March 8, 2001

IditaShagelukUpdates!

Linwood Feidler--First Iditarod Musher to Shageluk arrives at 6:37 P.M. AST

March 8, 2001!

Linwood Feidler checking in with Shageluk Checker, Arnold Hamilton.

Hello Channel 2, KTUU News!

Good luck Linwood!

Leroy, high school reporter from Shageluk, 15 years old today, had a special birthday snowmachine ride when he went out to see Linwood Feidler on the trail between Iditarod and Shageluk. Linwood is the first musher into Shageluk. Leroy was able to take some outstanding digital photos of Linwood as he proceeded towards Shageluk. Leroy said, "It was pretty much fun seeing the first musher come in. When we saw him out in the open, out of town we got a better view of him, it's quieter out of town."

Leroy said Linwood and his team looked in good shape and was ready to continue running so they left as soon as they passed through our checkpoint.

One of Linwood's Dogs

Smile for the IditaShageluk Reporter, Linwood!

 

Linwood 10 miles out of Shageluk on the trail between Iditarod and Shageluk

Thanks for the great pics, Leroy and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

 

4:50 P.M. March 8, New update from the Elementary School!

Meet some of the volunteers who come to help with the race and visit with our students:

Our Elementary Students decide to help out the trail marker fleet in front of Shageluk's Iditarod checkpoint!

Liz Ferrer, Communications expert for Iditarod and our class

Liz Ferrer, Iditarod Communications, acts really cool. She had to sleep in her own room last
night because the men snores hard. Last night she came here to
Shageluk. She was outside when we met her. She got some pictures with
us and the snowmachines then Sherry, our teacher, took the pictures with Liz and us
all together in front of the snowmachines. We got her autograph and
e-mail. She showed us pictures from four years ago. She is coming back
in four years.

She has four kids and a husband. She has two older kids, one is a
scientist and one is a docter. She has lived in Alaska for ten years.
Before that she lived in Chicago, Texas, California and Ohio.

by Sharon, Melanie, Delilah and Denise

Innoko River School Elementary students

The team of Trail Markers stopped in Shageluk at 3:00 A.M. for the night, woke up in time for breakfast and went out again towards Anvik in the afternoon.

Krista,Sophomore High School reporter talks with Veternirian Mike Gascoigne of Brisbane, Australia.

Veterinarian Mike Gascoigne

Mike Gascoigne of Brisbane, Australia is a Veterinarian here with the Iditarod. We had a hard time understanding him because of his accent. The best part about his job, he said, is meeting all the people in the villages. What got him into the Iditarod is that he gets to see most of Alaska. Other than working on the Iditarod, his regular job is being a Veterinarian. What he does in each village takes up to 4-5 days. He learns many things such as the different treatments for the dogs. He doesn't have any experience running the Iditarod. He says the worst part of his job is getting wet and cold in the middle of the night. He also wants the kids to know if they can work hard they can do anything they want in their future.

by Desiree and Krista, 9th grade.

Stay tuned for exclusive interviews with Glen Howard, Keith Workman and Martin Hamilton of Shageluk, Volunteer Trailbreakers for the trail between the town of Iditarod and Shageluk!!!!

New update from Kelly as of 3:00 p.m, March 8, 2001:

The trail markers went on to Anvik. The communications people have arrived along with the veteranarians.

No mushers in Shageluk yet!Expected soon.

Shageluk's Preparation for the Iditarod

About a week before the mushers come through Shageluk, plane loads of straw and dog food comes in. The weird thing about that is my parents are agents for the airlines, and my dad is this checker for the Iditarod. I have to haul with my snowmachine three miles down all the dog food and straw down from the airport. When I hauled a load of straw down with my snowmachine with a sled I hauled twelve bags, and then I passed the bridge my hitch broke on my sled. Sheila and I went to get another sled, and had to make two loads from the bridge bacause we had a small sled. From my point of view I think it is really hard being a volunteer for the Iditarod. I have had a lot of experience because my dad has been the checker for a really long time.

Kelly, Sophomore