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Goose Bay, Knik and The Iditarod
Posted Friday, February 8, 2008, at 5:14 PM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
For those of you who remember, I wrote an earlier article about driving to Alaska in the winter of 1976. I neglected to mention that I had been there before. I wasn't trying to hide that fact; it just didn't seem to fit into the previous article. In the summer of 1973, as a young Cadet at West Point, I went to Fort Greeley and the Black Rapids Training Site to attend the Army's Northern Warfare School. It was this trip that enticed me, upon graduation, to take my first duty assignment in Alaska. Well, that and the fact that my only other alternative was Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Now I'll probably get truckloads of hate mail from a bunch of Kentuckians.
I could go on for days about the beauty of the wilderness, the glaciers, rivers and mountains, but there is something else that continues to sway my thoughts toward Alaska so often. That something else would be the people, the homesteaders, those hardy folks who have settled in a remote, beautiful land and have built a life from scratch. I was lucky to get to know several of these people in my short time there and their ability to create a life and to raise families in this harsh environment remains a favorite memory of mine.
Our Air Defense Battery was located at a site called Goose Bay, which was a little over an hour drive from Anchorage. A short distance from our Site was a small community of homesteaders, named Knik. I was fortunate to visit with some of them on several occasions. One of them, the late Joe Redington, Sr., became known as the "Father of the Iditarod" for his efforts in promoting this great race. For those of you who are not familiar with The Iditarod, it is a dogsled race that traverses 1150 miles of rugged terrain from Anchorage (actually from Willow) to Nome. The race was in its infancy when I arrived in January of 1976 and that was when I got to see my first race. Seriously, you don't really see the race; you just see the start and then try to follow the updates in the media to keep up with the status of the mushers and their dogs. Just a note here concerning Joe Redington, Sr., he completed his last Iditarod when he was in his 80's. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting at the Knik Community Center listening to Joe, his sons Tim and Ray, and many other homesteaders, whenever the opportunity arose.
Every year, the soldiers at Goose Bay donated money for Christmas presents for the children of these homesteaders. I had the opportunity, just one Christmas Eve, to be there at the Community Center when Santa arrived. He came in at night (it got dark around 2:30pm), straight across Knik Lake with his big bundle of toys in a dogsled. They directed their truck lights out across the lake to light his way and as soon as he came into sight…my, oh my, you should have heard those kids. I have never seen such a happy bunch of kids in my entire life. One of our Warrant Officers, Joe Bryan, went with me that evening to deliver those toys and I thought that I noticed Joe was getting a little choked up when he saw those kids screaming and yelling at Santa. I started to say something and Joe, being the good old Joe that he was, smiled and said, "Shut up Lieutenant and let's go home." I nearly cracked up.
This idea that Joe Redington and others had about an Iditarod race was inspired by an historic event back in 1925. An outbreak of diphtheria was spreading through Nome and there was insufficient serum to save the people of the city. The serum had to travel from Anchorage to Nenana by rail and then it was carried the remainder of the way, almost 700 miles, by a relay of 20 volunteer mushers in a little over 5 days. Maybe you've read about it or seen the movie "Balto"; regardless, it is an exciting story.
The 2008 Iditarod Race begins in about 3 weeks and you can follow the progress of the mushers on the web page below. There is also a lot of race history recorded here for your reading pleasure prior to and during the race. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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Your story reminds me of my stay there in the Summer of '77 on my way to Korea. Golf at Moose Run, what a beautiful course...pristine, rugged and mosquitos as big as your fist. Well, almost.
Ohhhh boy..should I comment or no? Hate to be a wet blanket but, what the heck, not trying to bash you here Keith but the Iditarod is a pretty cruel 'sport' and would be illegal elsewhere. Many people are working hard to stop it.
Based on what I've read, the 'original race' was a relay with no dog teams being driven the entire way.
Check these links...looks like it is also all about the $$, not honoring the original trek.
http://www.helpsleddogs.org/faq.htm
"Does the Iditarod violate accepted standards regarding animal cruelty?
