Tale’s End

March 22nd

Tale’s End

With the official end of the race nearing today, my own story as a finalist for Teacher on the Trail™ wraps up. I have had an amazing experience which definitely expanded my own personal teaching tool chest. Even more rewarding than the immediate impact is the positive community connections I’ve grown through this experience.

Matt Failor’s nephew testing out his sled, pre-race.

Through my discussions with people, we ruminated on why there is so much passionate interest in the Iditarod. We decided the Iditarod draws people in because of the beauty of Alaska’s wilderness and the superb dogs, the strong connections between the mushers and their dog team, and the spectacular network of support formed around the race. I think it’s because the Iditarod integrates so much while giving us inspiring beautiful images. It’s a journey that teachers can hook their students to and together travel as a team through math, science, history, language arts, art, and physical education activities.

While creating my presentation and curriculum, I focused on the Iditarod National Historic Trail, the amazing sled dog, and the stories that bind the two together. One of these stories is now climate change. (See my lesson plan on climate change here). Hopefully, the rapidly shifting climate in Alaska doesn’t force the Iditarod to change course, but it was great to see how the Iditarod Trail Committee skillfully created the course change, gave everyone time to prepare, and pulled off a successful restart in Fairbanks.

Jason Mackey looking out for his brother.

Stories that resonated with me from this Iditarod are listed below, with a link to a published account: 

• Challenges with the extreme weather, including moving the restart
• Lance Mackey’s struggles with his health and his brother’s Jason’s incredible sacrifice to mush along with him.
• Scott  Janssen’s hypothermia and ensuing rescue, including Lance Mackey mushing his dog team to Koyuk.
• Martin Buser and Jeff King backing off from the competition for 1st place to travel mode.
• Local Anchorage School District Teacher Brian Bearrs scratching in Koyuk after getting stuck in a horrible blizzard.
• The rookie of the year, Thomas Waener, from Norway.
• The unbeatable machine that is Dallas Seavey and his third Iditarod win with his father placing 2nd, creating a new Iditarod father/son record.
• Women Power! Record number of female mushers enter the race.
  

  Photo from Erin Montgomery

In 21 years of teaching Iditarod in Alaska, I’ve seen students naturally gravitate towards the huskies, and I’ve seen student performance actually increase with my dog in the classroom. Then there are the stories about the mushers. Some of my high school students struggle with lives that are way too difficult. I know that hearing about the musher’s struggles to overcome obstacles again and again on the pursuit of their journey inspires students and gives them valuable tools for conquering their own problems.  I’ll be sharing stories from this year’s Iditarod with my students, hopefully with some classroom dog and musher visitors.

I’ve created a lesson plan unit for teachers to utilize storytelling and the Iditarod. It includes note taking while listening to stories, resources for teachers who don’t have access to mushers like myself, and then a creative writing assignment. Students can choose to fictionalize their own Iditarod tale or embellish a real story from the Iditarod, integrating real checkpoints and geography into their story.

Please feel free to utilize these and any assignments I created on akwiley.weebly.com. My website has had over 400 visitors in the past three weeks! It’s been a great journey this year. My own story with Iditarod and Alaska is far from over, however. I will continue exploring the Iditarod Trail, meeting mushers, their beautiful dogs and inspirational families, and using their stories as a platform to teach and inspire my students.

I love running into this sign while intersecting with mushing trails on a bike.

The bears woke up early this year!

My story with the trail is still being written.

The Red Lantern and Musher’s Banquet

The red lantern awarded to the last finisher of the Iditarod

March 22.  Today at 4 pm, the Nome Recreation Center will be packed with mushers, their families, and race fans. Everyone in town comes together for the Iditarod Finisher’s Banquet. This is another great opportunity to meet the mushers and hear their amazing stories from the trail firsthand, while the musher is still recovering from the race and usually in a raw, emotional state. Saturday was the more casual and conversational event Meet the Mushers.

When I was new to Nome, all the locals insisted I went to the Finisher’s Banquet. In a town with a lack of diverse entertainment, the Finisher’s Banquet was like a Spring Ball to Nomeites. Everyone raved about the prime rib, but even better, the dog sled full of strawberries. We did not get a lot of quality strawberries in Nome, so a huge sled-full was a rare treat. In fact, I met Martin Buser snacking on strawberries from the sled, a friendship that has given me laughs and three great dogs.

The Strawberry Sled

During the banquet, awards are given to the mushers and even a couple of dogs! Mushers are given awards for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc, with an awards cup. Special rewards are distributed at the event like the The Golden Harness Award for Best Lead Dogs, Gold Coast First to the Bering Sea Award, the Most Inspirational Musher, Best Rookie, and the Leonhard Seppala Award. 

