March 17, 2011 Awesome! John Baker Shatters Iditarod Race Record

Photo by Nadja Roessek SUN DOGS— John Baker guides his dog team off the Bering Sea ice and up the ramp into Front Street as the sun climbs over the eastern horizon Tuesday morning. C VOLUME CXI NO. 11 March 17, 2011 Awesome! John Baker shatters Iditarod race record By Diana Haecker place and my good friend Ramy Hundreds and hundreds of people Brooks coming in second, that was a lined Nome’s Front Street to see special year to me. But now, break- Kotzebue musher John Baker be the ing the record is icing on the cake,” first musher in this year’s Iditarod Baker said. Trail sled dog race to cross the finish After Baker was checked in and line in Nome. The rising sun cast signed off on having finished the golden light into the finish chute as race, sponsor dignitaries handed him Baker and his ten dogs made their his $50,400 winner’s check and the way under the burled arch. Along key to a brand new Dodge Ram with Baker’s family, race officials truck. With this year’s win, Baker and selected media, drummers and ended Lance Mackey’s four-year singers with the band Pamyua were string of victories and Lance’s wife on hand to provide the soundtrack to Tonya made it through the crowd, an emotional finish that had Baker’s into the finish chute to congratulate family in tears. Cheers, drumming Baker on his achievement. and the unique walrus whoop made Sitting on the winner’s pedestal, by Eskimo fans filled the cold air. Baker cradled his lead dogs, Velvet This was Baker’s 16th Iditarod and Snickers. He said he had been Trail sled dog race. He has made the running these two dogs in lead for all top ten in 11 races and now he not of last year’s Iditarod race. He added only won the race for the first time that this year he had switched out the but also made history by setting a leaders at times and gave Velvet a new race record of eight days, 18 break for two runs. hours, 46 minutes and 39 seconds on “I’m a pretty lazy musher, it’s just the trail. Baker shaved off exactly too easy to leave them in lead all the four hours of the record set in 2002 way,” Baker said. by Martin Buser. Baker said that he Asked if he had been looking out had no thoughts on breaking any for Ramey Smyth to catch up to him records and that it didn’t dawn on along the coast, Baker said that him until Tuesday morning that he Smyth did keep him on his toes, as might actually do so. He went even he is the best in the business of further and said that he didn’t allow catching and passing teams by the himself to think about winning until end of a race. But Baker had confi- he was actually under the burled arch dence in the strength of his dogs. as the first musher. “When Martin set “This team wasn’t as strong as last the record, that year, I was in third Photo by Al Grillo continued on page 20 2011 IDITAROD CHAMP—Kotzebue’s John Baker poses under the burled arch with his lead dogs Vel- vet and Snickers after eight days, 18 hours and 46 minutes on the Iditarod Trail shattering the all-time NovaGold resources record set by Martin Buser in 2002. sells Nome holdings John Baker leads Iditarod mushers up On Monday, NovaGold Re- strategy of bringing value from our sources Inc. announced the sale of non-core assets,” NovaGold presi- the coast, Ramey Smyth in hot pursuit 11,500 acres of Alaska Gold Com- dent and CEO Rick Van Nieuwen- pany lands around Nome. huyse said in a press release. He said By Diana Haecker spot and before the musher had the chance to get off the The buyer is Nome Gold Alaska that NovaGold is focused on ad- Sheldon Katchatag of Unalakleet was delighted at the sled runners, the crowd surrounded him and Wells Fargo Corporation. “We are executing our vancing its Donlin and Galore proj- prospect that a fellow Inupiaq was in contention to win dignitaries presented him with the Gold Coast award and ects toward production. this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled dog race. Katchatag awak- gold nuggets worth $2,500. The alluvial gold properties sold ened as many Unalakleet residents as he could. He con- are fee-simple United States vinced about a hundred people to climb out of their beds Taking the lead on the Yukon patented mining claims. The claims on Sunday morning before 5 o’clock to welcome Kotze- At the start line in Anchorage, John Baker