Iditarod Trip of a Lifetime

2007-03-05T23:34:00.000-06:00

The Story Doesn't End

Even though my trip to Alaska and the Iditarod has come to an end the experience will become a part of what I teach. I have learned real lessons from wonderful people and from this experience. I apologize for some of the little errors in sideways photos and klutzy wording at times. My plan is to organize my photos, video and experiences in such a way that I can share them with you in a more polished form. Thank you to all that made this trip possible! My wife Mary, Nancy and Scott Myre, Dennis Neslon, Staff Development, Terri Wingness, Cindy Martinson, ISD #700, Doug Swingley, and the people I have met along the way.

2007-03-05T22:56:00.000-06:00

Flight to Finger Lake Checkpoint
The pilot was worried the night before about even being able to fly out Monday. Winds were kicking up but once again things worked out and six of us climbed into a Beaver airplane and flew to where mushers are well into the race. 50 mph winds prevented us from getting to Rainy Pass. Better safe than sorry... The veterinarians take very good of the dogs. The mushers take very good care of the dogs! Many dogs have been dropped here. I saw 3 ride into the checkpoint in their sled. One just wasn't acting right the musher told me. The dogs can get dehydrated when running. They can also get sore ankles if they step into a moose track. Hey, guess what? I interviewed a couple veterinarians with the video recorder! Notice the straw used to bed down dogs for a rest. It is amazing though, once it is time for them to go and they get their booties on, they get so excited. They love to run!!!

2007-03-05T22:40:00.000-06:00

My Friend Matt Rossi Even though we only met twice before Matt left to compete in his first Iditarod, I feel connected to him and his team. Hours before the race he is full of optimism and excitement. I met up with Matt at the Finger Lake checkpoint. He was tired but still just as optimistic. He had reason to be discouraged... he took a wrong trail for 20 miles, he left food at the last checkpoint thinking that he had a "drop bag" here - he didn't, and he had a couple dogs reluctant to eat. Matt was quick to say he made a mistake. Matt took full responsibility for it. He didn't blame or get upset. He took care of his dogs and looked ahead. There is a lesson in this for all of us! I'm thinking of you Matt!

2007-03-05T22:24:00.000-06:00

Relationships
I have met so many people here at the Iditarod. One woman and her husband live in Palmer, AK on a reindeer farm. She was narrating as each musher passed and her husband filmed. She went on camera for me too as she explained about Denali and other interesting facts about the race. I also interviewed my pilot who flew me into the Finger Lake checkpoint. I met a man from Ireland who, for his 60th birthday, came to see this great race that inspires him ever since reading Jack London. The list of people I've met includes a grandmother taking her granddaughter to the race after the granddaughter learned about the Iditarod in third grade! The teacher's great uncle was "Rohn", which is a checkpoint in the race named after him. Life is the people you meet!

2007-03-05T22:11:00.000-06:00

Try to Hold Them Back at First
The dogs want to run. And 16 put together are very, very powerful. The musher rides the break quite a bit the first part of the race. Watching the Iditarod is like the " Super Bowl" here in Alaska. The fans are young and old alike. This event appeals to many and for such a variety of reasons- challenge, adventure, love of animals, excitement, drama, strategy, etc.

2007-03-05T21:59:00.000-06:00

Beautiful Dogs Run on High Fat Diet
These dogs eat a high fat, high protein diet kibble soaked in warm water. This ensures that they don't get dehydrated during the race. Sled dogs need 10,000 calories a day! They are amazing athletes both lean and fit -just like me!

2007-03-05T21:23:00.000-06:00

Race Restart at Willow

Woke up early...I was excited! Cold morning but it wasn't windy. After driving to Willow in the morning, I was directed to park a long way away from the starting line. Luckily, a worker who was putting out signs let me ride in the back of her truck for 3/4 of a mile!