If you can ever attend the Finisher’s Banquet, it’s a great experience meeting all the mushers and hearing first-hand tales from the trail. Not to be missed! Photos courtesy KNOM from 2014 Banquet and Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™.

Martin getting his Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award.

Dallas getting his winner’s awards.

Aliy Zirkle getting the Gold Coast award, first to the Bering Sea.

Newton Marshall winning the Herbie Nayokpuk award.

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Cindy Abbott and Erin Montgomery, current Teacher on the Trail™

The Red Lantern is given to the last person who finishes the Iditarod. The tradition began as a joke during the 1953 Fur Rendezvous Race and was passed on to the Iditarod. Over the years, however, it has become a symbol of perseverance. Today’s mushers feel a proud sense of accomplishment when receiving the Red Lantern Award. This year, for the perhaps first time in Iditarod history, the Red Lantern might be across the finish line by the time the Finisher’s Banquet starts. It’s going to be close! Cindy Abbott is on her way to White Mountain from Elim Saturday night. Cindy has an excellent chance of attending the Finisher’s Banquet as a red lantern winner. That’s amazing, and Cindy has certainly inspired us in more way than one with this race. She has battled a rare disease herself and plans to unfurl a banner under the burled arch in Nome to advocate for victim’s of rare diseases. In 2010, Cindy climbed Mt. Everest, holding the National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD) banner on the summit to spread awareness. Usually, there is a separate Red Lantern banquet about a week after the Finisher’s. Maybe not this year!

Another Iditarod tradition is The Widow’s Lamp. Each year on the first Sunday in March, the Iditarod Trail Committee lights a small gas lantern and hangs it from the Burled Arch. Called the Widow’s Lamp, it remains lit until the last musher is off the Iditarod trail. The extinguishing of the lamp by the final musher signals the official end of the race.

The widow’s lantern tradition replicates a practice followed during Alaska’s gold rush, when sled-dog teams hauled freight and mail over the Iditarod trail. Because freight and mail mushers often battled darkness and inclement weather, word would be relayed whenever a dog team was on the trail, and the roadhouses along the trail would each light a kerosene lamp and hang it outside to help the musher find his way. It also signaled to others that a dog team was on the trail and people should look out for it. The lamp would not be extinguished until the dog team safely reached its destination.

If you’d like to read about the Red Lantern from a very articulate dog, check this out: http://iditarod.com/zuma/red-lantern-award/

Cindy will be very warmly welcomed today when she finishes her epic adventure. Her arrival will signify the official end of the race, a bitter sweet moment.  I’m sure the Finisher’s Banquet will be full of good friends and families reuniting, laughing, celebrating achievements, and planning next year’s journey down the trail as the Iditarod 2015 comes to an end.

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Student lessons

The students can write about the following questions and then discuss in small or large groups.

• Would you be happy to finish the Iditarod in last place or would you rather have a different outcome? Explain.
• If your class had a red lantern for displaying outstanding effort at a different pace, what could you give the award for? Brainstorm a list of activities where giving a red lantern makes sense. (I purchased a miniature red lantern at Iditarod headquarters, and it would be perfect to give to students for temporary awards).
• Which of Cindy Abbott’s recent achievements do you think would be harder: climbing Everest or finishing the Iditarod? Discuss and debate why.
• Why do you think the term “Widow’s Lantern” exists? Make up a small story that explains the term’s history.
• If you were a dog musher, what special award would mean the most to you to receive at the Banquet? Explain. See this link for a full list of the awards given.
• Using the same list as above, what award would you want most if you were a sled dog? Explain.
• Write a short “Ode to a Strawberry” poem, a poem that praises the strawberry for its many great qualities. Try to write from the prospective of a Nomeite after a long strawberry-less winter. Students can write an ode to any Iditarod topic as well.

Matt Failor Finishes His Iditarod! A picture tells his story.

March 21

Matt Failor and his wheel dog at the official Iditarod race start in Fairbanks

Congrats, Matt Failor and Dogs!

A Picture Tells a Story:

I took over 1000 pictures during my Iditarod 2015 experience. Choosing just one photo for this assignment was a challenge; I waffled for hours, scanning my pictures with friends, colleagues,  students, and family members to get their opinions and share my amazing experience. My favorite picture is actually a beautiful sled dog closeup, but the picture didn’t exactly tell a rich story.

I chose this picture because it completes a story that the Iditarod teacher’s conference joined for a small chapter. Matt kindly invited the entire teacher conference to his kennel. It was awesome to be part of his first official tour, meet his first batch of his own breed of pups, and see his supportive family right there with him. I have been Matt’s fan since he was handling for Martin, so it was thrilling to see him embark (pun intended) on his independent journey. Plus, the picture shows the biking aero bars on his sled which I featured in a prior blog.

I love this shot because it captures Matt’s impish grin, which is mirrored in his wheel dog. Their pure joy is contagious. Even the student in the bright yellow pants in the background is grinning. Earlier that day, we met Monica Zappa, who had an amazingly contagious smile. So many mushers, dog handlers, and people lucky enough to live close to the inspirational husky and Iditarod race wear this grin. I feel my smile lifting naturally when I’m around dog teams, their humans, and the Iditarod race.

The students in the background complete the story. The Fairbanks-based Watershed Charter School (www.thewatershedschool.com) is an outdoor-based school right down the block from the Chena River. As we shuffled in heavy boots to our prime spot on the river, enthusiastic students followed their teachers down to watch the race go by in person. Many of these students were hardly wearing winter clothing. The Fairbanks dwellers are a tough breed, and none seemed phased by the -5 temperatures on the river. These students are lucky enough to have the race go right by their school while millions of students watched the start on Iditarod.com, the Sportsman’s Channel, or local news stations.

This picture represents the joyous connection between the musher, dogs, and the Alaskan wilderness. It illustrates the enraptured students and spectators. The Teacher on the Trail™ has the job of connecting this inspiring race to students and educators everywhere. I chose not to feature myself in this picture for a reason; my role as a potential TOT would be to bring the race alive for others. This shot illustrates how one picture can do just that. Anyone looking at the shot will hopefully catch Matt’s and his dog’s contagious grins and get a touch of their Iditarod fever. 

Erin Montgomery, Matt Failor, and the three finalists of 2016 Teacher on the Trail™ on Matt’s sled.

Pictures Tell a Story, part two

March 20

Yesterday, I posted a little story about my dog Jones. I think my dog River got jealous, so I’m going to feature him today.

This is how River looks normally. His ears are huge! He is playing with a dog bootie.

River is a rescue sled dog also. He was born in the village of Aniak on the Yukon River. When he was a puppy, his family realized that they couldn’t take proper care of him, but they loved him enough to ship him to Anchorage for adoption. Luckily Canine Comfort operates a dog rescue program and helped to move him from Aniak to Anchorage. Check out Canine Rescue’s information here. After a foster care placement that demonstrated his sweet and empathetic nature, he ended up living in Anchorage as a therapy dog at our youth correctional facility. My friend is a counselor there, and he told me about River. He knew River wanted to be free from jail and skijor, so I met the dog and fell in love immediately. I formally adopted him after quite the process.

River has amazing natural talent as a skijor leader, plus he’s a wonderful, considerate friend. He’s still somewhat of a puppy at three years old. River knows he is not supposed to chew on anything, and he usually is very tidy and a good boy.

But yesterday, I returned from school to find that he had eaten a tag from a decorative throw pillow. It was a tiny tag, and I wasn’t upset. River is one of those dogs who turns himself in when he does something wrong. I held up the tag, and he immediately put his ears down in submissive mode and rolled over belly up on the floor. I took out my camera to capture his goofy antics. Enjoy!

Mom! I did something wrong!

I am so sorry! Do you still love me?

Please hold my hand and tell me it’s ok!

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Student lesson

Discuss with your students: How do you apologize when you’ve done something wrong?

Hypothermia and The Iditarod

March 19

Photo courtesy Sebastian Schnuelle

Last night, I found out that two favorite local Anchorage mushers scratched from the Iditarod because of hypothermia. Scott Janssen and Brian Bearrs got stuck in a huge blizzard with frigid temperatures and strong winds between Shaktoolik and Koyuk. The mushers decided it was best to hunker down while the storm passed since they were exhausted from fighting the storm and struggling to find the trail due to blowing snow and drifting. After many hours and tough deliberations, both mushers decided to scratch in Koyuk. Click here to watch a video of Scott telling his story, including a story about how Lance Mackey offered a heart-moving hand and mushed Scott’s team into Koyuk.

Anchorage School District Teacher and Musher Brian Bearrs

Iditarod Insider Sebastian Schnuelle wrote a good article about this yesterday. Click here to check it out. Bush planes were not flying in that area because of the storm, and snow machine travel was also very dangerous, so Sebastian had to talk to the Iditarod Communications volunteers and mushers on the telephone in Koyuk to get this information. 

Scott Janssen and Brian Bearrs were so close to the end of the Iditarod race when they were struck by this strong storm. I am sorry that their Iditarod dreams didn’t come true this year, but we are very glad that they and their dog teams are safe and healthy.  Scott visited my classroom this winter to share his dogs and stories of overcoming obstacles on the trail to inspire my students. I’m sure that he’ll have more lessons to share with my students when he returns and recovers. Brian had also volunteered to come speak to my students after the race, so we look forward to learning from his story. Best to both mushers as they recover from hypothermia and the race

Scott Janssen and his sled dogs visiting our classroom at Service High.

