Friday, March 22 – I woke up to the smell of coffee and a spruce fire. Martin had gotten up before the rest of us and was as busy as a boy scout. We didn’t have any hot chocolate so he melted Swiss chocolate in water, a rather tasty beverage. There was a fog on the lake and the boys used their woodsman skills to chop some small spruce trees to replenish the fire. We really couldn’t have picked a more beautiful camping spot with the hills of the interior all around us. We would surely make it to Nikolai today.

Getting to Ophir was a welcome encounter although no one lives there and the few cabins owned by gold miners were locked up tight. We watched an airplane circle low around us and then heard the plane land down on the river near the cabin that’s used for an Iditarod checkpoint. Ken Chase appeared from the woods with warm greetings. Ken and Martin met on Martin’s first Iditarod and they traveled together. Martin spent a summer at Ken’s fish camp near Anvik on the Yukon in his early years in Alaska. (The photo of Martin and me with the huge king salmon that appeared on our wedding invitation was taken in front of Ken’s house.) Ken had just completed this year's Iditarod and was flying to Anvik from McGrath, kind of looking out for us, knowing we should be somewhere in this area. After a quick hi and we’re all right, he headed back to his plane and we headed down the “road”. We were back on one of those gold mining roads for 23 miles to Takotna. We crossed some more glaciations but were really enjoying the fairly smooth trail along the hills of the interior.

Takotna received the musher’s award of best checkpoint this year and it’s easy to see why. Banners welcoming the race were still brightly displayed and the kids had made several new signs welcoming Martin as a citizen and welcoming the family. They had made sleds and a cabin using popsicle sticks for us. We went into the café for a hamburger and they invited the entire school over to chat. It was great fun. A great majority of mushers take their 24-hour layover in Takotna and I wished I had room for a 24 here in our schedule. They told Martin they knew he had received a lot of awards but they had a new one for him and gave him a certificate for being an Outstanding Dad. Martin was proud as can be! He apologized for not visiting during the race and explained how his race plan and the dog’s rhythm determine where he can rest. He stayed only seconds in Takotna this year, so this visit was particularly enjoyable. We commended all the kids who each take an active role in managing various parts of the checkpoint. The younger kids do a lot of cleaning up and wear their SUPER DOOPER POOPER SCOOPER sweatshirts proudly.

Reluctantly, we got back on the trail for an 18 mile trek to McGrath that was predominately 12 miles of three foot deep rolling bumps until we got on to the swamps and river around McGrath. School was out already so we didn’t get to make any school visits there. Our main mission was to gas up and get bolts to fix my compromised sled. The boys and I stocked up on junk food, pop and juice. We gassed up all the machines, the 6 five gallon fuel jugs and 2 ten-gallon jugs. We spent $205 on gas, which should be enough to get us home. While gassing up, a man approached to ask how we were doing and said he had driven past our camp at 4 am. Said we looked pretty snug.

We were on our way to Nikolai at last. While we were making our way onto the Kuskokwim River a snow machiner approached and asked about his muktuk. He had just come in from Nikolai for the regional basketball tournament and was hoping to see us and get his package from Palmer in Shaktoolik. For such a huge expanse of country, Alaska’s people are amazingly connected.

We took advantage of the smooth driving on the Kuskokwim River and drove as quickly as possible as we were anxious to get to Nikolai, population about 100.

We pulled in at nearly sunset and were overwhelmed by the welcome. One of the ladies came out and was immediately looking for Nikolai, said she had to give him a hug and kiss and had waited all these years to meet him. We still have the little doll she had made for him when he was a baby. Another year they sent him a school shirt that said Nikolai, top of the Kuskokwim. We were invited to the school where the students were having an extra gym time for doing well during testing. The kids got the boys involved in playing basketball, my boys at a little disadvantage as they were playing in bunny boots. The younger students helped prepare food and people brought food to share. They pulled out cafeteria tables and provided us a banquet. They said since Martin hadn’t stayed in Nikolai, this was his Iditarod meal. We talked and laughed and told Iditarod stories for a long time. Once again, he apologized for his race plan.