Words can't describe how awesome Sunday was.
Jason and I have followed the Iditarod pretty closely since our first trip to Alaska. We have a few favorite mushers that we are always pulling for and then other favorites that we root for too - really it's all about the dogs anyway! ;)
Originally the plan for Sunday was to go to the starting line on Willow Lake but I just so happened to see a Facebook post from Deshka Landing earlier in the week. They were advertising "less crowds, better action shots and being on last part of the trail that is accessible from the road systems." This sounded right up our alley but little did we know just how great it would be! As we drove past Willow Lake there were 10+ buses, there were buses of people being shuttled in from Wasilla and other locations and streams of cars pilling in. We happily got in the through traffic lane and headed 8 miles North into the woods.
When we arrived we were blown away by the lack of crowds and terribly envious of those that had snow machines to go up and down the trail and play on the swamp (mental note made for next time - we will look into renting one). We didn't have chairs (again, mental note made) but we had brought a sleeping bag from the house, so we spread that out. This was a total Alaskan tail-gating location - ice fishing tents were set up, fires were started and hot dogs were being grilled (all mental notes were made). Despite not having all of that stuff we had a blast!!!
We arrived around 1:30pm, 30min before the first musher left the starting line and roughly an hour before they made it to us. We walked across some of the swamp, explored some of the trail and enjoyed being together in this beautiful place. Oliver ate some snacks that then promptly turned the container into a shovel and started digging holes. He played in the snow until almost 5:30pm, taking breaks occasionally to high-five mushers and cheer for the dogs as they went by. I was frustrated with his grumpiness on Saturday but my goodness this kid is such a good traveler - Jason and I are truly blessed that he enjoys seeing new things as much as we do.
As some of m favorite mushers came through I walked farther down the trail to get some more secluded looking pictures which meant I was the only person standing on that part of the trail - most of the mushers were super friendly as they went by. I happily wished them luck with my Alaskan "celebrity" star-struck smile on my face! I mean really, the mushers are super cool but you can't help not to smile when you see how happy these dogs are.
We were only at roughly mile 8 on the trail - these teams still had 1,000 miles of trail ahead of them. Please join us in praying for safe travels for mushers and dogs! If you get a chance, follow the race this year - it's fun to try to figure out their strategies and it gets pretty exciting towards the end.
Today we are packing - ugh! Since it's going to be 80* at home and I broke on of our suitcases when we arrived in Anchorage we are shipping all of our winter gear home. Then we will be heading downtown to do a little shopping and take Oliver to see Ole 556 - the original Alaska Railroad Steam Engine that is now retired in a park.
As we leave this beautiful place for the 4th time I leave another piece of my heart here - probably the biggest piece yet. Winter is definitely our favorite season that we have experienced - given it was a mild experience but the beauty is incomparable to our previous trips. A huge thank you to John and Ellen the owners of this beautiful house (they won't see this but they should be mentioned) - they keep this house in a way that feels like home the minute you walk in. I am grateful for them opening their home and allowing us a place to vacation at a pace that is healthy for Oliver.
We would appreciate you prayers as we take a red-eye out tonight and after a layover in Seattle we should be arriving in DC at 4pm. See you all soon - bare with me if the jet lag lasts a little longer than normal this year given my new decade! ;)
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