The Iditarod violates accepted standards regarding animal cruelty as is shown by the laws of 38 states and the District of Columbia. These 38 states and the District of Columbia have animal anti-cruelty laws that say "overdriving" and "overworking" an animal is animal cruelty. The California law is typical:
"597. Cruelty to animals. (B) Every person who overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks... any animal... is, for every such offense, guilty of a crime punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony or alternatively punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony and by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000)."
--Animal Welfare Institute, Animals and Their Legal Rights
The dog deaths and injuries in the Iditarod show that these dogs are "overworked" and "overdriven." If the Iditarod occurred in any of these 38 states or the District of Columbia, it would be illegal under the animal cruelty laws. Unfortunately, the State of Alaska's animal anti-cruelty law does not say that "overdriving" and "overworking" an animal is animal cruelty."
Stillhopeful,
Your passion for your cause is admirable but flawed. The "facts" you quote are by the same folks who spew propaganda about "animal rights" like it compares to the problems such as child abuse or feeding the hungry!
I guess you have never witnessed the true love that mushers have for their animals? Or that these dogs are not happy unless they are pulling. Have you based your opinions on nothing but what you have read and heard? Spend some time in the field with mushers and their teams and find out what it is really like.
Keep up the good work, Keith!
Actually, yes, I have worked with a sled dog group out of Chicago, who helped save a LINTON malamute dog from being killed, because local authorities thought it was a wolf....duh! I'm no expert but some things are obvious, including the cruelty of running animals to death for 'sport'. Every compassionate 'musher' I have met is completely against this horrible 'sport'. Check it out. Google it. You'll find almost every sled dog group working to help sled dogs in opposition.....due to the facts.
Dogs are only happy when they are pulling? I think you bought into the proganda of the racers. So pitbulls are only happy if they are fighting? It's all about how they are trained and treated.
PlEASE..lets not make this another comparison to child abuse and feeding the hungry. That is a cop out to misdirect attention from the issue...lets stay on point.
Maybe you need to consider there could be information out there you don't know about the race? Do you know any iditarod racers? Read the facts and explain how it can be anything but cruel when dogs drop dead during the race regularly?
Let me clarify...sledding and mushers I've met are against the cruelty of the Iditarod, not sledding in general, due to it's extreme nature.
I'm sure a group of dogs pulling a person on a sled is nothing to them, but check out the numbers when they are run 'to death' in the Iditarod.
I look forward to seeing Alaska. My parents went last year by RV and said it was the most rewarding trip of their lives.
While they were in Anchorage, they visited a husky camp and enjoyed the Iditarod history and played with the dogs. Their is no abuse here, only a great history of providing people medicine, supplies, Christmas presents and enjoyment.
I get weary of people imposing Californias' standards on the rest of the world. I suppose one taking the side of the animals over the humans would also say horse racing, zoos and eating my steak medium rare is also animal abuse.
One can always find animal activist websites on Google or by contacting PETA. Shhhhhh...don't tell them about Dinky's.
In the meantime, Kieth, I am glad you have the pleasant memories of the beautiful state of Alaska. I can not wait to see it for myself!
I knew someone would say something and that doesn't bother me at all. Anytime you express an opinion, you will find someone with a differing opinion.
I've seen many mushers with their dogs, mushers who are Iditarod mushers, and they are good with their dogs. These dogs love to race, it is obvious when you are around them. They are trained as athletes to compete in a race, not to kill.
In the early years there were many problems, but the Race Committee has policed this very well. The number of deaths in the last 15 years has been extremely low.
If there were no Iditarod, no Alpirod, no Yukon Quest or any of the other dozens of long distance dogsled races, there wouldn't be any dogs. Kennels are established to raise and train dogs for racing, without races there's no need for the kennels or the dogs.
Should we ban horse racing? Horses die during races. Should we ban circuses and zoos? Animals die in circuses and zoos.
