Mr. Kirk is representing Dexter School and Southfield School in Alaska at the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The following reports were sent from Mr. Kirk during his trip.
Mr. Kirk’s Tales from the Trail
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Today was the travel day. The flight was interesting because on their way to Alaska, planes fly along the coast, and you can see all the mountains, towns, airstrips, and glaciers below. It was hard to tell the size of those mountains. When I got to the hotel, all I had time for were two things: 1) Scramble to find someone who could replace the computer power cord I had left at home, and 2) Eat and get some sleep. After numerous phone calls, I finally (and funnily) found the power cord by talking to someone at a fishing store I had called accidentally. That was one of my first experiences in how friendly and helpful people are in Anchorage! The eating and sleeping parts were not as hard. |
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Today, I went south to Seward and to Kasilof. On the map, that isn’t much, but it was over 400 miles of driving! Anchorage is surrounded by mountains; I left well before sunup, but the mountains are something you can feel even if you can’t see them. Slowly, they came clear in the morning sun. Breathtaking! I met many people as I drove around, and they were a very diverse group. But they had one thing in common: every one knew a musher! If it wasn’t a son or daughter, it was a father, friend, or neighbor. Mushers are everywhere! Also, everyone is very familiar with the names of the best mushers. They know them as well as we might know the names of Bruins, Red Sox, or Patriots players. I also met a real gold miner who says grizzly bears get into his trash at night. I guess raccoons don’t seem like such a problem anymore. On the way back to Anchorage, I recognized some of the mountains I had seen from the plane. Huge! |
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Today I set out well before dawn to see Mt. McKinley (also known as Mt. Denali). It is the highest peak in North America. There were many beautiful views of it as the sun came up, and it was amazing to see its looming shape come out of the darkness from two hundred miles away and then just get bigger and bigger. I got some good pictures from the north side, where there is another stunning mountain range. I had planned to turn around, but looking at the map, I saw that Fairbanks was a mere 200 miles away. I said to myself, “Gunnar went the last mile; so will I.” It was well worth it. There were more mountains, fully exposed on the plain. It was very cold, and there was snow blowing across the road—sometimes it looked like troupes of magical serpents curling back and forth across the pavement in a choreography of frigid, dissipating dust. Much after that was flat, but after turning around in Fairbanks and coming back, there was more incredible scenery that made me feel like a toy man in a toy car as I drove through it. There were also many animals. There was also a neat abandoned hotel in the shape of an igloo. I saw North Pole on the map and went right there! Oh, well, not the north pole, just North Pole, Alaska. It was a long trip, and it was dark as I drove the last 200 miles, but once again, you could feel the presence of those huge mountains. I stopped to view the clear sky, and I have never seen so many stars. The air is cold and clear, and there is no light pollution. I noticed above all that those stars really twinkle! If we could shut out all the lights in Boston, we could enjoy that shimmering, sparkling spectacle of jewels every night. |
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Today offered a great opportunity to learn from other teachers who have used the Iditarod as a way to teach basic skills to their students. There were several presentations, and in each one, examples of the mushers’ sportsmanship, perseverance, and dedication helped teachers bring out the best in their students. Teachers were very interested in making sure that learning about the Iditarod was a useful tool for teaching. I met my first Iditarod dog today—a helper for a helper! An Iditarod volunteer is here to assist the mushers, but this human helper has had back and neck trouble—so whom did she ask for support? A dog, of course! “Brenda” will help this volunteer carry her supplies. The excitement is building since the arrival of the mushers is very near… |
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Finally I was able to meet dozens of the dogs that will be in the Iditarod, and I met some of the many mushers. We saw the veterinarians examine the dogs, and we visited Martin Buser’s kennel. Mushers take their dogs to be checked thoroughly by “Iditavets”, and I was able to watch this process. I met some great and some famous mushers! The dogs are excited and eager—they howl and bark, and it is obvious they just want to get on the trail, not talk to a doctor! I was so engrossed in photographing the dogs and talking to the mushers that I missed the bus to Martin Buser’s kennel! I am sure my bus passengers will never let me live that down. Fortunately, I found a ride. Martin Buser is an inspiring man. He exemplifies all the qualities one needs to be a leader in every way. He is an extremely successful but also humble person. He clearly credits women like Susan Butcher as examples of great mushers and as mentors for him. Martin is from Switzerland, but he became an American citizen, and he believes that the United States is the very best place to live and offers the finest opportunities for enterprising people. Martin is also extremely concerned with the welfare of dogs. If anyone is a driving force behind making sure dogs are treated well, it is Martin Buser. His dogs were very excited, and they were obviously devoted to him and his son, Rohn. Martin and Rohn will work together this year. Their teams will race near each other, which will make both teams more excited to run! It is a new idea from a man who has had many other innovative ideas for the Iditarod. |