2007-03-04T16:08:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Nolan!
I am here in Willow, AK "mushing capital of the world" for the Iditarod restart. Scott Myre has been so helpful in making this trip a memory. I can't thank him enough! Nolan, your dad (Scott Myre)
is thinking of you today on your birthday. He wishes he wouldn't be missing your special day as well as your hockey tournament. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2007-03-03T21:38:00.000-06:00

Alaska's Native Culture
Two powerful experiences gave me insight into the native culture of Alaska. The first was meeting a pilot, Les Zerbe, who does missionary type work in several remote villages. His insight into the future of Alaskan natives is not very positive. Alcohol, he identifies as the major problem for natives. I appreciated talking to Lez so much while waiting for the restaurant to open, I ended up buying him breakfast so he could tell me more about his knowledge about Alaska. The second experience happened at the Alaskan Heritage Museum. I met a young man, Harold Wilson, who explained his Athabascan, Inupiaq, and Aleut heritage. I learned about ceremonial masks and some of the meaning behind them. He suggested a fun activity I can do with my students! I also watched a demonstration of native dance and a kicking type game played. These teenage kids are athletic!

2007-03-03T17:18:00.000-06:00

Future musher?

Friendly dogs!

They can't wait to run!

Dressed up and on the run.

Mitch Seavey and Mr. Mark!

Exciting Ceremonial Start

Miss Martinson check your phone for a message from me from the Iditarod start. The dogs were howling with excitement. They get so excited they jump into the air- all four legs off the ground at once. The video I took captured the sound and excitement of the race start much better than photos. Kids, when I get back to school I will put together a DVD including video clips. I want to thank Scott Myre and Doug Swingley for getting me the handler's pass which allowed me to get up close to the mushers and dogs. Notice the photo showing me with Mitch Seavey. The last photo is for my student Conner... I know you would like this musher's dog box?

2007-03-03T17:01:00.000-06:00

Park in the city with full moon

Anchorage is a beautiful city

Sunset at Cook Inlet

Mary... I love my new camera!

Burning the Candle At Both Ends

Last night I drove around because of the full moon and because I want to make the most of this experience. These are a couple photos I thought you might enjoy! I appologize for the photo being sideways. I don't yet know how to edit it on this blog.

2007-03-02T23:40:00.000-06:00

Many Hands Make A Ceremonial Start Work
While driving around Anchorage after my Educator's Conference planning my strategy for the next day, I noticed roads blocked and television crews setting up. I parked in the first spot I thought I wouldn't be towed and started taking photos of the workers. There was an official looking man dressed warmly looking important so I started asking about tomorrow's event. It turns out he is in charge of the Anchorage portion of the race. He gave me a map of the downtown route and suggested the best viewing opportunities. The way everyone pulls together to make this event happen is incredible. Tonight at 9:00 they start trucking in the snow they saved for the downtown route. I guess they save only the "cleanest" snow!

2007-03-02T23:34:00.000-06:00

Blog Posting Up in the Air
After checking out of my Anchorage hotel tomorrow morning (Saturday), I will travel to Wasilla for the restart. Do you know of any other professional sport that has two starts? The restart will actually be held in Willow this year because of lack of snow. Lack of snow is a concern over many parts of the trail. I guess the winds have blown away much of the snow received earlier. I promise to post photos as soon as I get the opportunity. Keep up to date on the Iditarod web site until I can get back to a computer. Bye for now.

2007-03-02T23:25:00.000-06:00

Idita...LEARN!
Gary Paulsen has teamed up with another Minnesota teacher to educate students more about the culture of Alaska. It is called "Iditalearn". He will be posting five articles from the dogs' point of view as he travels the Iditarod trail. This might be a great site to keep an eye on.

2007-03-02T17:01:00.000-06:00

Meet Joe A Hard Rock Miner
I found an internet cafe where I was finally able to post photos to the blog. While working I met Joe next to me. Not only is Joe the state champion of power lifting in Alaska, he mines hard rock gold for a living. He flies into a remote area, works for a week down in a dark tunnel and then comes back to Anchorage for a week off. He gave me some gold ore when I showed interest in his work. This ore yields 12 oz of gold per ton of rock. Its heavy! The green color is copper which they don't use because of the cost of transporting material from the mine. Joe said that this ore came from 2,132 feet below the surface! That's deep!! His job is to drill 50 one-and-a-half inch holes 12 feet deep into the face. The holes are then filled with amodium nitrate and fuel oil. About 1,000 pounds of explosive material is used each blast. Joe wants my class to know that the ceiling of the mine is called the back, the sides are ribs, and the floor is the sill. Each week the mine produces two 22 pound gold bricks! Meeting Joe was a unexpected treasure.