In Alaska, we call hypothermia the Silent Killer. Hypothermia is when a person’s core body temperature drops below normal. Eventually all major organs, including the heart and brain, stop functioning.

Hypothermia can be really hard to diagnose when you’re in the wilderness. Sometime people don’t realize they have hypothermia because of the way it effects brain functions, and they make dangerous decisions because of it. When I was new to Alaska, I made a lot of dumb mistakes, one of which caused me to get hypothermia. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in Nome with a 40 degree temperature and blowing winds (if you live in Nome, that can be a beautiful summer day). I decided to enjoy the day by going to my friend’s house for brunch the long way, via a 15-20 mile bike ride around Newton Peak. Since I was working hard cycling and against the wind, I felt somewhat warm. But, I was horribly underdressed with a biking jersey and shorts on, no gloves, no long sleeves, and no pants. I kept working away, since I sometimes am very bull-headed.

Newton Peak in Nome during the summer.

Two separate vehicles stopped and compassionate Nomeites asked if I wanted a lift into town. I said no, and kept persisting despite my worsening condition. When I arrived at my friend’s house, my whole body was shaking uncontrollably. I stepped into his warm house and collapsed on the couch. My body was totally shocked about the temperature shift, and my stomach spasmed violently. I started vomiting right away. My friend was surprised to see me like this, but as an experienced wilderness guide, he knew what was happening. He warmed me up slowly with warm blankets and eventually, when my stomach calmed down, fed me those excellent peanut butter slathered pancakes I was working towards. This experience humbled me as I realized that some weather situations in Alaska were way beyond my skill level, even when the day looks sunny and gorgeous.

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Student Lessons

The dangers of hypothermia exist in almost every climate, since cold water emersion is also a factor. All students should learn about hypothermia, including causes, signs of danger, methods to recover, and how to treat those who have it.

“To Build A Fire” by Jack London is a classic story that I teach every year to my juniors. The story shows the causes and effects of hypothermia. It also clearly demonstrates how people can get into trouble by thinking that they are bigger or stronger than nature. Here is an link to a YouTube recording of the story with text.

I also found this excellent lesson on hypothermia on PBS.org and modified it. This lesson gives students a hands-on experience with hypothermia. 

Have two or three buckets of ICE water with 30-50 pennies in the bottom of each. Place a small jar in the bottom of each bucket. Have volunteers (or all students) put their hands in the buckets. While students have their hands in the ice-cold water, give them an introduction to hypothermia. Afterward, ask them to pick up the pennies and put them into the jar, without taking their hands out of the bucket. Ask students to observe what is happening to their classmates’ ability to manipulate the pennies, as well as the speed with which they are able to carry out the process. Allow them to compare their observations.

A variation on this activity is to have student put their hands in cold water for about 2 minutes, and then put them in front of a fan, or fan with a piece of cardboard, to feel the effects of the heat loss by convection. Their hands will feel even colder when the wind is put on them.

The below activities are designed for group work. Each group will get an objective, a website to go to for finding answers, and several questions to answer. When done, each group will present their findings to the class.

Objective:  Identify and present the effects on humans when the body temperature falls.

GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION NEEDED: 

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/hypocold.shtml

Answer these questions in your presentation:

• 1. What is hypothermia?    
• 2. What are some conditions that lead to hypothermia?
• 3. What happens to the body when core temperature is lower than 98.6 degrees?
• 4. Explain the ‘umbles’

Objective:  Demonstrate and explain how the human body loses heat

GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES FOR THE INFORMATION:

www.adventuresports.com/asap/ski/skihypo.htm

www.sarbc.org/resqair/heatloss.html

Answer these questions in your presentation:

• 1. What are the five ways that your body loses heat?
• 2. Define and give examples of each of the five ways that your body loses heat.
• 3. What are some ways to avoid this heat loss?
• 4. Make up some quiz questions for you to go over after giving basic information.

Objective: Understand hypothermia and cold water survival techniques

GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES FOR THE INFORMATION:

http://boatingbasicsonline.com/content/general/8_5.htm

Answer the following questions:

• 1. What is ‘cold water’?
• 2. What body positions are most helpful in cold water?
• 3. What are some do’s and don’t’s for survival in cold water?

Objective: Understand hypothermia on land and the survival techniques

GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES FOR THE INFORMATION:

http://hypothermia.org/    

http://www.adventuresports.com/asap/ski/skihypo.htm

Answer the following questions:

• 1. Is hypothermia  the number one killer of outdoor enthusiasts?
• 2.  What happens to the body to cause this to happen?
• 3. What are some signs of hypothermia on land?
• 4. What are survival techniques for hypothermia on land?

