Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
White Mountain is a pretty village stairstepping up the bank of the Fish River with an air-
strip that ends in a cemetary, guaranteed to get the attention of any pilot, or passenger for
that matter. Everyone you meet smiles at you and says “Welcome to White Mountain!” in-
cluding elder Howard Lincoln.
Howard has manned the White Mountain Iditarod checkpoint for the past twenty years.
“Lots of work and lots of fun,” he says. Asked when he expects this year's leader to make
White Mountain, he squints at the horizon and says “Maybe Monday. Depends on the
weather. There's a big low coming in.”
Howard refuses to handicap this year's race. “I never have a favorite,” he says firmly. “I
treat the rookies and the old ones all the same. Whoever has the best dog team wins.”
Asked who's his favorite musher, he repeats, “Whoever has the best dog team wins.”
Howard says he gets the times the mushers are out of Elim and “it's about about five
and a half hours to White Mountain.” He grins. After days of traveling together up the
trail, the mushers “are no more buddies then.”
He shakes his head. “I think this is my last year.”
He says that every year.
Sunday, March 13
Leaders into Kaltag. Martin Buser loses three hours chasing down his dog Quebec but
he still manages to cut Sorlie's four-hour lead in half.
Nome's mini-convention center has been transformed from the Miners and Mushers Ball
last night to Iditarod headquarters this morning. Alaska Airlines has its own booth. A wo-
man walks up, announces she's Doug Swingley's dog handler and that her ticket out is for
the next morning but that her musher won't be in until the day after. Ticket agent Dave
Squier gets busy.
“It all depends on the race,” Dave says. “We'll get everyone out, we just don't know ex-
actly when. A lot of people were happy when their flights were cancelled this year due to
weather because they got to see the leaders come in.”
Alaska Airlines runs extra flights into Nome for the week of the Iditarod, all-freight jets
for cargo and a special all-passenger jet after the Sunday banquet to get all the mushers
