Opal's Book

The Ultimate Ride

This book was made especially for Miss Opal December 2014

Written By: Beth Klein

Did you know, there is a land up north where it snows?

The people that live there are Eskimos.

They use dog sleds to travel around and around on the hard frozen ground.

The dogs are fast, and love to run,

In a time where there were no planes or trains, the dogs were used to carry meats and grains.

Their sleds were fast and sleek, and could cross fields, forests and even a creek!

One day in a village far out of town, a man got sick but there were no meds around.

The townspeople went to a dog musher’s door; Gunnar had helped in times of need before.

He’s sick, so sick!

We have to act quick!

Please, please, will you try?

If you don’t, he’ll surely die!

Gunnar opened the door in shock, “Why did you come to my door and knock, knock, knock?”

They told him of the man who was sick, and of the ailment he could not kick.

He needed meds as quick as could be, could Gunnar and his dogs answer their plea?

“We need to get medicine to Nome fast, or else this man isn’t going to last!�

Without hesitation he said yes, yes, yes.

He would make the ride and do his best.

Gunnar harnessed his dogs and packed his sled, nervous about the 1,049 miles ahead.

Weather was cold, the ground covered in snow, what laid ahead he did not know.

The ride was long and the trails were rough, They raced, and raced, mile after mile. but Gunnar and his team were more than tough.

All the while, Balto, his lead dog, was smart and strong, the town waited with fear, and pulled and pulled his team along. that Gunnar and his team weren’t anywhere near.

The sick man will be ok!

Gunnar and Balto saved the day!

Then all of a sudden a boy in town cheered, and o’er the hills the townspeople peered, to see Gunnar and his dogs racing fast; They had made it to Nome at long last.

The ill man was saved, and Gunnar was a hero.

His valor and courage were oo’ed and awed, and that was the start of the Iditarod.

Iditarod Trail Song by Hobo Jim Away up in Alaska The state that stands alone There’s a dog race run from Anchorage into Nome And it’s a grueling race with a lightning pace Where chilly winds do wail.

Beneath the northern lights, across snow and ice It’s called the Iditarod Trail.

Chorus: Well, give me a team and a good lead dog and a sled that’s built so fine, And let me race those miles to Nome, one thousand forty-nine Then when I get back to my home Hey I can tell my tale I did, I did I did the Iditarod Trail.

Well the race it won’t be easy For the masters of the trail And some of them will make it and some of them will fail But just to run that race takes a tough and hardy breed, And a lot of work done by the dogs that run across snow with whistling speed.

Repeat chorus I just pulled out of Safety And I’m on the trail alone I’m doin’ fine and I’m pickin’ up time And headin’ on in to Nome.

There’s no sled tracks in front of me And no one’s on my tail I did, I did, I did the Iditarod Trail!

Repeat chorus

Iditarod Traditions The Story of the Widow’s Lamp During the days of Alaska sled dog freighting and mail carrying, dog drivers relied on a series of roadhouses between their village destinations. Since these mushers ventured out in most all kinds of weather, for safety reasons they found the idea that pilots rely on, known today as the flight plan. Word was relayed ahead that a musher and team were on the trail, and a kerosene lamp was lit and hung outside the roadhouse. It not only helped the dog driver find his destination at night, but more importantly, it signified that a team or teams were somewhere out on the trail. The lamp was not extinguished until the musher safely reached his destination.

In keeping with that tradition, the Iditarod Trail Committee will light a “Widow’s Lamp” at 10:00 a.m., on the first Sunday in March, in Nome at the trail’s end. This lamp, which will be attached to the Burled Arch, our official finish line, will remain lit as long as there are mushers on the trail competing in the race. When the last musher crosses the finish line, officials will extinguish the “Widow’s Lamp” signifying the official end of the Iditarod for that year.

All too often, public and media think of the race as being over when the winner crosses the finish line, yet there are still teams on the trail. Let it be remembered, Iditarod is not over until the last musher has reached Nome and is off the trail.

History of the Red Lantern Often the “Red Lantern” is confused with the “Widow’s Lamp.” They are not the same. An article several years ago in Alaska magazine states that the first red lantern was awarded in the 1953 Fur Rendezvous Race. According to Alaska, “Awarding a red lantern for the last place finisher in a sled dog race has become an Alaskan tradition. It started as a joke and has become a symbol of stick-to-itiveness in the mushing world.”