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Target Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ Subbing in Nikolai - Working in McGrath
by Jane Blaile
When I went into the gym this morning, there were anoraks, boots, bags of food, and headlamps strewn all over. I remember hearing the radio announcing mushers coming and going all night - these random articles were proof of their arrivals. My classroom's adopted rookie musher, Jennifer Freking, and her husband, Blake, were sitting at a table scrutinizing the current race standings.
As I was journaling, I was asked to help work with the elementary students this morning, since one of the teachers was ill at home. This was great, because they had scheduled a video conference with the school in Missouri that had received a quilt through the Common Thread Quilt Project. So, each student decided on a question to ask the 2nd graders at Christ Community Lutheran School in St. Louis, MO. Then when they dialed in we held a video conference. The 2nd graders asked about mushers in Nikolai and about the life in the village of Nikolai. The students from Top of the Kuskokwim School asked the St. Louis children about what they do in their free time, what they eat for breakfast, how they get to school, and what kinds of animals live wild in Missouri.
When it was brunch break time, I geared up and went down to the checkpoint until it was time for me to leave. I flew to McGrath. At the airport, I was hooking up my bag to a leash, preparing to drag it through town, when an Iditarod volunteer offered to carry it to logistics for me. I arrived there just in time for lunch, and I was starving. Back on the road with my gear back, computer backpack, and a box of books for the school through The Big Read program sponsored by public libraries nationwide.
At the school, I found rooms full of crews from Discovery channel and other things, and one with a teacher. She graciously directed me to the room where I'll be staying with the Insider crew. When she said she'd received her quilt, I was so happy! There is no school the rest of this week because of the Iditarod coming through, so I'm not able to speak formally to the students, but I took a picture of the quilt with the receiving teacher.
I hustled to the checkpoint and checked in with the comms people before hanging around outside, waiting for mushers, seeing which teams were there, and introducing myself to various Iditarod volunteers. I had the honor of meeting Lavon Barve, a former Iditarod musher who first ran in 1975, whose last run was in 1997. He entered 14 Iditarods and placed in the top 10 eight of those times, three top 20s, 2 scratches and a 22nd place. His best place was 3rd in 1990.
After dinner at the checkpoint, I'm going to stay and volunteer as needed tonight. They expect a busy time just after dark, and all helping hands are welcome. It's not cold now, but it will get cooler as the night goes on.
