Target Iditarod Teacher on the Trail^™ Trail Tidbits 8

by Kim Slade

Skwentna:

My flight from Swentna was a little bumpy due to the headwinds we encountered on my trip. Our flight airspeed (the speed the plane is set to go) was 130 mph and at one time we were only moving 87 mph. We headed first to Rainy Pass to drop off Art Church, a race judge for this year’s race - Art ran the Iditarod back in 1995 and I found out he now makes sleds. Art mentioned he would like to run the Iditarod one more time. He also commented on how he was seeing the trail from the air for the first time, and how different it looked compared to being on the trail.

Jack and I worked – we helped wake mushers from the sleep break some took while their dogs were resting. Mark, who worked communications, has showed us the ropes too.

Dogs aren’t the only animals along the trail – we had a bald eagle hanging out at the Skwentna Checkpoint too.

Rainy Pass:

I got a chance to fly into the Rainy Pass Checkpoint, at Puntilla Lake, and had lunch at the lodge. The wind was really blowing out there, but it did not take away from the scenery and views from the checkpoint. The dogs were nestled in the straw and riding out the wind quite nicely.

Nikolai:

I am staying at the school in Nikolai. Joyce and Denis Gardella and their students have been great hosts. The school is not in session this week (due to the Iditarod coming through), but the school is open and the kids are selling food to the volunteers and fans. They are providing free meals, showers, and a warm place to sleep for the mushers. (I got to sit next to Lance Mackey at breakfast and shared my computer with him – he wanted to see the standings and look at some Insider clips). The Top of the Kuskokwim School has 2 teachers and 10 students ranging from ages 8 to 16 - grades 2 to 10. The students are raising money for a field trip to the lower 48 (they say Florida is a possibility). Last year they went on a cruise to Mexico – now that’s a field trip!

Nikolai is a small Athabascan village along the Kuskokwim River. It has a population of about 70. There are only 5 vehicles here and only about 3 miles of road they can travel. Not all the vehicles can run during the winter - I only saw one truck with a snowplow on the front. The cars are not really needed, but the elders like to drive around in them and check on things happening around the village. There are quite a few snow machines though and are the primary means of transportation here in the winter. Gas costs $6.00 a gallon! It is shipped by barge down the river during the summer months.

School was in session for part of the day today. I presented, talking about the Iditarod and Florida connections. Gary Paulsen also presented - the students read his book Hatchet and had many questions for him. Sheryl Cater, of Eden Prairie Schools, is working with Gary, as they are visiting five native village schools along the trail. Students in Eden Prairie have been learning about these places and are participating in a cultural exchange by using web cams and video.

Veterinarian, Gayle Tate from Woodbury, Tennessee, is here at Nikolai. He said to say “Hi” to Ann Bartholomew and Short Mountain Grammar School (See his picture).

Where is Jack?

Take a look at what Jack has been doing! Can you guess where he is?

Click on images for a larger picture: