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| Yep, I agree. |
Iditarod week hit Nome like a polar cyclone, actually tripling our total population. Out-of-towners were wandering the streets and I found myself joining their ranks as I finally enjoyed a week off from work. It was so nice to have time to do the things I've been wanting to do since I got here in August; I reverted back to being a tourist myself!
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| Ubiquitous orange-capped Baptists seen every time I left my apartment |
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| A sled dog team of children? |
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| The Russian Store that I've wanted to visit since August |
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| Inside, filled to the gills with beautiful items! |
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| Front Street, closed for mushers |
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| The famous burled arch finish! |
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| Dumping and plowing snow ON the road, finishing the course |
I got the chance to compete in the annual snow sculpting contest, held in Anvil City Square. A huge, 4'x4'x4' block of snow served as our sculpting medium, and our only tools included scissors, a butter knife, a hunting knife, and a bayonet from a friend’s gun. It was a "bring your own tools" affair, and most teams were more prepared with various saws, shovels, and carving instruments. By sheer enthusiasm we created a masterpiece entitled “You had me at oogruk”. The entrance fee was $20, and after a community wide vote, our piece won second place, winning $40! It was three hours of the coldest, most creative fun I've had. It was also pretty funny to watch tourists take pictures of my work throughout the week.
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| Our block |
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| Planning and starting to chip away |
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| Our nameplate |
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| Our finished masterpiece and tools |
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| Team oogruk |
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| The winning design |
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| Third place, palm tree |
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| They used real hot cocoa to decorate |
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| Spot on bunny boots! |
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| One woman did this solo |
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| Some real ICE cream |
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| Lucky in love |
After being judged in a competition, I was able to act as a judge in another. Every year folks decorate plain pine birdhouses and enter them in an auction, with all of the resulting funds going to support a local cause that relies on grants. This year all of the money raised went to the NEST shelter, which is the emergency homeless shelter in Nome. The winning birdhouse went for $450, with a total of $1,800 raised! Pretty impressive.
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| The Fourth Kind (an alien abduction movie) was set in Nome |
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| Genuine qiviut and musk ox hide! |
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| Rolled fabric made this beachy birdhouse |
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| Dry fish hut and a toadstool |
Lots of educational events took place all week long, and I was able to fill my days attending presentations and speakers of all sorts. I learned all about musk oxen, snow birds (did you know chickadees lower their body temperature to 50 degrees each night, and if they don't eat immediately upon waking up, they will die?), eskimo beading, and aguduk, also known as eskimo ice cream. It was a nice change of pace being the student this week.
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| A musk ox's nostrils are spiral to warm inhalations and remove moisture from exhalations |
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| Interesting creatures for sure! |
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| A woman from Savoonga, adding seal oil to her traditional aguduk recipe |
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| Frozen and chopped reindeer fat, a main ingredient |
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| Finished product - lots of tundra berries and no dairy! |
The best part of my week by far was greeting the mushers as they arrived at the finish. Of course I was ready and waiting hours ahead of time for the winner's arrival, but the thrill never wore off. I felt like a firefighter - each time the musher reached the 2-miles from town point, the fire siren would sound (even at 2am). I hurried to get my gear on and ran to Front Street to meet the teams. I couldn't believe how the masses dwindled after the first musher made it in, but my excitement lasted through on until the red lantern, which is the last musher. It's a tradition to have the final musher in blow out the lantern, that's been glowing the for the duration of the race.
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| The crowds waiting the arrival of the winner |
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| Dallas Seavey, youngest Iditarod champion in history! |
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| Recipient of $50,400 and a new truck |
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| Aliy Zirkle, arriving second after leading most of the race |
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| She made it into town only an hour after Dallas |
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| Ramey Smyth in third; his daughter gave me one of the dog booties! |
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| Lance Mackey - he wished me good morning on his way to the finish |
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| Coming off the sea ice |
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| Where the ice meets the road |
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| I left my snow pants stuffed in my boots for quicker "suiting up" |
After the first five finishers made it to Nome, security lessened, and anyone was able to join the officials and family members in the ring. I was able to talk to the mushers, and pet their dogs (which are a lot smaller and more solid feeling than you'd imagine!). I also got to spend time with mushing legend Sebastion Sschnuelle and his dog tender Gert, who stayed at the KNOM house. They traveled the trail by snowmachine this year to report with an insider's knowledge of the Iditardod, having mushed in the past. As well as entering this race in the past, he won the Yukon Quest in 2009, which is actually longer than the Iditarod. It was so much fun sitting and chatting with him (he sounds like cookie monster); he talked about his stupid dog Banana that he keeps trying to give away, getting frostbite on his fingers, and the extensive costs of dog mushing resulting in a negative retirement fund.
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| Sebastion and Gert |
It was nice having an inside connection to the Iditarod, as my closest friends in town work for KNOM. Iditarod updates aired at the station at 9am, 12 noon, 5pm and 8pm, and I was selected to voice an underwriting spot thanking Telalaska as a sponsor. It's still a trip hearing my voice on the radio. A friend from KNOM and I also chose a musher to follow before the race began, promising the be his biggest fan by greeting him on the sea ice, making signs, and interviewing him when he finishes regardless of his position. Traditionally KNOM only interviews the first 30 finishers, so when our favorite came in 48th place this really was a special treat for him.
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| At the chute, ready for a personal interview |
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| At the station, tracking the race progress |
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| KNOM reporting at the finish! |
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| Making our signs at the station |
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| Biggest fan ever |
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| Welcome to Nome! |
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| Our in-depth interview (not actually aired...) |
In addition to voicing a sponsor advertisement, I spent two hours on the air at KNOM co-hosting the evening college radio show. The regular DJ and I took turns choosing songs to play, bantering about who's music selection was superior. Around 10:30pm a call came into the station from a village, with a woman on the line saying that she wanted to hear more "Emily music". Clearly, I have the better taste in tunes.
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| Co-hosting KNOM college radio |
The last highlight of my week was pretty significant; I got up the gumption to perform at the annual Iditarod open mic night. The place was packed and I was called up earlier than expected, but I played through my nerves and sang in front of a group for the first time since high school. A few people have come up to me since then, and it's fun being recognized by the locals for my singing and ukulele efforts. Can't wait until next time!
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| Rockin' Adele |
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| Dallas's little brother - the whole Seavey gang was there to support him |
