Checkpoint is shut down!

It is always a strange feeling when the Unalakleet checkpoint shuts down for the year.  There is so much hustle and bustle, excitement, people out and about, skiing, sunshine, snow, weather, life---the place is hopping! Then just like that, the last mushers leave from the checkpoint.  The place is packed up and tucked away until next years running of the Iditarod.  Spring Break happens so fast for us with the Iditarod, the Skiku coaches, practices, races, bonfire, laser rifles, and at a snap of a finger everything on the "To Do List" is completed and "DONE!"

I was invited to join this stellar group of longtime mushers as we waited for Ketil's son Martin to arrive in the checkpoint.  The previous post shows Martin arriving.  I sat on caribou hides in the sunshine listening to tales from the Iditarod trail from these legends.

These two photos are from the dropped dog lot out by the airport.  They are waiting for dog boxes so they can be flown back to Anchorage and picked up by their handlers.  Note there is no sea ice!

In the middle of the previous day, these two teams arrived.  If you look at the sleds you will notice they are not racing sleds but expedition type sleds.  They were headed to the post office to pick up a food drop.  These two Norwegians were running these teams of big malamutes up to Nome for a person.  This person will then mush the teams up to Barrow.  The dogs were big strong animals.  The sleds are huge and the guys said they are running about 30 miles a day.

A rather empty checkpoint in the background and skiers play Drawfs, Giants, & Wizards.

One of the Norwegian sleds passing through the checkpoint.  They are not running the Iditarod.

Ski practice . . .

Indoor laser biathlon practice.

Miss Tally at the bonfire hoping for some of those graham crackers!  One of the things everyone does a great job out here with is the instant fire with s'mores.  Skiers and families together to say thanks to our Skiku coaches.

Enjoying our long days of light as we skied up from the fire to the top of Picnic Hill.

The end of the fun-filled evening! 

Just for fun Photos from the Edge!

The blog has a way with getting out of control i.e. behind the times! I let it go far too long and then I just need to get myself up to date.  Below are photos to get me up to date here in blogger-land!  The ol'photo essay time!

Miss Sadie and I out on the ski trail in Jan.  Skiing on the backcountry touring gear which is really my favorite gear to be on 99% of the time.

The ski crew here!  Adults and dogs all out for a ski meeting up on Top of Picnic Hill. Skier to the far right grew up skiing out here with us and now has a family and the cutest little baby ever---time flies!

Ski practice on the Dragon's Belly side of the Dragon's Back.

Doing what we do skiing!  Cold temps as dogs are in jackets and booties in Jan. On skate gear heading in from ski practice across the tundra.

Skiers on the south end of the Dragon's Back after one of our many storms this year. Looking south across the tundra.

Miss Tally bring it home from a ski out to Picnic Hill.

Ski practice on Picnic Hill after skiing Worm's Wild Ride.

Back in Jan. we did a ski tour on a rather brutal cold day with winds.  We skied up Picnic Hill and down to Picnic for hot drinks, snacks, and a fire!

Heading down to the fire and a well-earned break!

Just one of those wonderful moments that makes you stop for a second and be grateful for all you have in life.

Let's face it if we all did this the world would be a better place!

Miss Sadie: I dropped this photo into an App that makes it into a watercolor painting how cool!

One of our grown-up skiers here during Christmas skiing with us on a typical cold day!  On our Picnic Hill Tour.

Cold, wind, and early setting Jan. sun!  Heading out on our Picnic tour.

Drifts save our lives out here!  We ski on them and we hide behind them!

A nice warm one -30ºF! As I write this we really need a nice cold one for the Iditarod!  

Shoveling snow on the ski trail!  Like normal sane people shovel snow on the tundra so we can ski!  My husband the stellar ski trail groomer!

Oh Frost day I love it when the world looks like this----a sure sign of no WIND!

Miss Tally who is waiting for me during the morning work out---"Are you done yet!?"

Studs on my FatTire Bike and I love them!

Winter sunset . . .

Return to My Beginnings

"Don't take life too seriously because you can't come out of it alive." A quote from Warren Miller which helps to keep life in perspective.  This year marks 23rd year in the classroom for me. This is my last year in the traditional American classroom.  Last week, I handed in my contract saying I am resigning.  It was a well thought out decision and one I don't have an ounce of regret over at all!  I feel so fantastic to be wrapping up my professional career.