The argument that the dogs don't have a say in whether they race or not, makes about as much sense as saying if an animal had its preference, it wouldn't be in a circus or a zoo.
You can either watch and enjoy the race or you can beat your drums about cruelty to animals. Your choice, doesn't make a hill of beans to me which you choose, because it is your choice.
Ahhh..the beauty of the world through rose colored glasses. Reality does bite, I'll give you that. Look behind the glossy exteriors and see the details and it's hard not to take them into consideration if one wants to be informed.
I get weary of mindsets from the 1940's being continually relied upon in a modern world. It's time to move forward and declare was is unacceptable as such.
If you bother to read any of the links I posted, you'll see that it's not just California values, 38 states adn D.C. would not allow the kind of punishment to animals the iditarod entails. Why do you keep coming back to 'california standards? I hear it's pretty darn nice out there, we could do worse.
No matter how much you'd like to make it not so, there is much unnecessary suffering in the world...yes, yes human and animal...and yes, horse racing, if you've ever watched being the scenes is horrific. Greyhound racing industry is a mass killing, nasty business. I have a few people who have taken in dogs about to be killed, they'll tell you first hand, the grey's are not all the interested in running constantly,,,they make good couch potatos.
I know..isn't it great! Good lord, do NOT get me started on those misery factories they call 'circuses'. I'm saying enjoy whatever you want, but do it with full knowledge of what is happening and the behind the scenes of it all.
Ummm..do you realize you just made my point? >
So they expect dogs to die in the race. Are any deaths acceptable for our entertainment?
I considered saying nothing.....I reallllllly did. But I could not go on about my evening, with my beloved dogs taking up room on the couch and not wonder WHO will speak out for the facts of what that race entails? I kind of doubt anyone else would have brough it up, so I felt a moral obligation to do so. Hopefully someone caring and compassionate, who bothers now to look at all links and stats on dogs dying,etc, will see that is cruelty and who knows, it may light a spark in them to take on being the voice for the voiceless. Best case scenario from my view. I don't expect to change any of the good old boys' minds about anything.
Hmm..I tried to add your quote clip on teh dog death rates being lower...but it didn't show up in the post...but I think you can see what I was saying....maybe..
I have read much of the comments that you have referenced and I believe that those people would provide a much better service if they worked as hard as the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association, instead of continually bashing them. We are not going to put an end to dogsled racing, horse racing, circuses or zoos. But, we can continue to improve the care and regulation of care for these animals.
It is not always the best decision to protest, sometimes it is better to refrain from complaining and provide assistance.
There are many groups, mainly in Alaska, who are achieving a healthy balance to dog sleding and treating the dogs with respect. Check out this link: http://www.mushwithpride.org
I am not the one who quoted California law, you are. I have been to California twice and it is not that great. Government over-regulation is choking the citizens and the private business owners, the weather is harshly variable, at best(Santa Anna winds and wild fires, droughts and floods are common place), water is rationed (unless you are in Hollywood), and the people are so greedy and vain. The cost of living is at least five times higher than Greene County. If you live by the beach, then expect to pay up to $2 million dollars for a two bedroom home, or higher. L.A. is a frustrating, gridlocked, bloods and cripts, multi-lingual mess.
San Diego is great but would be better if it weren't flanked on the south by Tiajuana (there you could visit the bull fights...although I found them to be too cruel to animals). The North is much better and a more temperate biome without the desert. The people are very nice despite the armpit of America congregated in San Francisco. This is not a good place to visit if you have children. It is probably a great place to take your dog (don't forget to take your baggies, there are laws about dog feces).
I promise you, I take much better care of my dogs than the most of the dogs in the cities in California. There is a reason they have extreme laws, the people are not accountable for their responsibilities.
My wife's family had a pure Malamute when I got back home in July of 1979. It was the first time I had ever been up close to that breed. There's no possibility of mistaking a Malamute or a Husky for a Wolf or Wolf Hybrid. But I wasn't over there to see that Malamute anyway...
We have had many Husky's, even bred them, since 1987 when we got into our first house. We have never owned another breed of dog.
