Val says....
Of the things we have done in Alaska, the Iditarod and our stay at Talvista Lodge have to be my favorites. The excitement at the Restart was electrifying. The dogs were barking and howling in anticipation of their turn to start. The announcers were identifying each musher, giving some facts about them and doing the countdowns. After a few hours it was time for our trip to the wilderness. It had been many years since I had been in a small plane on skis.
Soon after take-off, we passed over the Susitna River and saw some of the mushers. Many people avoided the crowds at the Restart and cheered the mushers out on the trail. We also flew over one of the checkpoints where many ski-planes had landed with race volunteers.
When we arrived at the airstrip near Talvista Lodge, we were met by Patrick and Ken on
snowmachines towing sleds. After stowing our luggage, we hopped on behind them and
rode to the lodge. There we met Patrick's wife, Jen. They were the managers of the lodge.
After we rested, we had a tasty meal prepared by Jen, including fresh homemade bread.
Supplies are brought in by snowmachine and bread is one thing that doesn't travel very
well (along with lettuce and other produce), so they often make bread.
Then in was time to bundle up in layers and layers of clothing to go to see the mushers on the Iditarod Trail. We again traveled by snowmachine on the custom made 'easy rider' (easy chairs bolted to a freight sled for the chechackos that flew in!). It was sooo cool riding through the darkness with only the snowmachine's headlight. We could make out the shadows of the trees along the river and could feel the vastness of the lands around us. Soon we could see the bonfire, where we would be spending the next few hours.
After awhile someone spotted a tiny light out across the river -- a musher! As the light moved closer we could hear the dogs panting and the swoosh of the sled runners. Finally, they came up the bank and right past our bonfire, then quickly went up a hill and disappeared into the forest. We tried asking the first few who they were or what their number was, but usually had no response. They don't want other racers to find out where they are so they just don't talk! We saw several mushers, but not as many as we had hoped for and found out later that many mushers took an early rest stop. Most of them must have come by the bonfire between 2 a.m. and about 9 a.m. We saw the last six or eight in the morning.
We were the only ones staying a second night at the lodge. The others were going by snowmachine to another lodge farther along the Trail and two flew back to Anchorage. Ken and his wife, Diane, were managing the lodge just up the hill, Talaview, and they invited us up there for dinner. Again, we rode the snowmachines, but this time Lou drove one. By now it was snowing and we went along a trail through the woods with the trees towering right above us. Another delicious meal in the log lodge.
Tuesday morning when we awoke it was still snowing and Patrick told us the plane wouldn't be able to come at eleven oclock. So we went for a walk and took some photos, I held the baby, and read a lot. Patrick, Jen and Chamile left by snowmachine to move to another lodge forty miles away. That night, we were alone in the lodge. Usually, they turn the generator off at night and have a couple of 12-volt lights for the bathrooms, but this night they left the generator on.
Early Wednesday morning I heard whump -- whump -- whump, and couldn't figure out what it was. It sounded like a car door a couple of houses away, but there weren't any houses -- or any cars! It was clumps of snow sliding off the metal roof!! It was still snowing, but now it was great big wet clusters of snowflakes. This continued the rest of the day. Ken, Diane, and Porter moved down the hill to Talvista and that night we celebrated Porter's fourth birthday. It was a long day because we didn't go outside; the snow was really wet and our clothes really weren't waterproof. Finally, I begged Diane to let me do some the the dishes while she was baking bread and birthday cake. In all, we had another eighteen or more inches of snow.
When we awoke on Thursday, we learned we would probably be able to fly out. Late in the morning Barry arrived and we boarded the plane for our flight back to civilization. What an experience we had during these four days!
Of the things we have done in Alaska, the Iditarod and our stay at Talvista Lodge have to be my favorites. The excitement at the Restart was electrifying. The dogs were barking and howling in anticipation of their turn to start. The announcers were identifying each musher, giving some facts about them and doing the countdowns. After a few hours it was time for our trip to the wilderness. It had been many years since I had been in a small plane on skis.
Soon after take-off, we passed over the Susitna River and saw some of the mushers. Many people avoided the crowds at the Restart and cheered the mushers out on the trail. We also flew over one of the checkpoints where many ski-planes had landed with race volunteers.
When we arrived at the airstrip near Talvista Lodge, we were met by Patrick and Ken on
snowmachines towing sleds. After stowing our luggage, we hopped on behind them and
rode to the lodge. There we met Patrick's wife, Jen. They were the managers of the lodge.
After we rested, we had a tasty meal prepared by Jen, including fresh homemade bread.
Supplies are brought in by snowmachine and bread is one thing that doesn't travel very
well (along with lettuce and other produce), so they often make bread.
Then in was time to bundle up in layers and layers of clothing to go to see the mushers on the Iditarod Trail. We again traveled by snowmachine on the custom made 'easy rider' (easy chairs bolted to a freight sled for the chechackos that flew in!). It was sooo cool riding through the darkness with only the snowmachine's headlight. We could make out the shadows of the trees along the river and could feel the vastness of the lands around us. Soon we could see the bonfire, where we would be spending the next few hours.
After awhile someone spotted a tiny light out across the river -- a musher! As the light moved closer we could hear the dogs panting and the swoosh of the sled runners. Finally, they came up the bank and right past our bonfire, then quickly went up a hill and disappeared into the forest. We tried asking the first few who they were or what their number was, but usually had no response. They don't want other racers to find out where they are so they just don't talk! We saw several mushers, but not as many as we had hoped for and found out later that many mushers took an early rest stop. Most of them must have come by the bonfire between 2 a.m. and about 9 a.m. We saw the last six or eight in the morning.
We were the only ones staying a second night at the lodge. The others were going by snowmachine to another lodge farther along the Trail and two flew back to Anchorage. Ken and his wife, Diane, were managing the lodge just up the hill, Talaview, and they invited us up there for dinner. Again, we rode the snowmachines, but this time Lou drove one. By now it was snowing and we went along a trail through the woods with the trees towering right above us. Another delicious meal in the log lodge.
Tuesday morning when we awoke it was still snowing and Patrick told us the plane wouldn't be able to come at eleven oclock. So we went for a walk and took some photos, I held the baby, and read a lot. Patrick, Jen and Chamile left by snowmachine to move to another lodge forty miles away. That night, we were alone in the lodge. Usually, they turn the generator off at night and have a couple of 12-volt lights for the bathrooms, but this night they left the generator on.
Early Wednesday morning I heard whump -- whump -- whump, and couldn't figure out what it was. It sounded like a car door a couple of houses away, but there weren't any houses -- or any cars! It was clumps of snow sliding off the metal roof!! It was still snowing, but now it was great big wet clusters of snowflakes. This continued the rest of the day. Ken, Diane, and Porter moved down the hill to Talvista and that night we celebrated Porter's fourth birthday. It was a long day because we didn't go outside; the snow was really wet and our clothes really weren't waterproof. Finally, I begged Diane to let me do some the the dishes while she was baking bread and birthday cake. In all, we had another eighteen or more inches of snow.
When we awoke on Thursday, we learned we would probably be able to fly out. Late in the morning Barry arrived and we boarded the plane for our flight back to civilization. What an experience we had during these four days!
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Snowed In!
Wilderness lodge experience (continued)
Wilderness lodge experience (continued)