Congrats, Martin and dogs! Pictures Tell a Celebratory Tail

March 19

Congrats, Martin and Buser Bullets!

Martin Buser and his dog team should be arriving any minute under the burled arches in Nome. Martin is a fantastic role model who demonstrates excellent dog care to anyone who is lucky enough to have spent time with him and his dogs. Martin is a four time Iditarod Champion, 5 time Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award recipient, and also holds the record for finishing the most Iditarods. He has expanded his dog kennel Happy Trails to include tours and a bed and breakfast. If you want to visit, meet his dogs, and get a tour, check out his website. 

Congrats, Martin and Happy Trails Kennels! 

Lady Jones shaking it out.

Martin generously gave me a few sled dogs after we got to know each other. He sometimes has dogs that don’t make the Iditarod team, and they need good homes where people will exercise them vigorously and love them. Here is one of the dogs Martin gave me: Lady Jones (check out my prior posting about sled dog genealogy to learn more about Jones and her lineage). Lady Jones is very, very shy. She usually holds her emotions in check.

Yesterday, she had what I call a rampage. We were hiking at Hilltop Ski Area, and Jones and her super friendly brother River came upon a wide open area. They started to run all over the place at a very high velocity, wrestling, and grappling with each other. It’s hilarious to see Jones letting it all out like that since she is usually very demure. Her stepbrother, River, is the alpha dominant male and is almost 25 pounds heavier than Jones. But, he loves Jones so much that he lets her pretend she’s the tough one when they fake fight.

Erin Montgomery (Teacher on the Trail™) has been writing an excellent blog. Check it out here. She has been using pictures to help her students create little stories about sled dogs. I thought I’d try her idea out with my dogs. Underneath each picture, here’s what I think Jones is saying. Can you fill in how River might respond?

Jones: Hey, brother, I hear my family is almost done with the Iditarod. Let’s Celebrate!

Jones: Come on, brother, I’m gonna get you!

Jones: I’m so tough! Even though I’m way smaller than you!

Jones: Chase me all the way to Nome! Ha HA HA!

At home after the rampage, dreaming while her family mushes to Nome!

Poems from the Iditarod Trail

March 18th

Congrats to Dallas and Mitch Seavey for being the first father/son duo to place 1st and 2nd in the Iditarod!

Aaron Burmeister just crossed the finish line in 3rd place. You may not realize that Aaron Burmeister’s dad is also an Iditarod finisher and a writer. Richard Burmeister self-published this little book of poetry that I picked up in Nome at the Finisher’s Banquet in 1998. I’ve used Richard’s book, Poems from the Trail and Iditarod in my classroom annually. I got this idea from an excellent book entitled Rose Where Did You Get That Red by Kenneth Koch. Koch shows how teachers of all levels can improve student writing through modeling from great poetry.

For this lesson, I shared several of Richard Burmeister’s Iditarod poems, then had students model his writing style and themes. It’s yet another way for students to own or synthesize the Iditarod into their own knowledge and experience.

Richard’s poems are very conversational and simplistic, making it easy for students to model his writing skills. I always take an opportunity to teach students about punctuation in poetry and how poets create stanzas to make rhythm in their work.  Richard breaks his lines in unconventional ways, so this can foster interesting discussion and awareness for students.

Richard Burmeister being interviewed by the media after finish his Iditarod.

Richard and his wife Linda self-published this book, and it’s currently out of print. So, I’ve included a few of his poems below for examples and shared some of my ideas for teaching Iditarod with poetry in captions. My students love this assignment so much that Richard’s little book has their fingerprints and drawings throughout.

This particular assignment can be used as a show and tell. Ask students to bring in something that is meaningful to share with their classmates while they read their poem. Enjoy!

Bring in an object that is symbolic.

Write a poem explaining why the object means something special to you.

Students can relate well to this topic and translate into their own concept of social perception.

Students can analyze and apply their own concept of heroism.

It’s always interesting to muse on the concept of time, plus this poem has very unconventional line breaks and structure.

Excitement Builds as Dallas Seavey Leaves White Mountain

March 17th

Dallas Seavey has left White Mountain and is on his final run to Nome! There are only 80 miles separating him from his 3rd Iditarod win at the young age of 28. But they are 80 miles in which anything can happen.

I’ve travelled those 80 miles from Nome to White Mountain a few times, by snow machine, truck, boat, and one unfortunate bike trip that didn’t make it due to huge grizzly bear trouble. To most, 80 miles sounds like a short distance, but these miles are mostly on exposed sea ice and near capes and wind “blowholes” like Topkok and Safety Sound. Check out this Iditarod Insider video of Jeff King traveling through the blowhole this year in relatively mild conditions. It’s beautiful dangerous country that’s kicked me to my knees and humbled me beyond my limits several times.

