Nome, Alaska

On the first Saturday of March, the people in Anchorage, Alaska are preparing to cover 1,000 miles in the Alaskan wilderness (Brown 12; Burgman 7). These people are competing in the Iditarod, a dog race from Anchorage to Nome held every year, hoping to earn a $50,000 cash prize and a four-wheel drive truck (Brown 62). The name Iditarod comes from the name of an abandoned mining town located halfway between the start and end of the race (Doyle 14). The Iditarod race is an Alaskan tradition that brings people from all backgrounds with their dogs together every year. The Iditarod race has many scenic views that mushers enjoy while running through the long race. Mushers will cross the Alaskan and Kuskokwim mountain ranges, which can be some of the most difficult parts of the race (Harris 17). The Alaskan village of Nikolai is the first native village that a musher will pass through (Brown 30). Many of the checkpoints that mushers pass through are run by families and volunteers in the area (Brown 20). Some mushers will stay at checkpoints longer than others because they will have to take a required 24-hour break and two eight hour breaks at some point in the race (Doyle 15).…

Drexton Robinson Mrs.Baker Language Arts Gary Paulsen's Woodsong is a personal detailed account of his experiences competing in The Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race held in Nome, Alaska. The Iditarod race is enduringly intense, affecting the participants both mentally and physically. Throughout the race, participants may feel sleep-deprived and experience hallucinations worse than an ordinary nightmare. On the day that Paulsen competes, he is one of the seventy-three mushers who finishes number…

Welch called for a town meeting with the Mayor (George Maynard) and it was decided that, because his earlier request had not arrived, they would send an emergency request. However, train lines and travel had all been canceled, because of weather conditions. After a lot of debate, they finally came to the conclusion, that the serum would be sent from Anchorage to Nenana by train, and then picked up by sled dog teams and returned to Nome from there. Meanwhile, all of the sick children would be put…

Native peoples existed in what they simply called The Land, that today is known as Alaska, 10,000 years before written records were kept. The Tlingit people are among the oldest inhabitants, dwelling in what would become Glacier Bay, and within the temperate rain forests, and a multitude of islands, waterways and mountains of the southeastern part of this vast land. They had mastered the ways of their environment, learning to survive on the bountiful life their land provided. Tlingit life…

Alaska is the largest and the least populated of the fifty United States. Full of mountain ranges and majestic wildlife, it has always captivated people’s attention. However with large distances between largely populated areas and the cold temperatures with long winters most people shy away from living there. But for me Alaska is my one true home; where I have family and friends, and where I want to one day settle down to spend the rest of my life. My one true home has always been Alaska, the…

The Doors of Perception Young adulthood is a time of existence in two worlds. In one world we have the yearning be an the adult, which is filled with excitement of all the unknown. The other world is the world of adolescence, which is controlled and offers protection. This war between the two worlds is not only emotionally forced on a person, but physically, socially, and ethically as well. For Chris McCandless a 22 year old in, “Selection From Into the Wild” this longing to hold on to his…

opinion, Into The Wild is a positive movie that inspires all of us to build a connection to nature and to be more self-reliant. The film opens with an inspirational quote by Lord Byron that provides one of the key themes for the movie. “There is a pleasure in the pathless woods. There is a rapture on the lonely shore. There is society, where none intrudes. By the deep sea, and music in its roar. I love not man the less, but Nature more.” These words speak to all of us because there is beauty…

this point locals again turned to their government to find ways to promote the city as a tourism destination. Unfortunately, it seems that they like to keep waiting, until they are in trouble economically. Therefore, they have to learn how to envision for the future. It also seems that they do not take a good care of their city, since the government had to create training programs to teach them how to operate their business, keep cleanliness standards high, and provide a high quality of service.…

Chris McCandless was the complete opposite of a materialistic person. Christopher had a fresh start in Alaska with “no phone, no car, no cigarettes” and this can be truly “inspirational” to many (Mason). In today’s society a child can not be pried from their cellphone and may miss the tranquility and beauty nature offers. Chris aimed to capture these very moments and find peace and truth in the simplicity of nature. While Chris took simplicity to the extreme and neglected to bring a map and this…

Into the Wild describes the story of Christopher McCandless. He hitchhiked in 1992 to Alaska where he was found dead four months later in a deserted bus in the Alaskan wilderness. Author Jon Krakauer uses accounts from people who interacted with Chris and personal research to account the story of Alex Supertramp, another name proclaimed by Chris. The book starts with the description of Chris’s last day in society before starting his journey in the Alaskan wild. It shifts to the events that led…