2007-03-02T16:46:00.000-06:00

Authors Tell Their Stories

The Educators Conference which I attended was awesome! The photos show me with Gay Salisbury author of The Cruelest Miles. Her book is about the original serum run to Nome which is where the idea for the Iditarod came from and Gary Paulsen who signed My Life in Dog Years for my wife. She'll be so excited. I had a front row seat. Arriving early pays! Gary's wife had surgery recently so he won't be running the Iditarod this year. He emphasized that he will be back next year and will run the race for the rest of his life.

2007-03-02T01:44:00.000-06:00

Meeting Mushers at the 35th Iditarod Banquet

Doug Swingley, Jeff King, Dee Dee Jonrowe, John Baker, Jacques Philip, Martin Buser, Rick Swensen, and Aliy Zirkle all took time to talk to me and autograph my 2007 Iditarod calendar! It will be fun to see if one of these mushers wins this year. I'm betting on Doug! The mushers banquet was held in the arena where UMD plays Anchorage in hockey. The entire floor was filled, absolutely filled, with fans at round tables. You could buy Iditarod t-shirts, books and coffee mugs, etc. And I did! On stage, each musher was introduced then gave a short speech before choosing a starting position. Afterwards, they were interviewed by television and news media before making their way through a long line of autograph seekers. Its amazing how so many people follow this sport here!

2007-03-01T18:43:00.000-06:00

Alaska's Pipeline... 8th World Wonder?

I went to a muserm early this morning. I will post a photograph of a cross section of the Alaska Pipeline as soon as I get back home. I have just about given up on getting any of my photos in until I get home... I was amazed at how difficult it was to build this pipeline over the tundra. And the workers faced many difficulties. This is a great example of how we can do just about anything when we put our minds to it. The other photo you can't see shows an old Ketchup bottle (I love antiques!) that contains a sample of the first oil discovered in northern Alaska. There is no question, oil has been an important part of Alaska's past and future.

2007-03-01T18:37:00.000-06:00

60 MPH Wind Gusts

This is a photo of one of the many small planes Alaskans use. I put on my Ice King boots and braved the gusts as I walked out on Lake Hood- the world's largest float plane harbor. Owning a small plane is not unusual here in Alaska. One in every fifty residents owns a small plane. With few roads residents depend on boats, planes, snow machines, and dog teams to get around remote parts of the state.

2007-03-01T07:16:00.000-06:00

Blizzard Forces Mr. Mark to Leave Early

Fearing the possibility of missing the Mushers Banquet and possibly the Educators Conference, I was able to get an early flight out of MSP. The weather didn't effect the flight at all. Took a nap on the 5 plus hour flight and when I woke up 30 minutes from Anchorage I looked out the window. Unfortunately, this computer at my hotel will not allow me to upload any photos. Looking out the window I saw mountains illuminated with the faint light left from the sun setting hours ago. The mountains seemed exaggerated... almost like a moonscape and were covered with snow. Seeing a small group of lights, I thought I saw the city of Anchorage - WRONG. Further up the city covered an enormous area. I was told it covers more area than Delaware. I am so thankful to all the people who encouraged and helped me to beat the storm for this trip. I will write again as the facilities allow.

2006-11-26T10:49:00.000-06:00

Follow the Iditarod
The "Last Great Race" 1,049 miles

Official Iditarod Site

Dog sledding has been an important part of Alaska's past. Read about that history in the above sites. Students know Disney's story of Balto but are often unfamiliar with the original serum run to Nome. There were many heros of that serum run, one was a dog named Togo. The serum run followed the original Iditarod trail which was used during heavily during the gold rush to transport supplies to towns. I hope you find yourself becoming more interested in Alaska, mushing, and adventure as you follow this "Last Great Race!"