Simmons, I saw a wolf that last winter, right before the great snow and cold snap in late January. It was night, and I wanted to go play basketball in that warhead igloo that was located between the IFC and Launch Area. Whoever was driving the van pulled in and there it was looking at us, and gone so quickly I questioned whether I really saw it.
I ran almost every day we weren't "Hot" but I always ran towards Knik because I knew, even before the Mattice vs. Brown Bear showdown that there were things out where the homesteaders were that could poach me.
I watch/follow the Iditarod every year. The dogs get sick, they get injured, they fight with Moose, their feet bleed, and any number of other things occur to them. Such is life; ever sit down and take a good look at the Human Race and what they do to each other?
The dogs are well cared for these days. They feed them, boot them up, bed them down, and when they get sick they pack them into the sled for the next stop.
They love to be worked. When Dakota (pictured) doesn't get a walk or a workout he gets pretty uptight. I'm not talking about a two mile jaunt, either.
Hemmingway missed a sport, perhaps. Bullfighting and auto racing, and now Iditarod. All others are games...
Simmons, once again, shows that he is the pack leader, and sees all. For the rest of us ordinary folks, back in the traces, the view never changes:)
While sitting in Spanish class, the instructor asked if anyone had any experience with something cultural about Spanish speaking people. I started describing a bull fight I had attended in Monterey, Mexico, and this lady, I swear began to weep. Culture is similar to context, if you are ignorant of the history and motivations of the people involved you can only learn, you have nothing to add.
Oh so often I believe I have nothing to do,bored, but some of these dreadful comments allow me to feel as though I have more adventure than Hemingway. Please some of you, go to Wal-Mart,it is open all the time and people are moving around,or take in a trip to McDonald's, I know they sell meat, but find something to do.Again, I told the cashier at the Dollar Store that I did not want to donate for literacy because I was afraid of what they might read.
Simmons sir, that is a good tale, like a chapter in a novel, one can hardly wait to get to the rest of the story and find out what became of Ol Joe's family, and maybe his line of dogs.I became curious to know if you took notes while you were there, and other places, or just wrote from memories.And, I am a oiwu-ls-lx more concerned, and worried about the geography of Alaska, the incredible mountains, the trout streams and the glaciers and the people, and what they feel when they see what is happening to their environment after oil drilling and mining. I wonder what a trout feels like when it gets hooked,they bleed, and I guess they do try to get loose. And I am sure that out there somewhere a trout fisherman slipped on a slick rock and drowned or caught cold. The only negative thing I have ever heard about Alaska, from someone who was not from Alaska, is the eight dollar loaf of bread in Juno. Thanks Simmons for the ride,it was nice,like pocket Aces.
The Yukon Quest starts today and they have a web page out there, as well, if you want to follow the race. Lance Mackey, last years' Iditarod winner and winner of the the last 3 Quests, is in the run again. Lance is a great story; his Dad and brother have both won the Iditarod and Lance survived throat cancer surgery, chemo and radiation, back in 2001.
I'm sorry that I never took notes when I was younger. I was 22 when I arrived in Anchorage in 1976 and I was just taking it in, with no thought or regard for the future. I am afraid that this old guy would not have understood the rambling notes of a 22 year old. It was a great time and I have a lot of wonderful memories of the place and the people. My parents visited and we took a trip in our motorhome that I'll never forget. I'll never forget my sister-in-law Cindy, still in high school, put on chest waders and fished for red salmon in the Russian River. A place so thick with salmon that they would bounce off your legs as they ran upstream. My wife fell on a tow rope going up the intermediate slope at Moose Run and caused a pile-up. Matt getting run over by a car. Hitting a moose with a vehicle on two occasions. Such wonderful memories.
And as Cindy reminded me the other day, being able to laugh in the face of adversity.
"Hitting a moose with a vehicle on two occasions." Wow, that was one tough moose! And I'll bet that's against the law in more than a few states, also.
Maybe we all should use dog sleds, do you realize how many poor, defenseless animals are run over and killed by people selfishly driving automobiles every year? Would help lessen the effects of global warming, too.
With all the talk about the detrimental effects of the increases in the production of greenhouse gases has anyone ever considered just banning greenhouses? Seems pretty simple to me. Good blog, people, keep it up, pretty entertaining reading on an Alaskan-like day.
What kind of car could take a Moose hitting, and what kind of car did Matt destroy. Moose are much larger than I had ever realized until I saw one live, coming at my little Toyota camper. And Matt is larger than life and could take down a moose. I want some more stories about the Yukon.About the notes, yours is not a new song, but a sorrowful lament that streams live into every writers head,usually at night.That is why so few writers live in Alaska,it is night most of the time.Are you sure you did not take all this from an episode of "Northern Exposure." I would love to toss a fly at those salmon. A man sitting next to me at the Dr.s office recently, told me, "fly fishing is the most fun a man can have standing up."
My Toyota Celica lost a battle with a moose on labor day of 1977 and then I was riding shotgun with SSG Don Snovel in a Jeep Cherokee when a moose decided to come out of the ditch and take us head-on. The moose lost that one, but the remainder of the ride (10 miles or so) to the Battery without a windshield was a bit brisk.
Matt did battle with a little Opel Cadet, but keep in mind he was only a small lad at the time. I'm sure today that he's up for a good size Caddy or SUV.
Once, while fishing on the Kenai River, a friend of mine snagged a King that pulled us for quite awhile in our small boat. It weighed over 75 pounds. I've never caught anything like that myself.
MBoyd quote "I watch/follow the Iditarod every year. The dogs get sick, they get injured, they fight with Moose, their feet bleed, and any number of other things occur to them. Such is life; ever sit down and take a good look at the Human Race and what they do to each other?"
At least MBoyd is honest, the suffering happens in the Iditarod.
Look at how the human race treats each other? Horribly, in general, how does that justify intentionally inflicitng suffering onto animals for 'fun'? That kind of thinking is quite dangerous, and the epitome of intentional cruelty.
Of course,so is the comment that one doesn't support literacy out of fear of what someone will read. Wow. Scary. Maybe we could organize a good old fashioned Book Burning in town! That would help promote the area to outsiders...oh wait, no it would cement the county's backward reputation probably, huh?
I appreciate your concerns Stillhopeful, but sometimes we say things with tongue-in-cheek. I am a little worried that maybe you take all of life too seriously and not enjoying yourself. Like my Dad used to tell me, "Don't take life too seriously, you're not going to get out of it alive."
There are many battles to be fought out there, it is often more effective to choose your battles wisely and not divide your forces.
I've lived in a lot of different places that have grown into cesspools of crime, but I'm just one of your "good old boys" who really likes it here in Greene County. Don't you like it here?
When someone makes a public statment on something that glorifies cruelty, abuse and inhumanity, we owe it to our next generation to speak out. In no other way are we going to teach children that cruelty and harming others is unacceptable..even for 'sport'. Kids need to be taught compassion and frankly, we rarely see anyone speaking out for it. Compassion = the desire to alleviate suffering. Maybe because most people are caught up in 'having fun' and enjoying life inside that personal bubble?
Yes, I get the fact that you enjoy it here. I've lived in many different places and other countries also. Are there good things about living here? Some. Honestly, when I moved here I had no idea that it was moving to a general mentality of many residents comparable to the 1940's! (I got my first clue when a speaker in a church used the "n" word as casually a comment on the weather. I still remember my shock and thinking at the time, "where the hell am I? 1940? 1950?" That mentality I found out, seemed to extend into some pretty wide areas, including child and animal abuse. I could leave, or I could try to help where I can, I felt compelled to stay and try to help.
If you are willing to mind your own business and not rock the boat or try to address controversial issues, life is great! Keep the blinders on and enjoy the ride! Focus entirely only on your own life and what affects it and you will be pretty happy...until outside problems start edging into your bubble, and it maybe too late to deal with them at that point. Not to be rude, but I find that approach to life selfish and lazy. Sorry.