An example of Nome’s wilderness “schooling” me. Can you guess what happened?

Regardless, the mushers and brave dog teams will power through, and we should have a winner of the 2015 Iditarod in the early morning hours tomorrow!

I just read this article in the Alaska Dispatch which really brought the race’s momentous ending in Nome to life. For Nomeites, Iditarod’s end is a huge celebration.

Crowds gather around the chute.

The news crews and race fans pour into town with their bright new Gore-tex jackets for a couple of days before race’s end. It’s  the perfect springtime culmination for a long dark winter. The whole town and visitors from nearby villages and all over the world socialize around the race chute and businesses on Front Street. The bars and restaurants are packed with race fans hours ahead of the winner’s arrival, and even for days afterwards. People anxiously stand on the giant rock sea wall that keeps the Bering Sea from taking Nome, anxiously scanning the sea ice towards Safety and Cape Nome, looking for the bobbing headlights of the mushers in the dark.

Watching a close race from the sea wall in Nome

You might have heard the Iditarod ending called the Mardi Gras of the North, and the non-stop festivities of the race and local town events have earned that title in spades.

The Excitement is Absolutely Infectious. Here are a few old photos I scanned to share: 

The dog lot in Nome, resting post-race

Seeing the bond between musher and dogs at the end is always moving.

Race pundits are predicting that Dallas will cross the finish line first around 4 a.m., then his father Mitch and Aaron Burmeister, who are jockeying for 2nd. Jessie Royer is having a career–best race and will also be in the mix for a top five finish, followed by Aliy Zirkle. And all this action will take place while I’m sleeping, or trying to! Who knows though, after last year.  Maybe I’ll awake to a different story.

The Burled Arch is ready and waiting!

Beyond the fact that I’m rooting for the hometown Aaron Burmeister and both Jessie and Aliy as female racers, Dallas Seavey is an excellent champion that totally deserves this. I’m very impressed with his friendly nature, his sheer athleticism, his indomitable attitude, his love for his  family and dogs (evidenced in this clip where he praises his lead dog on the Iditarod Insider). Plus, I’m a fan of the show Dallas competes on Ultimate Survivor Alaska, produced by National Geographic. Amidst stunning Alaska scenery and a bevy of interesting personalities, I’ve watched Dallas problem-solve tough situations and work hard on keeping his cool, while maintaining his team’s morale. In short, he’s a great role model. I’m going to invite him to my school, though he lives far away and will mostly like have a very busy calendar!

His dad looks like he will be placing #2 in the race at this point. Here is an Iditarod Insider link to an interview with Dallas talking about how it is to compete with his father for the race and his business. If the Seaveys place #1 and #2 as father/son, they will be the first to do so in Iditarod history.

Aaron Burmeister thanking his family at the Musher’s Banquet

Aaron Burmeister truly had an epic run this year. He nabbed several prestigious awards along the way. He led the race for a huge portion until the machine that is Dallas Seavey and his team gradually took the lead. Aaron grew up in a rich mushing tradition, with his father Richard Burmeister owning an active dog kennel and mushing in the Iditarod himself. Aaron’s brother Noah also mushed the Junior Iditarod and was my student at Nome Belz High School. I’ll never forget the class listening to Noah’s stories of dog mushing, including one tale of hallucinating little green men who jumped on his sled.

Nome will have a special joy in seeing a hometown boy cross the finish line successfully. Congrats to all the finishers on running an excellent and inspiring race that kept the competition chasing, and for finishing strong with happy and healthy dog teams.

We should know the race winner by morning, but the race is far from over tomorrow; finishers will cross the burled arches for the next week or so until the Red Lantern finisher.

Student questions for discussion

• What qualities did the winner of Iditarod 2015 have that made him/her a champion?
• Would you like to compete with your father or mother in the Iditarod?
• Who would win and why?
• Besides the prizes, what other awards might the mushers have from the race?
• What were the prizes were the winner of the Iditarod?
• What did 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place receive?
• Would you like to see in person at the finish line at Nome?

Pedal Power-The Iditarod Trail Invitational

March 17th

Most people aren’t aware that athletes race on the Iditarod Trail WITHOUT dogs or powerful snow machine engines. Last night, two hardy weather-worn bicyclists completed the grueling 1000 mile bike race to Nome on the Iditarod Trail. 

Two cyclists crossing the finish line together and winning The Iditarod Trail Invitational. Photo courtesy Alaska Dispatch News.

The cyclists battled against the elements for 16 days to arrive in Nome. This prestigious burgeoning race is called by some the Tour de France of Alaska.

Jeff Oatley, from Fairbanks and Jay Petervary, of Victor, Idaho, finished the Iditarod Trail Invitational last night on Monday, March 16, in Nome. They were the first to finish the 1,000-mile event that began at Knik Lake on March 1. According to the Alaska Dispatch, “Front Street got a dress rehearsal on Monday night when two chilly visitors rolled into town to grab a couple beers after a 1,000-mile trek across Alaska.” Click here here to read the Dispatch article and see their amazing photos.

I have enormous respect for anyone who travels the Iditarod Trail, under dog or solo human power. When I lived in Nome, I once saw a Norwegian skijorer finish the trail with just one dog and no fanfare. I immediately left the warm restaurant I was in to greet and congratulate the man and dog on their unique solo efforts.

This year, the race set a record. The same conditions that forced the Iditarod sled dog race to move the start to Fairbanks, afforded the bike racers a relatively snowless trail which translates to speed for cyclists. Check out this record breaking article.

The trail was like a “concrete highway” this year and set record paces. Photo courtesy Alaska Dispatch News

The Iditarod Trail Invitational is the world’s longest winter ultra marathon by mountain bike, foot, and ski and follows the historic Iditarod Trail from Knik, Alaska over the Alaska Range to McGrath and to Nome every year one week before the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The short race, 350 miles, finishes in the interior village of McGrath on the Kuskokwim River and the 1000 mile race finishes in Nome. Racers have to finish the 350 mile race in a previous year before they can enter the 1000 mile race.

According to race manager Billy Merchant, “When Alaska Ultra Sport (now the Iditarod Trail Invitational) was formed in 2002 with the input of several veteran racers, we all agreed support should be kept to a minimum. Winning or even finishing in the extremes of Alaskan winter weather depends on how comfortable the racers are with their abilities, level of experience and amount of risk they are willing to take…There is no designated or marked route, only mandatory checkpoints racers must pass through. Listening to stories from those who experienced the early days of the Iditarod Trail made me sure I want to preserve this philosophy of adventure and experience for all who qualify and choose to participate in the Iditarod Trail Invitational. This race is not for everyone. A mistake at the wrong time and place in the Alaskan winter wilderness could cost you fingers and toes or even your life. At times the only possible rescue will be self rescue. For those who do not agree with this philosophy, expect marked trails and more support, there are other races out there which will cater to your needs.”

The Iditarod Trail Invitational offers group rides and even training camps for those intrepid travelers who want to undertake the journey. Their website is chock full of information. Spectators of the Iditarod Trail Invitational also have their own GPS tracker at http://trackleaders.com/iti15. It’s free, fun, and interactive.

Great shot of cyclists drafting from Martin Buser!

As an avid adventure cyclist, I think it would be great to try the 350 mile race to McGrath, although winter camping with my bike would be very challenging and gear intensive, as well as much more dangerous than summer touring. So, for now, I will simply admire and congratulate these hearty adventurers and athletes! Congrats to Jeff, Jay, and all other riders, skiers and bikers who were part of the Iditarod Trail Invitational this year!

Nearing the end of a 1000 mile bike trip near Haines, Alaska with friends.

My fat tire 9 Zero 7 bike

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Student Lessons

• If you had to dog mush, bike, ski, run, or snow machine the Iditarod Trail, what would you choose and WHY?
• Which of these travel methods would be most difficult and why do you think so?
• Which would be easiest and why?

Check out my website at akwiley.weebly.com for many more ideas on teaching about the National Historic Iditarod Trail.

Approaching Elim: Fond Memories of Village Teaching

March 16

Approaching Elim: Fond Memories of Village Teaching

My view from the porch in Elim, Alaska.

Dallas Seavey just left Koyuk for one of my favorite places, Elim. He is traveling along a beautiful, incredibly remote wooded coastline on the frozen sea ice to my old village home. I lived in Elim as a middle/high school teacher in 1998. After living in Nome in the mid 90’s for several years, I wanted to go deeper into the village subsistence lifestyle and learn all I could from the wise and wonderful people of Alaska. I sought a job in Elim because I knew that it was an outstandingly beautiful place with a friendly, intelligent, and kind people.

I arrived in Elim with my 2 cats and 3 sled dogs, a bike, and a couple of backpacks and boxes. I left with much more.

Here are somethings I took with me:

Teaching Memories. My students loved making family trees and charting the relationships between all villagers. We published a couple of small books: People of Elim and Elim Poetry. Another very memorable teaching experience was translating Romeo and Juliet to Elim village language and enacting it on snow machines in the wilderness. I’ll also never forget how quickly my class vacated when the beluga whale pods swam by and the ensuing amazing Beluga Fest.

