Mrs. Sullivan is representing Dexter School and Southfield School in Alaska at the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The following reports were sent from Mrs. Sullivan during her trip.
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Hello Dexter and Southfield, Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska! My flight across the country was uneventful. I read quite a bit and actually began to knit a new baby sweater. Unfortunately, it was snowing Sunday afternoon, and I was unable to view the vast snow covered mountain tops. The hotel where I am staying is more like a hunting lodge. The lobby is filled with stuffed, wild animals. Moose, Caribou and Elk heads adorn the walls, as well as the skins of bears and stuffed fish. As you enter, you are greeted by a huge polar bear! The hotel sits on the bank of a lake, and I can see bush planes landing one after the other on the lake. In the lobby there is a booth for Iditarod volunteers, and there is a steady line of people ready to help as veterinarians, pilots and checkpoint assistants. They are considered the unsung heroes of the race. In this morning’s Sunday newspaper there was a special section on the Iditarod which included profiles of many of the top competitors. Lance Mackey is predicted to win the race again this year. On Sunday afternoon, I was a spectator at the 2nd annual running of the reindeer. It is part of the traditional Fur Rendezvous which is a winter festival that dates back to the 1800’s when the fur traders arrived to sell their goods. It was amazing to see reindeer running down the main street! Many vendors were selling sausages – reindeer sausages! One had a sign that said, “No, it is not Rudolph!” Perhaps we could add this to our lunch at school! Tomorrow I attend a pre-conference event to learn more about Alaska and visit an Alaskan museum. I’ll write again tomorrow. Mrs. Sullivan |
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Greetings to all at Southfield and Dexter, I am sure you all enjoyed your snow day on Monday! It is sunny and 20 degrees Fahrenheit in Anchorage today. This morning I took another trip to see the Fur Rendezvous or “The Fur Rondy” which is still being celebrated. People in Anchorage are also celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Alaska becoming a state. What is just amazing to notice is how much authentic fur is worn by both men and women. People are wearing fur hats, jackets, boots, and gloves. I did miss an event earlier that sounded like fun called the Snowshoe Softball Tournament. Both men and women played softball in a snow covered field and ran to bases wearing snowshoes. Can you imagine! The hype and excitement is growing here at the hotel. Many more people are arriving daily and there is a lot of talk about the Iditarod. I have met several nice teachers from New York, Georgia and South Carolina. I took this picture of the mountain to show you that snow covered mountains are pretty much the backdrop of everything you see in Anchorage. It is incredible to experience the vast mountain ranges. I am looking forward to seeing an authentic sled dog. The Teachers’ Conference begins tonight, and I will visit a museum to learn more about the Native Alaskan Culture. I will write again tomorrow. Mrs. Sullivan |
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Hello Dexter and Southfield, Alaska is becoming more and more interesting each day. The museum last night was amazing. We saw a wide arrangement of Native Alaskan artifacts. The jacket in the picture is made of a whale’s bladder and is waterproof. It is warm and was worn by Alaskan fishermen. During the Teachers’ Conference this morning, we listened to Mr. Rod Perry, one of the original Iditarod mushers. He just finished writing a book called Trail Breakers. After he spoke, Trent Herbst, a 4th grade teacher from Idaho, told us about his classroom. This is his 3rd year as a musher in the Iditarod. In his math class, his students made him a sled out of broken hockey sticks! He drew up the plans, and they had to construct the sled. He has a sewing machine in his classroom, and his students have made all of his dogs their booties out of Salvation Army fleece baby blankets. Also, his students are responsible for packing his checkpoint packets. This afternoon, we drove to Wasilla and visited the kennel, art gallery, and home of Jon and Jona Van Zyle, the Official Artists of the Iditarod. Their home was amazing. It is a log cabin built with post and beam construction. Fireplaces, wood burning stoves and art work are inside of this cozy cabin. The kennel was out back, and their 18 sled dogs are former Iditarod dogs. Their backyard has become a retirement home for these dogs. Tomorrow we will be taking a field trip to the Iditarod Headquarters to observe the veterinarian staff performing the final examination of the dogs. After that, we will visit the kennel owned by four-time champion, Martin Buser. We will learn about how he raises and trains his Alaskan huskies. I’ll write again tomorrow. Mrs. Sullivan |
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Greetings to all at Southfield and Dexter, I had another busy day in Alaska. At 7:00 we boarded a bus for a fieldtrip to the Iditarod Headquarters to observe the voluntary Veterinarians in action. The mushers began arriving throughout the morning, and the veterinarian staff carefully examined each dog. I was able to have my picture taken with Lance Mackey. He won both the 2007 and 2008 Iditarod and is hoping to win again this year. We visited the Iditarod Trail Museum and the gift shop. I picked up a special gift for Mrs. Burke! After that, we visited four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser’s kennel in Big Lake. This is his 25th Iditarod race, and he holds the record for the fastest race finish which is 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds. Mr. Buser shared highlights and stories from the trail, providing personal, behind the scenes glimpses of life in Alaska. At one point, he sounded like Mr. Wright during an Athletic Awards Ceremony. He talked about training his dogs as a team. The positions are lead dogs, wheel dogs, and swing dogs. Even though the lead and wheel dogs are the most demanding positions, all his dogs are trained to compete in any position, and team work is the most important quality. He even said that he expects each of his dogs to give his or her “personal best”! Mr. Buser mentioned that to reach Nome, his dogs needed him, and he needed his dogs. At one point he sounded like a teacher. He said that by providing food, shelter, instruction, guidance, and positive reinforcement, his dogs are less stressed. If his dogs are relaxed and get along with each other, they will give him full trust and work their hardest to please him. Interesting!! I will write again tomorrow. Mrs. Sullivan |