If it's a issue of general different opinons in general, I don't say much. When it involves a child, animal or otherwise helpless person, suffering, hurting, starving, bleeding through abuse/neglect, I take the time to be outraged and say so.
I'm concerned that the majority of this county's residents don't seem to know or maybe don't care about it's reputation beyond it's borders. That is fine, unless a county-as GC is- is in economic crisis and need people moving here and moving their businesses here. You may not think people in other areas think poorly of Greene County, in general, but that is a pretty well known fact. When people, even in jest, make backward, assinine, redneck comments publicly, it just furthers the impression for anyone who stumbles across them. I realize they may not CARE that it further damages our community. If the commenter is happy with 'how things are', they'd probably rather keep the poor rep alive.
So in your opinion, we should strive to become more like....what? Maybe Marion County? Vandenburgh County? Vigo County? Monroe County? No thanks, if I wanted to live in a hole like one of those places, I'd move there. I'm sure the residents don't think any more poorly of Greene County than I do of their county. And, if all they have to do is to think poorly of us redneck hicks, then they should make an attempt at getting a life.
What do they think of Clay, Martin, Owen, Knox and a host of other small town, rural Indiana counties? I don't care what they think, it doesn't bother me. No matter where you go in life, every place has its problems, some places just suit other people better. Greene County suits me just fine.
You sound perfectly suited to take on all the issues of the world. My private world has issues that are enough for me, I'll let you be the crusader. Good Luck.
Keith, I'm with you. Greene County is a nice place to be. Just recently my son talked me into locking my house. I still forget at times.
About 1983 the Census people called and asked if it would be O.K. if someone came to my house and asked some questions. I said sure. A woman from Chicago showed up at my house. She had about twenty inquiries about crime. None of them happened to me or my family. During the 1990 census the same person called and wanted to come for another visit. I said, come on down. We went through the same thing. My answers didn't change. She said I was lucky to live here. I think most of Greene County residents would have responded the same way.
By the way. Do you think Lealund would be a good lead dog in the Iditarod?
Wigs, I think Lealund should stay down here in the warm weather with the rest of us old folks.
some people think windmills need tipping--- some know what they are for and dont want them tipped!
I'm sure one person in this blog thinks my cattle are beeing cruly treated too. I think its a matter of degrees myself.... I do the best I can and thats all I can--that includes bottle feeding one for 6mnths just to see it get weeker and die-- I am sure if you only saw that last week you would have thought I had mistreated the girl but you wouldn't have seen it all..
You know I think 1940 would be a great time to be stuck in myself.
Does anyone out there have any connection to Dr. Phil? We are just a little place along side of the road, but we need Dr. Phil for a little while. I admit I have a couple of issues Dr. Phil and I could try to resolve,but there is someone around that needs Dr.Phil.
I suppose one must concede to Wiggs on his selection of lead dog, with no reservations whatsoever. He has proven his knowledge of dog flesh for years and displayed a compassion for dogs that is without rival,no kidding out there, he likes dogs.He can read too, and taught his kids to read as well.I do not know of any qualities of the dog recommended by Wigs but I believe his judgment to be sound.That guy on the web site for the dog sled race looks like someone but I can not put my finger on it.
"I'll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waiting. Just five miles away from wherever I am." - John Prine
I'm disappointed with the ending of this one. I thought it had a lot of promise. No religion, no politics, no police, and now I guess no Iditarod.
I stood in the Russian River in the early spring of one of those years; saw the Kenai, which looked like it had somehow burned, even with all that water around.
This dog must be a Hoosier, all he wants to do is eat, and you should hear him whining right now. Anchorage round trip: $589.00
Perhaps Still Hopeful should move back to California. But no, that would be too easy. She'd rather stay in Greene County so she can bash it; make rude comments about the "hicks" in a pitiful effort to bolster her own sad ego. I expect a 1,000 word rebuttal, Still !