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The day started with some interesting presentations by mushers and volunteers. Beverly Stevens spoke about becoming a musher at age 50 and is still racing at 64. I will be bringing back her book about raising her dogs. A volunteer spoke about everything “behind the scenes” that goes into helping make the race work. For example, many volunteers clear the trail, and others offer their bush planes in service. I was able to see a whole airfield of bush planes today. I met Jason Barron, the musher who will be taking your Schools’ representative (me) on his sled for an hour-long ride at the ceremonial start. He is a very interesting, nice person, and he sends all his best wishes to the students of Dexter and Southfield. His wife, Harmony, and his baby daughter, Oksana, were there to support him. Two years ago, Jason and Harmony both competed in the Iditarod. I met many other mushers and got numerous signatures on the banner Miss Walsh made. Some of the mushers are from Massachusetts, and several are teachers. For example, Trent Herbst teaches the 4th grade, although you wouldn’t guess it by his bushy, red beard, jeans, and entry as an Iditarod musher. This evening was the Mushers’ Banquet. In this banquet, mushers find out the order in which they will start. The order doesn’t really matter, but there was one case where it did. Martin Buser wanted to race along with his son for a few days. He has another innovative strategy—by running together, both teams will run better. They will start fairly close, so the strategy may work. Also, Martin Buser received the number 13 starting position. Why does that matter? His main rival, Lance Mackey, won with #13 last year. The crowd oohed with excitement over this omen, and a few pounded the table. Incidentally, Lance Mackey, his brother, and his father all first won the Iditarod the sixth time they entered—and each won with #13. Food for thought indeed. Mushers also thanked their sponsors, and Jason Barron mentioned both Southfield and Dexter, in that order, in his speech. I received more autographs for the banner. The mushers were, as usual, patient, polite and humble. They set a great example because they are extremely skilled and respected, and displayed good sportsmanship. It was a long ceremony, but as the announcer said, “Yes, it’s a long night—but it’s a LONG RACE, TOO!” |
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I learned a great deal today about the Iditarod from Teri Hainke, last year’s “Teacher on the Trail.” The Teacher on the Trail follows the whole race from start to finish and creates educational programs for students. Her kind, soft, and expressive voice reflects her wonderful nature. One story she told was how mushers, who are concentrating on winning, still made time to talk to local children and answer their questions. David Monson, Susan Butcher’s husband, had many interesting stories. My favorite story was that he once forgot to tie Susan’s sled onto the truck, and along the highway, it fell off. Miraculously, the sled did not tumble over or get hit by another car. It just slid to a stop. He later arrived at the starting line with the sled. He never told Susan that her sled fell off of the truck! Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod, spoke about how she loved the wilderness and enjoyed living with indigenous people. She had endless stories, but the one that stands out most was when she once tied her dogs to a tree, and to release them, she decided to chop part way through the tree. To her horror, the tree broke before she was on the sled. All she could do was grab the tree which was attached to the sled by the rope. She then lost her grip. Believe it or not, she eventually won the race! She said this situation taught her that no matter how bad things seem, there is always hope. Hobo Jim gave an inspiring musical performance. He did not make that name up. He earned it as a young man. He is the official singer of Alaska. His stories were great, too. Later, I was provided information on tomorrow’s ceremonial race start. All of the “Iditariders” are very excited! |
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At the ceremonial start of the Iditarod, one can clearly remember the excited barking, whining, snarling, yelping, yipping, and howling of the dogs. The dogs realize the race is about to begin, and they are saying, “Let’s go—come on, let’s go!!” When they finally start racing, the yelping stops. Alaskan huskies are dedicated runners, and running is their passion. These dogs don’t make a sound while they run over hill and down dale. They run on thick ice, soft snow, rough rocks and dry ground. They love to RUN!!!! The course we took was fun. It went down a hill, around some sharp turns, through some tunnels, and over some bridges. Jason Barron talked to his dogs the whole way. His kind, encouraging voice must be one of the reasons his team has been so successful over the years. He tipped the sled all the way on one runner a few times around curves, and at one point he stopped to take care of the dogs’ booties. They were already “blown,” in his words, and he had to stop to take them off. Spectators cheered for Jason and threw muffins and, in one case, even a hot dog at the sled. Jason caught some of this food and gratefully munched on it as he traveled. He threw the hot dog into the sled in the area where I was sitting. It was fully wrapped, so I wasn’t smeared with mustard. I was tempted to start eating. At the end of the ceremonial race start, several people came to help me out of the sled. “I wonder why,” I thought. Help out of the sled is a good idea because without it, you may push down on the sled canopy for support and break the zippers. That would be a bad thing the day before the official start of this grueling race, and we want Jason to have the best chance possible! At the end point of this mini-journey, I often heard, “TEAM COMING!” as the next sled arrived. “TEAM COMING! TEAM COMING!” Tomorrow, the teams will go. They will be in the real Iditarod race for a thousand miles! |
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Today the Iditarod really started! The official start has taken place, and the mushers and their dogs are on their way! One by one, dog teams arrived at the starting gate. One team was sent every two minutes. No one loses time by being last; rest time is adjusted so that by the finish line, everyone has been timed equally. Our musher, Jason Barron, is number 41. He is a very nice man and a kind and considerate person. Everyone likes him! There could not be a better musher for Dexter and Southfield Schools. I told him about the Schools, and he appreciates your support. His wife, Harmony, is equally appreciative, and she is also one of the kindest people you could ever meet. Her baby, Oksana, is also as cute as can be! Jason’s dogs are incredibly lively and were absolutely raring to go for the race. I think they know they have a thousand miles ahead of them, and they are going to love every inch of it. Mushers go up and down the line of their teams to give some last-minute encouragement, and they say goodbye to their families and loved ones. Then the countdown comes, and it’s “Hike!” and away they go!! Jason was focused. I think we might have a winner! |
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