opened during the Fur Rendezvous and open through the end of the race. Headquarters was staffed by volunteers. A few of those volunteering that year were: Mary Barcot, Lois Brunk, Lorelie Eby, Monica Trammel, Gail DeLeo, Dorothy Page, Ada Weihart, and Dorothy Pegau. It’s time to salute the volunteers of the past and the present as we look forward working with those who are volunteering for this, the 40th running of the race!
From the 1976 Iditarod Trail Annual, Bill Vaudrin is quoted as having written, “Then, late in the afternoon, I saw what I don’t expect to see twice in my lifetime if I outlast my grandchildren. Even though it was windy, the sun had been showing pretty strong most of the day. There was a steady stream of blowing show about two feet deep over the entire face of the mountain. I was traversing, and over all the hills. It swirled and eddied and shifted, but never varied much in either its depth or cloud-like consistency. The last thing before it started settling down behind the mountains for the night, the cold yellow rays of the sun started striking sideways through that moving, breathing cover of blowing snow, lighting it up, giving it a glowing, translucent quality. Within minutes the whole countryside was swimming in a swirling, shimmering, lemon-colored fluorescent sea. My chest just ached, it was so beautiful.”
Bill also said, “My honest feeling is that anyone who can get in shape and put a team together capable of making the run to Nome owes it to himself to join the rest of us who are already in on the secret all the old-timers knew: that there isn’t any better way to see the country.”
Bill Vaudrin passed away following a tragic car accident on January 26, in 1976. He had participated in the 1974 and 1975 Iditarods. He was an educator and a dog musher. Bill had served as President of the Inupiat University of the Arctic. (in Point Barrow) Bill had a master’s degree in creative writing and literatue from the University of Oregon. He was a published author, “Tanaina Tales from Alaska.”
During the 1976 Iditarod, John Stern and Mark Smith were the “Cheechako Checkers” at the Sulatna Crossing checkpoint, 45 miles south of Ruby. John and Mark volunteered for this checkpoint because there was no cabin at that location and they wanted to get the ‘real feel of the Iditarod Race.” Iditarod pilot Larry Thompson dropped the two checkers off in a meadow near where they were to set up the checkpoint. John and Mark put up an 8 ft. ten and used a wood burning Yukon stove for heat. They stored their grub and set up housekeeping. John and Mark also tramped a runway in the snow so Larry Thompson could land at the checkpoint. “At first it was so quiet we couldn’t get used to it. It was a different world. We just left all the cares and worries of civilization behind. But when the mushers started coming through, we worked hard,” said John. The men took turns cooking and offering mushers something to eat. They cooked hundreds of hotcakes, served stew, bread, split pea soup, and candy for dessert. They stayed until the last two mushers, Jon Van Zyle and Dennis Corrington checked through. “They were having lots of fun taking pictures. It didn’t bother them that they were the last mushers on the trail. It didn’t bother us either. Because by then we kind of liked living in the wilderness.”
In 1976, Jamie ‘Bud’ Smyth was the 4th musher to Nome, crossing the finish line at 1:38 PM on March 25 with a total elapsed time of 19 days, 4 hours, 2 minutes, and 52 seconds. As Bud was mushing down Front Street, an ‘unidentified youngster who was about 5 years of age wanted to ride on Bud’s sled. Smyth stopped his team, put the youngster on his sled, and mushed down the street with spectators lining both sides of the street and cheering. After Bud checked in at the Nugget Inn, the mother of the very excited youngster who’d had his first ride on a sled pulled by dogs, rushed into the lobby of the hotel and invited Bud, his wife, Sharon, and the family for dinner at her home. “Anyone who is so thoughtful that they take time to make a youngster happy deserves a home cooked meal,” the mother said.’ * Resource, 1977 Iditarod Trail Annual.
Compiled by Diane Johnson
