We know spring is almost here. Nenana Ice Classic tickets are on sale, and we are busy with guests in March. We’re on Daylight Savings Time. DST in Alaska is outright funny in the Interior by June. We think Alaskan put up with DST to be in sync with the Outside.
The light is coming back! We gain 6+ minutes a day. Terry and I can see our winter windows need cleaning. Our houseplants have perked up. We burn less wood. We stay outside longer. The temperatures are still cold, but with the light, it’s friendlier. March sees a growing yearning for springtime in the Interior.
One of the best harbingers of spring is the Iditarod Race. We follow mushers and dogs, and we have our favorites. We always keep an eye on Jeff King. He is our neighbor through the canyon and over the hills to the south. We know his wife, Donna Gates King, who is a wonderful artist. She has done much to encourage healthy lifestyles for Interior Alaskan families through dance, exercise, and good food choices. The Kings have three daughters. I had the honor of having the older two in my classes at Tri-Valley School in Healy. They were great students. The whole family has many talents.
We root for our “homies.” We have several mushers from this area who have been in past dog races: David Sawatzky, Ramy Brooks, Bruce Lee, and Anne Capistrant. These are mushers who like to go fast. They race. And we love to follow them on TV or in the newspapers every day.
We also have mushers in the area who do not race. Jon and Karin Nierenberg own Earthsong Lodge and Denali Dogsled Expeditions. Jon is truly a “rock star” musher in this area near Denali National Park. He has taught safe, fun dogmushing and guided dogsled trips for years (http://www.earthsonglodge.com/dogsledQA.html).
Currently two women, new mushers, are with Jon and another guide for a 5-day trip. They had a training day for the first day. They are camping in tents and cabins in Denali National Park for four days. They travel by dogsled each day.
They will stay with us on the day they return from their trips. We’ll hear the stories, see videos and look at their pictures. Next week Jon takes out two men who have mushed with him three times before. These veterans, coming from different parts of the US, will go on a 10-day trip deep into Denali National Park. March can be the perfect time for a long dog mushing trip. The temperatures are better and the returning light makes a big difference.
If you would like to try out the runners of a dog sled or if you would rather stay in the basket, there is no problem. At 86-years old, my father-in-law went for a quick trip in the basket. He’s 88 now and still talking about the ride. He was certainly impressed, and so were we…with him. Our daughter and her boyfriend from the East Coast made a reservation at Christmas time for a four-hour trip. They enjoyed the time on the runners and in the sled.
Make reservations with Jon and Karin and pick the trip best for you. Mike, Jared, Jay Jay, Bridget, Corinne and Jamie are expert helpers in this organization.
It is delightful to know a dog musher who loves and cares for dogs. That’s Jon. On return from an overnight trip, Jon sat down to play with the two puppies in the kennel, much to the delight of his guests. The last time I talked with Jamie, he was getting ready to dog mush…on his day off from dog mushing. This is one dedicated dog mushing team.
We hear Jon is an excellent cook and storyteller on the trail. His guests usually stay at the Denali Dome Home for the first night, the training night and the last night of their vacations here. We’ve had the pleasure of hearing tales from the trails for three years.
Jon’s guests use the words “pristine” and “A-mazing” often after a sledding trip with him or one of his guides. “A trip of a lifetime” and “I am so glad I came to Denali to mush with Jon” are repeated phrases. Some add, “I miss the dogs already.” The trip makes for strong connections with Jon, Interior Alaska, and the dogs.
A women mushing now in March saw one of Karin and Jon’s nightly photography shows at Henry’s Café and toured their dogyard in the summertime. Several of their summer guests are so impressed, they come back in the winter to dogsled with Jon. A few days ago, a couple of Chicago lawyers came to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary on a first-time dog mushing trip. It’s surprises me to see how many of these new mushers talk about, and actually do return to mush again with Jon and his dogs.
I think March is Jon’s busiest month for mushing. Come home safely, Jon and new mushers. Go, Jeff! God’s speed. Welcome back, Light. Come on, Spring!
For more information…
Jon recently attached “dog cams” to his mushing dogs. It’s really fun to be on the dog’s collar and traveling with his dog on snow. His youtube name is DenaliDogBoy.
One example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LylR4mLoDMc&NR=1
Scott Elnes, KTUU meteorologist in Anchorage published a 5-part dog mushing trip with Jon. We are featured in the first two issues He has several other entertaining and informative Alaskan videos. d
For a start, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZSfyNiKKeA&feature=relate
Raven, our Scottish Terrier barks every time she hears dogs barking on these videos. I wonder if your dog(s) will react the same.
For Iditarod Race information:
http://www.iditarod.com/
To reach Jon and Karin Nierenberg of Denali Dogsled Expeditions and Earthsong Lodge see:
http://www.earthsonglodge.com/alaska-dogsled-tours.html
In Willow, we like Vern Halter’s Dream a Dream Dog Farm. He allows small groups and has a 40-guest maximum.
http://www.alaskavisitorscenter.com/images/dreamadream.html
Our Fairbanks daughter, Sarah married Davin Mitchell and married into a mushing family. Her father-in-law, Bruce Mitchell, mushed in the first Iditarod Race in 1973. We love hearing his mushing stories. For a list of mushers in all Iditarod Races see: http://www.iditarod.com/learn/ and click on “Past Race Archives.”
It’s true we are waiting on spring, but we certainly are also awaiting the birth of our first granddaughter, due April 2nd. She will be the real “de-light” in our lives. We are going to Washington, D.C. for the birth. Yes, welcome back, Light!
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