The decision has been made to somehow be a part of the 2011 Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race but if that is not possible, to at least be present for the start of the race. I accompanied Kim to Anchorage again in April to help her find a place to live. We then did a little sightseeing
and took pictures of beautiful vistas.
In May, Kim formally moved to Anchorage to start her "next chapter". I flew to Anchorage and unpacked her belongings and helped her make her new home, 'homey'. We then took a little time to see the other side of Anchorage. We drove east to Eagle River in the Chugach Mountains
and followed the moose tracks at one point.
We then walked some trails and admired the still ice-ladened creeks, which surely attract resident bears.
But, I kept gently nagging Kim. I wanted to visit the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla. So my dear daughter drove nearly an hour to our destination.
On the left is the commercial sign which is also available for purchase at the gift shop. Before leaving Alaska, I bought Jeff King's Cold Hands Warm Heart. The book is a series of first-hand accounts of Jeff's experiences of his life after moving to Denali from California. Much of the book focused on his mushing experiences. I cried at some of his accounts. I laughed out loud at others. I could not help but read some of his passages out loud to my husband, Ken. The paintings in the book, which were created by his wife, are gorgeous! I loved, loved, loved the concept of life as Jeff King related it.
That is when I discovered a few more details about the race itself. First, the race is always scheduled for the first Saturday morning in March. Second, there are two starts to the race. The ceremonial start is from 4th street in downtown Anchorage and is the morning before the actual start. Finally, the actual start, or the re-start is from Willow, Alaska, which is northeast of Anchorage, and begins at approximately 1:45 p.m. When I saw pictures of the mushers, the teams, the photographers, the people behind the barricades, and all the other miscellaneous people milling around, I wondered: Who are they? Where do they come from?
That is when I went back to a 'favorite' on my computer's home page and logged onto The Iditarod Insider. I began reading all the links associated with the site. I found a link entitled "Volunteers". Ah, Ha! I deduced - from plain language - that one can simply sign up to be a volunteer for the race. After logging in and completing a profile, I then searched all the slots that needed to be filled by volunteers. These slots included working in the gift shop (of course), licking stamps and sending mailers (ho-hum), and serving as security. I wanted to be near the dogs and feel the excitement that purportedly reverberated through the air on race day. I kept reading.
Then I read that there are slots for dog handlers, trail guards, attendants for checking the teams for starting and finishing, security, setting up for the race and several others. I made my selections, crossed my fingers and hit 'send'. A few days later I received a confirmation email that my profile and application had been received and that responses would be sent in January. I knew without hope that I would not be selected as a volunteer, much less, get the golden ticket for the job that I wanted...........
and took pictures of beautiful vistas.
In May, Kim formally moved to Anchorage to start her "next chapter". I flew to Anchorage and unpacked her belongings and helped her make her new home, 'homey'. We then took a little time to see the other side of Anchorage. We drove east to Eagle River in the Chugach Mountains
and followed the moose tracks at one point.
We then walked some trails and admired the still ice-ladened creeks, which surely attract resident bears.
But, I kept gently nagging Kim. I wanted to visit the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla. So my dear daughter drove nearly an hour to our destination.
 |
| This is the entry from the highway to the Iditarod Headquarters. Behind the headquarters is part of the Iditarod Trail. |
After leisurely enjoying the memorabilia, watching the video and talking to the representative, I expressed to her that I would love to return to watch the race. Among other things she informed me that many people simply - let me repeat that, simply - volunteer. She said the Iditarod Trail Committee members are always in need of people to run the gift shop and send out mailers. Then she handed me a business card with some names and telephone numbers. We thanked her and left. No thanks. No desk job for me. I want to touch and be around the four-legged racers. So we walked around the grounds, took more pictures, then off to lunch.
On the left is the commercial sign which is also available for purchase at the gift shop. Before leaving Alaska, I bought Jeff King's Cold Hands Warm Heart. The book is a series of first-hand accounts of Jeff's experiences of his life after moving to Denali from California. Much of the book focused on his mushing experiences. I cried at some of his accounts. I laughed out loud at others. I could not help but read some of his passages out loud to my husband, Ken. The paintings in the book, which were created by his wife, are gorgeous! I loved, loved, loved the concept of life as Jeff King related it.I did not give the race much more thought until October 2010.
That is when I went back to a 'favorite' on my computer's home page and logged onto The Iditarod Insider. I began reading all the links associated with the site. I found a link entitled "Volunteers". Ah, Ha! I deduced - from plain language - that one can simply sign up to be a volunteer for the race. After logging in and completing a profile, I then searched all the slots that needed to be filled by volunteers. These slots included working in the gift shop (of course), licking stamps and sending mailers (ho-hum), and serving as security. I wanted to be near the dogs and feel the excitement that purportedly reverberated through the air on race day. I kept reading.
Then I read that there are slots for dog handlers, trail guards, attendants for checking the teams for starting and finishing, security, setting up for the race and several others. I made my selections, crossed my fingers and hit 'send'. A few days later I received a confirmation email that my profile and application had been received and that responses would be sent in January. I knew without hope that I would not be selected as a volunteer, much less, get the golden ticket for the job that I wanted...........
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