2006-11-18T15:49:00.000-06:00

Iditarod Musher
Matt Rossi

Matt Rossi visited Mr. Mark's class answering student questions and explaining the sport of mushing. We thank him so much for spending time at Hermantown. We wish him musch luck on his first attempt to race the Iditarod this year!

See our visit on "The Daily Scoop" for Saturday, November 11, 2006

2006-10-20T16:54:00.000-06:00

Trip of a Lifetime
Second grade teacher has incredible opportunity
by Janelle Verke Managing Editor of Hermantown Star

For second grade teacher Mark Ostazeski, teaching is more than text books and chalkboards -- it is getting excited about learning. That's why he is looking forward to a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Alaska next spring.
Ostazeski recently got approval to travel our of state by the Hermantown School Board. He will be going to Alaska to watch the Iditarod and learn about the state that he covers in his classroom. Besides being a great opportunity for himself, Ostazeski said it is a powerful way for him to involve his students in something that has long been a topic of interest.

"I have been doing a unit on the Iditarod for years," Ostazeski said. "It is a unit the kids really love. There is just something magical about it."

As a part of a social studies unit, Ostazeski could have chosen any state in the United States to compare with Minnesota. But it was Alaska that stood out to him.
"It is an interesting place," he stated.

Students will learn about Alaska's natural resources, land forms, culture and other facts about Alaska. The idea of researching the Iditarod come from reading Balto the Dog Who Saved Nome, about a sled dog relay and the inspiration for the Iditarod race. The unit has progressed over the years, with the students researching mushers and following their progress durning the race in March.

"Everything ties together," he said. "We look at the idea of team work and the need for team work in school. There are a number of elements to this unit that that are important in second grade."
Working with another second grade teacher, Cindy Martinson, students learn how to do research on the Internet and use technology to their advantage.

A trip to remember
Ostazeski has a full schedule for the six days he will be away at the Iditarod. Beginning with the Musher's Banquet, he will have the opportunity to meet with Doug Swingley, an American dog musher and dog sled racer from Montana who is a four-time winner of the 1,049-mile Iditarod race. During the banquet, Ostazeski said he will be able to discuss the race with Swingley, including how he trains and his strategy. He will also attend two classes with authors Gary Paulsen and Shelly Gill.

"They will discuss mushing and being an author," Ostazeski stated. "Gary Paulsen scratched from last years' race and has also written many children's books used in Hermantown's curriculum. Shelley Gill wrote an Iditarod curriculum, which I have used as the basis of the unit I currently teach. Our elementary classroom has most of her books and are popular with students."

Ostazeski plans to visitithe Anchorage Museum of History and Art as well as the Iditarod Headquarters, where he will gain even more knowledge to share with students.
One of the events he is most looking forward to is a "Chase the Race" flight, which will allow him to observe the race rrom the air, the trail and the first checkpoints.
During his time away, Ostazeski said he plans to be in close contact with his students. A Web page will include photos of the trip and regular phone calls will keep the class informed on how the race is going, and what their teacher is learning first hand.

Funds for the trip
A total of $1,500 is need to fund the trip. Those funds will be taken out of the Staff Development Fund, which is money that comes from the State of Minnesota, and is set aside for the development of Hermantown staff.

According to Terri Wingness, co-chair of the Staff Development Committee, a state statue requires the district to set aside 2 present of the funds given to the district for staff development. A portion is then set aside for each building in the district, and the rest is district-wide. Wingness said 10- precent of the funds are used for the Best Practices Grant, which is for teachers who come up with innovative activities and projects.

"This is a way for teachers to do something unique," Wingness said. "In the past, few other teachers have come up with an idea and used these funds. Mark has put a lot of effort into this unit and we thought this was a great idea."
Ostazeski, keeping a budget in mind, will be taking personal days for the trip, which will have him out of the classroom for four days.

"I'm packing a lot into this experience," he said. "This unit has always been highly successful. The trip is adding even more excitement for the kids and the community."