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Greetings to all at Southfield and Dexter, The suspense is certainly increasing at the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage! It is similar to the excitement surrounding The Boston Marathon and the Super Bowl. There are mushers, dogs and volunteers everywhere you look. I have met many interesting people including a volunteer who is a veterinarian from New Zealand. This is her eighth year volunteering her time at the race. In order to participate as a volunteer, she schedules her vacation from work during the Iditarod. One of the speakers at the conference this morning was a dentist from Alaska named Sonny Chambers. He volunteers at the Koyuk (A small Malenuit Eskimo village on Norton Sound) checkpoint which is one of the 27 checkpoints used on the southern route during years that end in odd numbers. During years that end in even numbers, the 26 checkpoints on the northern route are used. When arriving at each checkpoint, the mushers have to sign in and have their dogs examined by veterinarians before they continue. Another interesting teacher I met is from North Dakota. Her family owned two border collies and thought that these dogs needed more exercise. They solved this problem by purchasing a herd of sheep! Can you imagine! She now sheers the sheep for wool and spins it into yarn. She was wearing a scarf that she made from one of her sheep! I thought Mrs. Bain designing her own knit sweaters was so special! I also had the privilege of having lunch today with Laura Daugereau. I will sit in her sled during the ceremonial race on Saturday. She is a fascinating young lady who has a passion for the outdoors and a true love of dogs. Although presented with quite a few obstacles in her life, she is fulfilling her dream. She took me outside to her truck and introduced me to the sixteen dogs she will take with her on the race. Tonight I am off to the Musher’s Banquet in downtown Anchorage, and I am told it is like attending the Academy Awards for the Iditarod. I will write again tomorrow. Mrs. Sullivan |
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Hello Dexter and Southfield, The excitement continues to build here at the Millennium Hotel, and it is really quite an amazing experience! Last night we attended the annual Musher’s Banquet at the New Convention Center downtown. The mushers were being treated like Hollywood celebrities! First, I had my picture taken with Cathy Walters, a Pre-K educator at the Carolina Day School in Asheville, North Carolina. She is the 2009 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail. Then I had a photo shoot with Dee Dee Jonrowe. She has had many successful Iditarod races despite some health obstacles. Finally, I had a few pictures taken with Laura Daugereau, the musher I will ride with in the ceremonial race on Saturday. This morning we had the privilege to listen to author and Iditarod musher, Gary Paulsen. His story about his life captivated the audience. He is truly an inspirational speaker who encourages people of all ages to dream, to undertake challenges, and to reach their goals. The next speaker was Lisa Frederik. She came to Alaska as an innocent tourist. She became an Iditarod volunteer, and then trained to be a musher in the Iditarod Race. She wrote a book called, Running with Champions about her exciting Iditarod experiences. I bought it and can not wait to read it! Next was another musher named Aily Zirle. She said, “I consider the Iditarod not only a competition of the highest caliber, but also a celebration of the true Arctic transportation. I appreciate the trail crossing the magnificent state of Alaska and can think of no better mode of transportation I’d prefer than a dog team”. Tomorrow is my big day. I will sit in Laura Daugereau’s dog sled. I will be pulled through downtown Anchorage and continue on through the woods for a few miles. I can’t wait! I’ll write again tomorrow. Mrs. Sullivan |
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Hello Dexter and Southfield, Today was the Grand Finale for me! The weather was perfect. There was a bright sunny sky, and the temperature was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit. After meeting Laura’s dad and mom, I jumped into the dog sled and rode in the short-course ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage. We traveled through the city and then into the woods for about 3 or 4 miles. It was certainly a surreal moment for me! Believe it or not, I thought that this must be what it is like to run in the Boston Marathon. It was very emotional for me. Spectators were lined three or four deep along Fourth Avenue. They were trying to catch a glimpse of the mushers. TV cameras were everywhere, and adults and children were yelling, “Good Luck, Laura!” Laura was very gracious and thanked the spectators for their support. She said many times, “It is not about me, but my dogs.” As we rode through the woods, Laura was constantly reinforcing her dogs’ good behavior just as if they were members of an athletic team. She said, “I knew I could count on you Spruce. Keep up what you are doing Aspen, and you will get us there. You’re doing a great job staying in line, Bella Dog! Keep it up.” The unconditional love and passion she had for her dogs was incredible! The Alaskan artist and musher, Jon Van Zyle, included these words in his 1978 Iditarod poster: “From whence comes legends.” True enough, Alaskan legends, living and dead, infuse the sled dog race to Nome with a spirit of adventure and a mystique that no other Alaskan challenge can match. Tomorrow is the restart of the actual race which includes mushers who come from all walks of life. Many mushers consider finishing the race a victory in itself, just like runners in the Boston Marathon. I’ll write again tomorrow. Mrs. Sullivan |
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Hello Dexter and Southfield, Today we drove out to the town of Wasilla which is about an hour and a half trip from Anchorage. We went to see the start of the Iditarod race! There was a huge crowd of people there. Some had to park miles away and had to be bused to the starting line which was actually on a frozen lake! We were greeted with the sign of dogs for sale. After seeing many dogs this week, it was hard to resist holding one! Each musher arrived with a team of sixteen dogs. They were each given a number and were introduced to the crowd. The 1,149 mile race to Nome began after we sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The mushers said goodbye to their friends, family, and fans. They left the starting gate at two minute intervals after a loud ten count from the cheering fans. It is quite an emotional event. I am eagerly looking forward to following this exciting race by using the GPS Tracker system on the Iditarod.com website! I will be back to School on Wednesday. I’ll write again tomorrow. Mrs. Sullivan |