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The Tripod Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance August 2015 Report on PNTS Conference Youth Caitlan Dowling recently returned from the Partnership for the National Trail System biannual conference in Franklin, Tennessee. Caitlan attended the Find Your Trail: Planning and Making Pathways into the 21st Century conference as a Trail Apprentice, where she had the opportunity to National Park Service Director Jon meet with leaders across Jarvis discussed National Trails the public lands to discuss and his time in Alaska with Trail career opportunities and Apprentice Caitlan Dowling. ways to engage youth and minorities in the Trail System, along with numerous workshops and plenary sessions.
One keynote speaker, Audrey Peterman, spoke passionately on how she and her husband became aware of America’s public lands as adults and have since derailed plans of retirement to work to bring awareness and a sense of ownership of public lands to minorities across America. Indeed, her passion showed that in troubled times, the shared Story of our public lands can bring people together through both recreation and Stewardship. Caitlan brought back examples of other Trail’s educational programs, which she will share with this year’s class of Iditarod Trail to Every Classroom teachers. Also attending the Conference was Bureau of Land Management, Iditarod Trail Administrator Kevin Keeler, who with other federal administrators gave a presentation on the protection of trail corridors and resources.
Conference attendees visited the grave of Meriwether Lewis (at left), located on the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail and Natchez Trace Parkway. The Natchez Trace dates back 10,000 years and was heavily used during westward expansion in the late 1700s and 1800s as a travel route through Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. The Conference wrapped up with discussion of how the Partnership will The Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance promotes public awareness of the Iditarod Trail and its gold rush and Alaska Native heritage by encouraging education programs and historical research, assisting in the protection, improvement, maintenance and marking of the trail, developing partnerships that foster stewardship commitments and support from land owners, local communities, organizations and others.
The trail for all seasons Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance PO Box 2323, Seward AK 99664 IditarodHTA@gmail.com http://www.Iditarod100.org You can donate to the Alliance through the 2015 Pick. Click. Give Program until August 31, 2015. Go to your MyAlaska profile, select your 2015 dividend and go to the option to add or change a donation. Tripod, August 2015 celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Trails Act in 2018, which will also be the 40th anniversary of the Iditarod National Historic Trail. From the past… “Fairbanks Daily News Miner” June 8, 1910 WHITE SEAL ARRIVES FROM LOWER CAMP But Six Passengers came in from Otter and Clow Landing-Captain Sproule Thinks Outlook for the Camp is Most Promising-Town will be either at Iditarod City or at Otter.
“None can deny” says Captain Sproule, owner of the White Seal, which arrived this morning at 10 o’clock, “that the lower camp has a much better showing than this camp of Fairbanks had after the same number of months had elapsed from the date of its discovery. The camp may threaten to be overdone in a business way, but it certainly has none too many miners and prospectors. When we were there the Iditarod was showing every indication of making a good camp. “It is a fact that there are 4 miles of good pay on Flat creek. Granite was also showing up well; so well in fact that it resulted in three transfers of property. I did not learn the exact amount involved in these transfers, but it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000.” Mr. Sproule says that Jack Baird’s freight and himself were landed at the mouth of Otter creek at 6 o’clock on the evening of May 29.
The boat stayed over one day, and left again May 31. From Otter City there is now a dry overland trail leading up to the creeks which is said to be only nine and onehalf miles long. From Iditarod city, which is 17 miles below Otter city the trail over land to discovery Otter is eight and one-half miles in length. Captain Sproule says that the head of navigation during the fall and at all stages of low water will undoubtedly be Bubayo, or at old Clow Landing. However, it is the consensus of opinion that the town will be either at Iditarod city or Otter city. When the water is high enough to reach Iditarod city it is also high enough to reach Otter city. From the outlook when the Seal left, it is probable that the river will be high enough for three weeks yet to reach Otter, and the owner of the steamer does not anticipate trouble in again making that port.
From the mouth of the Iditarod to Otter City is a distance of 245 miles by river, or a 45 hours’ run. From the Yukon to the mouth of the Iditarod via Shageluck slough is 80 miles, so the total distance is 325 miles. Bubayo, or old Clow Landing is 85 miles below Otter. The Seal sails again tomorrow with a good sized load of freight and a large passenger list. Note: N. A. T. & T. = North American Transportation & Trading Company Events ●The summer workshop for this year’s Iditarod Trail to Every Classroom teachers was held July 27-31 on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. ●The Alliance had a tent at the Anchorage Tent City Celebration, July 25 and 26, on Delaney Park Strip, commemorating the city’s centennial. The event was sponsored by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. The festival had reenactments of the original 1915 land auction, rides, activities, food, games and music.
The Iditarod Historic . Trail Mile 0 sign in Seward is a very popular site for tourists to take photographs.