The saying "Full Circle" is what I am laughing about!  Long ago I was a bit of a ski bum.  Coaching Nordic skiing, teaching beginner Alpine ski lessons, and waiting tables.  I wanted to travel and work with kids.  I got married and my husband and I became teachers.  We worked overseas for 11 years before returning to teach in rural Alaska.  Our lives overseas were pretty darn great.  We were able to travel and really did some wonderful trips in Oman, Sweden, Norway, Morocco, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Canada.  While teaching in Peru we could return to Montana and ski every North American winter.  We kept getting jobs in the tropical region of the world but we missed winter.  We came home and landed jobs in Alaska.  School/job has been good.  The added plus of being here was we are able to ski.  I could coach cross-country skiing.  A bonus would be coaching the sport of ski biathlon!

Time has come to say goodbye to the classroom and return to my roots.  Spending more time outside, being fit, and just coaching!  Now as I say, "I am retiring from school but not from work!"  I will sub this coming year and coach the ski team. I will figure out how to make a living and just see what new opportunities present themselves or I can create.

I love returning to where I left off . . . no matter what returning to my beginnings feels magical!

Ms. Sadie and I on the night of the Super Moon.

First-grade skiers on a nice foggy frosty day!

My girl!

A tea break a must on our ski tours.

A chilly ski tour but under a huge blue tundra sky!

Spring Time: Coming Up For Air Saying & Good-Bye to the Race Season!

The ski season has ended!  Lets rephrase that to say "The ski season has ended as far as racing, traveling, and sleeping on school floors."  I am still hoping to get a few more days of skiing here on the drifts that are slowly melting.  As far as skiing with kids that part is done!  Our season is long (since winter is long this far north) but we enjoy skiing with the kids.  We especially love getting kids outside, away from the TV and electronic devices.  Simply being outside with kids skiing is a lot of fun!

Some of our younger skiers with our new groomer.

Our wonderful groomer and his side kick Tally.

One of our skiers competing in Arctic Winter Games 2014 in snowshoe biathlon.  Katie brought home 4 Ulu medals!

Sadie and I enjoying a break from our tundra walk.  We were actually sitting in a hail storm.  The snow in the background is where we are still skiing.

Christmas Vacation has STARTED--Skiing-Knitting-Relaxing-Baking!!!!!

Hardly anything else needs to be said . . .  well I would add knitting and reading!  Always my biggest belief is one should get outside as much as possible under one's own mode of transportation also know as exercise.

Yesterday was the last day of school and Christmas Break started for us!  One of the things I love about not traveling for Christmas is that the vacation starts instantaneously and that is a wonderful thing.  I spent yesterday afternoon in the wax room getting ski gear out to some of our race team skiers.  Today I hope to get the gear out to our elementary skiers.  Then we can all get skiing!

Sadie voicing her opinion here, "Can we go skiing now!"  In the wax room known as Worm's Wax Room.

BOOTS, BOOTS, BOOTS!

This year we were able to get more poles, boots, and skis which were really needed for all the skiers.

Hard to tell in this photo but there are several new skis for race team skiers, younger elementary 

skiers, and adult helpers.

Skiing Nov. 24th when we had snow before it all warmed up and turned  into a mess.  Now we are basically back to this point as our snow is returning and temperatures are dropping to the normal lows.

This was posted on FB as well but just wanted to get these mittens posted here on the blog.  These are my new favorite ski mittens.  Made by TOKO and they are insulated and wind proof.  They has a soft back and thumb for wiping one's nose.

If you do a search online you will be able to find these mittens at most Nordic/cross-country ski shops.
These were purchased at Eagle River Nordic.

I also always wear a glove liner inside my mittens to keep my hands warmer.  This way I can remove my mittens and not expose my hands to freezing temperatures.

Knitting: I have been working on several projects which is so typical of me!  I just can not stay focused on anything to long no matter how much I try to stay focused.  I am of course still working on my Bláithín sweater. I have one sleeve knitted to the proper length and the body needs about 2 more inches.  I need to cast-on the next sleeve and get that knitted.  Once the body and the other sleeve are completed I can then join the 3 pieces and start my color work on the yoke.

I will be writing more about my knitting now that I am on break.  I felt I needed to give a bit of an update.  Next I will be posting about Jan's Grab Bag Socks a fun way to use up left  over yarn!