SPK Dog Log

These videos are from the final 5% of the race. It seems that some years these last 50 miles have been the most challenging; some years, the most entertaining, or the most competitive. This year, it was breathtakingly gorgeous. I think you’ll agree.

In Episode 22 we are descending Topcock. It is the last steep climb up, and then down, before the team arrives at the edge of the Bering Sea. From there the Iditarod route turns due west and follows the ocean’s shoreline for approximately 50 miles to the finish.

The sun is rising behind us. It is nearly daylight. I no longer have my headlight turned on but, I haven’t turned off Bruno’s HeadLite collar. In the video we are looking south – out across the Bering Sea. As is plainly obvious, the ocean is not frozen. The water is dark and ominous.

The trail ahead of us is now visible. There are snow drifts that periodically cross the trail. But, for the most part, there is now a route to follow.

The most notable phenomenon is off to the west; where we are heading. I am being quite sarcastic when I say, “What I find interesting is I see it blowing in the Blowhole.” Interesting is a nice way of putting it. We did a website post last year describing the infamous Blowhole near Safety. Check it out HERE.

In Episode 23 we are getting closer to the Safety Checkpoint. The horizon and landscape are amazing. In person, it feels so incredibly vast. My dog team and I seem insignificant in this world.

The white and grey swirling clouds that sit above the horizon ahead of us are foreboding. These are a “WARNING” sign as we get closer to the Blowhole. You can tell that I’m not thrilled. More often than not, when I’ve mushed through this section along the Iditarod, it has been windy. The breeze in this video is quite tame. It is enough to blow loose snow across the ground and keep the trail marker flags alert. It is not enough to blow my team or my sled off course. 

When I pan behind us you can catch a quick glimpse of the sunrise to the east. 

Episode 24 shows why I try to keep a vigilant lookout all the time. A musher could easily pass this lonely fellah off to the north of the trail.

If you’ve ever been lonely… you might have pity for this guy.

In Episode 20 we are just about to arrive in the village of Golovin.

I could see a lot of people at the edge of town, milling around. As we got closer, my eyes could focus and sure enough, there was a large crowd.

I wish that I would have recorded my time in the village. It was fantastic.

Everyone was excited to see us. I stopped the team and anchored my snow hook. I said to everyone, “How are you guys doing today?” It was perfect weather for spectators: warm, blue skies and not much of a breeze. Most of the kids wore light jackets or no jackets at all. I immediately recognized a woman, Agnes, who had made me a salmon dinner when I had visited the town the summer prior. I joked with her and told her that I sure was hungry. I said that I’d been dreaming of her salmon for the last few hours. She said with a smile, “Do you like caribou? Because I have some caribou stew for you”. And she did! She had a container full of caribou stew, homemade cookies and a GCI to-go cup of coffee for me. Wow! I zipped opened my sled bag and she placed a mouthwatering to-go meal on the top of my gear.

Another woman came forward with a very young boy by her side. He handed me some cartoon drawings. The woman explained to me that Noah is my biggest fan. I shook his hand, took his drawings and put them next to my to-go meal. At this point, I couldn’t actually see any of my dogs. All of the kids were petting them and saying hi. The dogs enjoyed that.

What a positive experience: put out 100% effort, endure some challenges, and be highly rewarded. Whether it was the overt friendliness, the to-go meal or the loving pets; the entire experience put the dogs and myself on a natural high.

Here is the video that I took during the summer of 2017 when I was in Golovin. It shows how the Iditarod Trail comes up from the ocean and travels through the center of the village.

In Episode 19 we are between Elim and White Mountain on the Western coast.

Scattered along the trails in rural Alaska are Shelter Cabins. I guess these are similar to Rest Areas on the highways and turnpikes in the Lower 48; except there no rest rooms, Wendy’s burger joints or iPhone charging stations.But… they could save you life in a storm.

These cabins are rustic but appreciated all the same. They are often located where they could be lifesaving should a person need to seek shelter. This particular cabin is on a north facing, exposed tundra field just downhill from the summit of Little McKinely and prior to the frozen sea of Golovin Bay. As you can plainly see, there is no place to hunker down out there. 

The winds often come from the northwest in this area. Gale force or hurricane force winds are not uncommon here. If you look at the layout of the snow drifts and surrounding snow forms around the cabin you can witness the power of the wind.

The lee side or sheltered side of the structure has no snow blown onto the cabin walls. The cabin and immediate surrounding area is exposed. Wind blows over the top or around the sides of the cabin and scours out large scoops of snow. You wouldn’t want to be sitting in the leeward side of this cabin during a storm!

The trail goes directly in front of the cabin. A traveler can’t miss it if they are on the trail. Even during the darkness, the cabin is illuminated with permanent yellow reflectors. You can see them in this photo below.

The windward side of the cabin catches the direct force of the wind. Snow drifts can easily cover the entire cabin from this side. In the video, you’ll notice that human goodwill helped out the stray traveler in need because the cabin door has been shoveled clear.

I stayed at this cabin in 2010 for two hours. The weather hadn’t been an issue but my dog team needed a rest. The cabin had a renovation since then. When I stayed there had been no door on the wood stove, although there was wood to start a fire. I had slept on the floor of the cabin with the cabin door open in order to let the smoke escape. 

I have stayed at a few of these cabins in my years of mushing across Alaska. Often they are situated in some of the most beautiful settings, as well as the most deadly if a storm catches you at the wrong time. 

In Episode 17 we are nearing the top of one of the many mountains between Elim and White Mountain.

The dogs and I put a lot of effort into climbing mountains. The trail segment has some of the toughest climbs on the Iditarod. I often double ski pole, but by this point in the race I had given my second pole to Jessie Holmes, so I was down to one. My left quadricep had been torn, so I was only pedaling with my right foot and single ski poling. It wasn’t ideal, but it was all I could do to help. In the beginning of the video, you can actually see the camera blob, up and down, as I pedal with my right leg. 

This afternoon was spectacular. As you can see, we had to grind for every mile but the scenery is AMAZING on top of these mountains. It truly feels like the top of the world here. I point out the frozen ocean to the left. It’s way back down at sea level and off in the distance. We had climbed up and down – to sea level and back – twice already since leaving Elim.

When I talk on the video, I must use a different voice. My dogs will often look back and wonder who I am talking to. You can especially see Decaf wondering who is back there with me. I even say in this video’ “I can’t talk very much.” But then, I continue talking, Ha! I am sure that my recording voice is a distraction. That’s why you hear me continually cheering them on.

In Episode18 the view from the back of my dog sled is amazing. I even took several panoramic photos while moving (above.) Breathtaking. One could even say… dizzying or balance reducing.

We had just finished the mountain climbs and were on a gradual descent. There are miles and miles of wide open tundra where the horizon stretches on and on. Obviously I thought it was overwhelming because I fell off my sled! Oops. Somewhat embarrassing.