Thursday, March 17, 2022

MARCH 17, 2022 KOYUK, ELIM, GOLOVIN, WHITE MOUNTAIN, SAFETY, NOME

MARCH 17, 2022

One of my fondest memories is the year Hank and I were in NOME for St. Patrick's Day. EVERYONE in town came out for the St. Patrick's Day parade down Front St. All the dogs, cats, people were dressed in green and proudly marched . It lasted about 7 min. ANYONE about could take part in the parade as well. It was one of my best parades!!! Haven't seen any signs of it yet. Different photo takes this year. We used to see the people in the villages ,their preparations and all the mushers coming under the burled arch. I just heard, if you go to Iditarod 2022 fan page on Facebook you can see videos. I'm about to try it.

At 10:30 pm (EST) 26 teams were in NOME, 7 in WHITE MOUNTAIN, 6 in ELIM, 4 in SHAKTOOLIK. 48 miles from KOYUK to ELIM, 28 miles from ELIM to GOLOVIN, 18 miles from GOLOVIN to WHITE MOUNTAIN, 55 miles from WHITE MOUNTAIN to SAFETY and 55 miles from SAFETY to NOME. Total 171 miles. It won't be over tonight. 

SOME INTERVIEWS from LIZ FAILOR: MARTIN MASSSICOTTE  from QUEBEC. This was his 1st IDITAROD. He said it was much bigger , in every way, then he thought. He had a moose attack his dogs. He tried to scare him off with his ski pole but he kept charging. FINALLY he left and all were ok. He said it was "terrifying ". 

The BERRINGTON TWINS, ANNA AND KRISTY always travel together. They have been in over 10 Iditarods and said they had never seen weather conditions like they experienced--very warm then wind swept areas, snow, cold, freezing rain and oh that WIND was the final blow, literally. They loved the people in the villages on this Northern Route, in particularly in GALENA, where they were served a wonderful HOT STEW. It warmed them down to their toes. There were great auroras--so where are the pictures????

YUKA HONDA, APAYAUQ REITAN AND KAILYN DAVIS grouped together crossing the sea ice. Safety in numbers!!

PAGE DROBNY had left RUBY on to GALENA when she saw how far it was and felt the dogs were tired to tackle that so she went back to RUBY, rested and then went on. 

In RUBY-- PAGE and HANNAH LYREK travelled together. PAGES' family had said they were worried she might fall in the ocean so for her safety she would travel with another musher. HANNAH was good with that. Strange things people put in our heads and it STICKS!!

I'll keep going with the interviews and photo's on the next page:

SEBASTIEN DOS SANTOS BORGES is from France and it is his first IDITAROD. He said from KOYUK to SHAKTOOLIK 50 miles of intense wind and was a long way in that weather, although when he could see, it was beautiful. He feels they are ONE-- the dogs and the musher--a family. Many times he couldn't see his lead dog or the trail but his lead dog brought them through it. BRIDGETT WATKINS was behind him and when she saw he had lost his hand warmer that protected his electronics she gave him one of her T-shirts for cover. What wonderful spirit these mushers have also looking out for each other. BRIDGETTS' Dad is ALLEN MOORE, a well known musher and step Mom is ALIY ZIRKLE, very well liked and successful musher, just retired.

MILLE PROSILD the top woman's finisher in 14th place in 9 days, 17 hrs and 56 min. said in this race "you are very much alive in the moment and you know how small you are". 

MITCH SEAVEY got tangled up in his windy jacket and thought it was too embarrassing to video.

LIZ FAILOR explained how the trail markers work. They are set up by the trail breakers. The top part in orange with a blue ribbon flapping in the wind and under the orange top there is a strip of reflective tape that helps in the night with head lamps on.  One stake after the other is a straight trail, two stakes means a turn, right if it's on the right side of the trail and left if left.


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