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Day 14, Evening Report
March 15, 2002
This afternoon I headed out into the blizzard. The visibility must have been incredibly challenging for the mushers. The snowy coastline with wind whipping snow all around you, and a low gray ceiling of clouds made for terrible visibility. This is what the poor mushers were probably seeing for hours while trying to get to Nome.
The visibility was atrocious
I decided to go to the museum to learn about the history of Nome, once a gold mining community. I found some pretty neat things in the museum.
Old ulus were found in Nome. They were larger than I had anticipated, with blades ranging from five to seven inches across.
This old dog collar with harness was made out of thick animal hide. It certainly didn't look comfortable enough for a dog to wear.
When I went to the bank I found the display case that houses over $62,000 in one dollar bills that Martin Buser won. Sure looked like a lot of money!
Martin Buser will be awarded this money on Sunday afternoon
Last night I had a surprise invitation to join the Norwegian teams for dinner. They were a lot of fun, but it got a little challenging for everyone since they spoke primarily Norwegian, were speaking English to me, and our waitress was Chinese. We used a lot of hand gestures to get our points across.
Dinner with the three Norwegian mushers and their reporters
No more news for today, but tomorrow should be exciting. Doug Swingley should be getting married under the burl arch, as should Jason Barron and Harmony Kanavle.
I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Mrs. Holmes
Nome, - Saturday, March 16, 2002 at 07:15:00 (EST)
The blizzard is just arriving!
Day 14, Midday Report (more on Day 14 coming later, probably tomorrow)
March 15, 2002
Hello Everyone!
I got an early start this morning in order to catch some of the mushers coming over the finish line. Palmer Sagoonik was the first to come in. He is a native from Shaktoolik. He was a reindeer herder until his herd ran off with the wild caribou! He was very funny at the finish line. He raised his hands over his head and said, "I did it! I beat Swingley!" Everyone burst into laughter because, as I'm sure you know, Doug is a recent four time champion of the Iditarod but he decided to just relax this year and is currently in about 41st place! He is due in tomorrow morning.
Palmer does something pretty neat prior to the race. He encourages all of rural Alaska to send him names of loved ones that are ill so he can carry the names to Nome. These people serve as encouragement for him and he hopes to be encouragement for them as well.
Palmer smiles because he beat Doug Swingley
Martin Buser continues to greet each one of the mushers
Melanie Gould followed up behind Palmer. She is the woman who lived in Norwich at some point in her life. She looked well rested and delighted to be into Nome.
Melanie Gould comes over the finish line
A race official checks her sled for all of the mandatory gear
Mike Williams was next to arrive. He is a Yupiaq Eskimo. He said the trail condition this year is the best he has ever seen, and he has been mushing in the Iditarod since 1992. He is a very inspirational musher too. He lives a subsistence lifestyle, which means he hunts and gathers his food from the land and sea. This by itself takes a great deal of time, so to train for the Iditarod as well is quite an amazing feat. He mushes to promote healthy lifestyles and quality education for children. He is a kind and gentle man.
Mike Williams spreads inspiration to children and people who are ill
My day has only begun so I will write more later. Remember how I said that the weather has been nothing but clear and beautiful since I came to Alaska? Well, that has really changed. There has been a developing storm the past couple of days, and today the blizzard conditions are thickening in Nome. Joe Runyan said that the mushers who are still out on the trail are going to have a hard time, due to the moisture more than the cold. I'm worried about how difficult it will be to see in these driving winds and heavy snowfall. We'll have to keep an eye on their progress. Keep cheering for them!
I'll talk to you later...
Mrs. Holmes
Nome, - Friday, March 15, 2002 at 15:42:32 (EST)
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Mrs. Holmes
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Webspace for Mrs. Holmes Iditarod 2002 project was provided courtesy of
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