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Rookie’s Journey – Rohn to McGrath
May 11, 2006
The Rohn checkpoint is nestled in a forest of large evergreen trees.
The dogs are parked in aisles through the trees. This sounds awkward,
but Jasper and friends have been doing this long enough that they
have lanes that have an easy out to the outbound trail. When I left
Rohn at 7:05 AM I could hear the wind blowing high in the trees.
From my communications volunteer time at Rohn I knew that the trail
crossed the South Fork of the Kuskoquim River and ran along the
west bank to Egypt Mountain, the northern guardian of the Alaska
Range on the Kuskoquim. I thought that having survived the Happy
River Steps and the Dalzell Gorge the worst was over. As one rock
said to the other rock, igneous is bliss.
Within a few minutes after pulling the hook we turned left out of
the trees and onto the Kuskoquim. Much to my dismay, as well as
Bass and Lycos, there was no sign of a trail anywhere. The winds
were howling about 35 mph. The snow on the river varied from glare
ice to 12 inches of unconsolidated windblown fluff that would not
hold a snowhook. Under the snow it was still wind polished ice.
Bass and Lycos started to veer from side to side looking for a trail
and finally settled going to the right where the soft snow was the
thinnest. I barely managed to stop the team with the brake on the
ice, but could hardly hold them (they were fresh from a 10 hour
rest), and started to bark to go. I looked long and hard and finally
saw a marker way off to the left where the trail crossed a small
sandbar. Now I just had to get the dogs over there. I tried voice
commands, but with no reference to follow the dogs refused. I pounded
the snowhook into the ice the best I could, walked up to the leaders
(only falling once on the ice), grabbed Bass’ harness and
led them over to the direction I wanted them to go. When I got back
to the sled the dogs were pointed downriver where the going was
easier. I had to go back, grab the harness, and lead them to the
trail on the sandbar. That meant setting the hook weakly so the
dogs would pull it on command (but hopefully not before I was up
there) and leading the pumped-up dog team through the soft fluff
and across the glare ice. It took me 30 minutes of wondering around
in this stuff to go maybe 50 yards.
Finally we made it to the sandbar and the dogs could see the trail,
somewhat blown in but no worse than last night at Rainy Pass, and
off we went. All good things, including sand bars, must come to
an end. Sure enough we were back on the river, same conditions as
before, but at least we knew which way the trail was going when
we left the sand bar and knew where to look for the markers. Knowing
which way the trail was headed made a real difference and after
a couple more sandbars we were across the River and on the well
defined trail on the western bank. This was one of those challenges
that I knew I could do, but I also knew it wouldn’t be easy.
Later in McGrath I talked to two teams who left Rohn 1 hour after
me and they said there was no sign I had ever been there. The wind
had completely filled my tracks and they had as much fun finding
the trail as I did.
Eric's team on
a used straw pile at Bison Camp.
When the dogs first pull onto a used pile of
straw they check out all the smells and
look to see if the previous occupants
left anything to eat. |
The trail on the west bank goes through
the infamous “Buffalo Tunnels”. It is tightly nestled
in large trees and thick brush. This year it was just a fun run through
the woods, but in many years the trees and brush shelter the trail
enough there is little snow and you are running on frozen dirt, roots,
and rocks with no way to control the dog team. After a while we climbed
up a narrow shallow passage with about 3 inches of snow over glare
ice. I understand that the trail doesn’t go over the Post River
glacier anymore, but goes up this shallow drainage on the side. Luckily
the snow was reasonably bonded to the ice, but again in years with
less snow this could be another rough spot. After the climb we were
partway up the hillside and ran through some beautiful country. Finally
I could see the land open up and the Farewell country was laid out
before us. The long downhill run off the mountain was relatively easy
and pleasant, but we were back in the wind.
I had been running Lycos and Bass in lead since we left Rainy Pass
Lodge and now that we were across the Alaska Range I moved Platinum
and Basil into lead to give them a break. We crossed the potentially
icy Farewell Lakes without incident. The lakes were covered in snow
with good trail. We met the buffalo hunters that loaned Paul Gebhardt
the snowmachine to catch his team when he hit a tree and his gangline
broke. I was continuing to get into soft snow and roll the sled, but
not nearly as bad as the stretch to Rainy Pass Lodge.
This is rolling country with some sharp climbs and descents and the
dogs were starting to get tired. I’m looking for a place to
camp, but either we are exposed to the wind in the swamps, or sheltered
in trees so thick we can’t get off the trail. Then way out here
in the middle of nowhere I see hand lettered cardboard sign encouraging
a musher signed PJ. Pretty soon there is another sign for a different
musher also signed by PJ. An hour and several signs later I dropped
down into a little sheltered bowl and came upon the famous “Bison
Camp”. There was lots of room to park a dog team and several
piles of straw from previous occupants. I picked the one closest to
the trail and settled the dogs in. The time is 12:30 PM.
