AK Trip--Days 13-14, March 15-16, 2007

Dad and I had a great snowmachine trip yesterday, out to Army Peak, on to Newton Peak, and back into Nome. Since we've pretty much exhausted the geocaches in the immediate vicinity that are available in winter, we figured we'd try to bag a few benchmarks on some of the local peaks.

Army Peak is about 5 or so miles NNE of Nome, at an elevation of 1045 ft above MSL. We found the benchmark there pretty easily...



...then we motored back west to Newton Peak, where we arrived at "ground zero" for the benchmark, and couldn't find it. Even after hammering a few chunks of schist out of the ice with a rock, and digging around. Ah well. We were satisfied with one find for the day. There are several benchmarks on Anvil Mountain that we may or may not bag before the weekend is out.

On the way back into town, Dad stopped and got a couple of photos of the old Dredges which are now abandoned out in the tundra. Here are the Osborne Dredge and Dredge 5:





We are winding down our trip, as the final weekend has just about arrived.

We started Friday with our yearly breakfast at friend Chuck Fagerstrom's house. Chuck is Dad's high school buddy, and a great sourdough pancake breakfast cook. Chuck was hosting the Seaveys (Mitch and his family, his father Dan, and mother), and the father of musher Cindy Gallea (not into Nome yet), who we met and chatted with. Mitch Seavey, as you may or not recall (based on your grasp of Iditarod trivia), won the 2004 Iditarod. We listened as he told us about the 2007 race (he finished 9th), the trail conditions, some of the prep for the race, and raising his dogs. We also talked a bit about global warming once they found out I was a geologist (although I must admit I took the high road and didn't say a WHOLE lot ;) All of the mushers and family members were really great breakfast company, and the rest of today I've spent shopping at the Arctic Trading Post and Maruskiya's for stuff for the wife. (Hi honey).

Tomorrow will bring (hopefully) a final snowmachine ride somewhere, and then Sunday is the Iditarod banquet. Did I mention that I ran into 2007 Iditarod champion last nite? Indeed I did, while walking out of the liquor store with a copy of the Nome Nugget in hand. I had just enough time to make eye contact and give him a little nudge on the shoulder, with a "congrats man!" He looked back at me and said "Thank you sir!" and then I went along my way....more soon....