Eskimo Ice Cream

Eskimo food. Once I got used to the different flavors and textures, I developed a love for eating lots of Akutaq, Eskimo Ice Cream, as well as Muktuk (whale meat). Akutaq is a mix of local frozen berries, seal oil, and sugar. Native foods made my endurance phenomenal, and I didn’t feel cold either. Eating Eskimo food is like stoking the fire with high quality wood to burn for hours. I also developed a love for seal oil and wish I could get it in Anchorage, though I’m also glad I can’t because it is a resource that shouldn’t be exploited. One thing I never enjoyed though, was fermented walrus stink flipper. Sorry!

The Connection of the People: Everyone knows everyone in the village, and people look out for each other. Sometimes, my high schoolers would have a toddler in the class because they had to watch their sibling. Sometimes people would just drop their babies off at our apartment because the babies fell asleep in my special sky chair. My huskies even came and went in the classroom, and actually seemed to boost learning when they jumped through the window to delight us. When I arrived in Elim, I was immediately given a tour of the local cemetery and introduced to those that lay below. The connection between generations of Elim people was indeed very strong. I felt honored.

My students on a hike

Getting goofy on another hike

The Birthday Party Tradition. If you live in Elim, and if it’s your birthday, your family hosts a party for you. Everyone who comes brings a dollar. In turn, you feed all of the guests cake, Eskimo ice cream, and endless pots of coffee. The village publishes and distributes a calendar so you know everyone’s birthdays. There were 300 people in the village when I lived there. So, birthday boys and girls made $300 each! And there was a party almost every day, which helped keep social life vibrant.

DeeDee pulling into Elim

The Iditarod. Believe it or not, another reason I moved to Elim was the Iditarod. I already had Iditafever and had lived in Nome for years. Since Elim is a checkpoint on the race, I was assured to keep my connection to the race while living there. In fact, there was major drama in the Iditarod when I was there. DeeDee JonRowe was in 1st place when she arrived in Elim. We were all so excited for her! But, her sled was broken and needed repairs. Mushers can’t accept help from anyone (except a fellow musher). DeeDee worked steadily to fix the sled, but Jeff King came up from 2nd place and blew through the checkpoint, eventually winning the race. This unforgettable drama unfolded right in front of me.

Watching the dogs play in Elim.

Learning from The People. I learned so much from the traditional lifestyle and people in Elim. One of the starkest differences for me was the cultural value of silence in Elim. People don’t just chat to fill time. While living there, I had many purely silent visits with elders and other villagers. I’ll never forget watching a local mother skinning a seal for a couple of hours, wordless. Also, the men of the village told me a lot about reading the weather from the skies. Their weather predictions were always accurate down to the minute. They showed me how to read the clouds, and what I retained still informs me today. I learned from their deep respect for the land, and the strong connections of subsistence. Another image in my mind is my neighbor, who was 70 years old, taking off with a small dog team onto the barren sea ice solo. I scanned the horizon, waiting and watching for her return. When she came back, a seal was strapped to the front of her sled. She had hunted solo on the sea ice successfully. For an urban Chicago girl, this scene was a powerful and inspiring vision of elder knowledge and lifestyle.

My adopted sled dogs!

My sled dog Edna, a bit nervous about the new inhabitants of her house

Sled Dogs. I skijored almost daily when I lived in Elim. I had a team of three willing huskies, two of which were huge freight dogs from Nome, the other a Martin Buser sled dog named Edna. We were so fast and adventurous, skijoring to the local hot springs and exploring all the beautiful places along the coast. During the cold days of winter, three puppies showed up in my dog’s house. These pups became my adopted dog team. Their owner graciously let me borrow the crazy pups or their older siblings and his old dog sled. I took my team of six ragtag dogs on a few wild rides, once headlong bashing into an old steel drum. I am so grateful to have had the experience of being able to drive a dog team in a remote village. The feeling of adventure and the bond with the land and dogs is beyond thrilling.

Martin Buser, very admired in Elim, was their graduation speaker.

Thank you so much, Elim, for welcoming me and sharing your lives and knowledge with me!

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Student lessons

• Chose a village on the Iditarod checkpoint.
• Find out what Native Alaskan language is spoken there.
• Find out how to say hello, goodbye, and thank you in the Native language.
• Discuss different traditions in cultures, including your own.
• Chose a classroom tradition to celebrate for a birthday tradition.

• For more advanced students: Research the Native Corporation that the village belong to. Research the role of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act for your village. Research the role of World War II and any military installations in the area. Research the role of dog mushing in the village.

• Extensions. Elect and adopt a village as a class. Form pen pal relationships with students at the school. Correspond with the villagers before the Iditarod so there is a relationship before the race and excitement builds.