John, Marty,
and PJ Runkle's Bison Camp
halfway to Nikolai. The snowmachines belong
to two retired gentlemen who drive the trail
from Knik to Nome and back to Knik each year
following the race. |
PJ, the son of John and Marty Runlke
came out to welcome me to Bison Camp. The Runkles live in McGrath,
but set up this camp every year to run their trapline and guide bison
hunters. John also puts in the trail in this area and the family opens
the camp to the mushers and other visitors as we come through. They
keep hot moose stew and coffee on the stove and heated some fresh
bison meat for us. Then they have a second tent for clients to sleep
in and checked the fire to be sure it was warm so I had a place to
rest. All this for a chance to visit and collect a few autographs.
This is old time Alaskan hospitality at its best.
I found out I had just missed Danny Seavey, but two more mushers pulled
in while I was eating. While I was there a pair of retired gentlemen
who drive their snowmachines from Knik to Nome and back to Knik following
the race arrived. They have done this for many years and had some
very interesting stories to tell.
When it came time to leave Basil didn’t want to lead out of
Bison camp, or just didn’t want to lead with Platinum any more
so I moved Dash into lead with Platinum and at 6:06 PM I pulled the
hook and continued down the trail to Nikolai. The sky has been clearing
all day and the temperatures dropping ever since we crossed the Alaska
Range. It’s now 0 degrees and getting colder.
Trail leaving
Bison camp. Note the signs
put up by PJ Runkle. |
As we left Bison Camp we climbed a small
rise with a sharp drop on the other side and the country changed dramatically.
It was like we were suddenly transported to Kansas. This country was
flat and I could see the trail running straight for several miles.
This was the first time I could use my “old musher” seat
on the back of the sled since leaving Skwentna and I sure appreciated
a chance to get off my feet. The trail had been hard on this seat,
bending the stanchions and popping a rivet or two. I couldn’t
lean back, but as long as I sat forward it worked.
The Farewell burn has changed dramatically since the years shortly
after the fire. The trail is now well defined and the fire was long
enough ago that the trees that grew up after the fire are 30 years
old. It is really beautiful country. Occasionally you hit area where
the fire was so intense the trees are still pretty young, but thickly
growing up right to the edge of the trail. It is cold enough that
I put my heavy parka on for the first time and get my beaver mitts
out. About 2 hours down the trail I was pretty relaxed and almost
into autopilot when we crossed Sullivan Creek on a wooden bridge.
I knew this was coming and that there was open water in the creek
and a dipper to get water for yourself and your dogs if you wished.
What I didn’t know was as I entered the woods around the creek
that the trail suddenly became very interesting with sharp turns around
the trees and steep short drops and climbs. This really excites the
dogs and they sped up just as I wished they would slow down. Then
just as suddenly as we entered it, we were out and back to Kansas.
This is guaranteed to wake up a sleepy musher, particularly if you
hit it just as light fades, the headlamp doesn’t quite help
yet, and your parka hood falls over your eyes.
As the evening progressed the winds seemed to die down and the temperatures
continued to drop. As we got close to Nikolai the dogs became more
and more enthusiastic finally running the last couple of miles into
Nikolai at a hard lope. We pulled into Nikolai at 10:44 PM. At the
checkpoint they wanted to lead us around the parking area and come
in from the back side so we had a straight shot out. The dogs were
so full of themselves they wanted nothing to do with that and wouldn’t
follow the snowmachine. The checker had to get off, grab the harness,
and physically lead them around. I still had Platinum and Dash in
lead.
They had hot water for the dogs waiting for us at the checkpoint (a
real blessing) and opened the school gym for the mushers to eat and
sleep. They had a microwave, hot coffee, hot water for tea or hot
chocolate, and tang. They even had flush toilets, something we hadn’t
seen since we left Willow. Compared to what we had been doing, these
were deluxe accommodations and we really enjoyed the luxury. I set
my alarm for 4 AM intending to leave about 5:30, but the lack of sleep
earlier was starting to take its toll. It is about a three block walk
from the school to the checkpoint, and I walked back to the dogs and
started packing only to realize I’d left my drink cooler at
the school. A six block round trip later I had the cooler ready to
go and fixing the dog’s breakfast when I realized I had forgotten
to use the flush toilets while I was at the school. Now that is pretty
tired, but only a hint of what was to come. Another 6 block round
trip walk and I was finally ready to feed the dogs breakfast, pack
the sled, and bootie their feet. It was -20 degrees when I pulled
the hook at 6AM and headed for McGrath.
The run down the Kuskoquim River and over the portages to McGrath
was uneventful. It is pretty country, but both the dogs and I were
getting tired. I still had Platinum and Dash in lead, but the team
was just flat. There was no sign of the get up and go they had coming
into Nikolai. Ken Anderson, in his race journals, says that a strong
run is typically followed by a slower run and then another strong
run so I wasn’t particularly worried. I was planning to 24 in
McGrath anyway. At 12:01 we pulled up the banks of the Kuskoquim River
into McGrath and settled into our mandatory 24 hour rest.
Keep ‘em Northbound
Eric
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