said he On the Web: are held by Alaska Gold Company. bue’s John Baker into the first Iditarod checkpoint on the would take it easy in the first part of the race. He said that www.nomenugget.net Nome Gold Alaska Corp. will pay coast. Addressing the crowd Katchatag declared, “He’s training this winter had been hampered by one blizzard Alaska Gold $21 million in three in- going to win this thing. He’s got the support of all the In- after another. The strategy seemed to have paid off, as E-mail: stallments and provide a letter of upiat from here to Greenland behind him.” Baker’s dogs seemed to have found their groove on the [email protected] credit for $4 million as an environ- Katchatag was dressed in polar bear mukluks handed Yukon. Baker made his move when he passed Hugh Neff mental reclamation bond. down from his father, polar bear mittens and a white who led the front-runners out of Grayling on the Yukon. NovaGold is also looking for buy- parka. He held a drum made by his son. And when the “That was the only team we passed,” a tired Baker said ers of their land holdings around light of Baker’s headlamp bobbed across the frozen Un- with a chuckle in Unalakleet. “Usually, everybody else Nome, in-town real estate lots, sand alakleet River, Katchatag began drumming and calling is passing us.” Not this time. Baker said his dog team and gravel holdings, as well as its out to the approaching dog team. The crowd joined in started to come together nicely and found their rhythm in Rock Creek and Big Hurrah gold with clapping, whistling and hollering to usher in the first Shageluk. From the checkpoint of Eagle Island on, Baker properties. Iditarod musher to their village. remained in front of the pack, but it was not a comfort- Baker’s 11 dogs marched into the assigned parking continued on page 12 2 THURSDAY, March 17, 2011 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Editor, Many people from the Anchorage history, where we’re well known in ees. Although she never said any- the Nugget’s last issue, as a vehicle Sarah Palin does not represent bowl came westward to Alaska via the past. I spent part of the winter in thing to cut down I can sense it. for his new employer. Alaska. She abandoned Alaska as the Alaska Highway after World War Anchorage in 1953 after dropping I have been to see her myself. Her There is no doubt that the subject Governor with only two years of II or flew and had no knowledge of out of school at the University of little space is far removed from the of his column, Mr. Charles Lean, governorship. She would not use the Southeast Alaska. Just the old timers Alaska Fairbanks. rest of the clinic. I hope to heck could benefit from Tyler’s literary Governor’s mansion in Juneau (the knew the real history. Getting back to Sarah Palin, she there will be space for her in the new shoeshining skills. As a commercial capital of Alaska). She wanted the My younger brother, Casey, was abandoned Alaska and its people and hospital, just like all our important fisherman I have felt like a long term capital moved to her area in the An- born in Juneau in 1936 and I, W. she should not be considered for any professionals. hostage of Charlie’s chronic mis- chorage bowl area. She ignored the John Harris Jr. was born in Juneau in high office in America and the news I doubt if her pay meets the qual- management as a biologist, fisheries Aleuts, Eskimos, Indians and Amer- 1930. I have lived in Anchorage media should stop referring to her as ity of service she offers. If not I rec- manager, and now fisheries devel- icans who came to Alaska from all since 1971, but go back to Juneau Governor. Even her past running ommend at least at the minimum $30 oper. over the world to help establish a whenever I have enough money to mate for President, John McCain, an hour. I know professionals get The sad history of his tenure reads free nation. travel with my oldest son W. John had stated on public TV that if Sarah much more. If she is not treated like like a train wreck. Crashed salmon My grandfather, Richard T. Harris Harris III. The only other grandchild Palin ran for President, he wasn’t she should be, we may lose her. returns many times .Particularly the and Joe Juneau were allowed to ex- from my Uncle Dick’s family, Lila sure if he would vote for her or not. She’s too valuable to loose.

Load more