We had our meet in Unalakleet this past weekend also. The team didn't do as well for several reasons. I was sick (and wasn't whipping them as hard during practice), the weather was stormy, and there were many more runners. Here we are, leaving in our tiny airplane. I got to sit in the co-pilot's seat!
Very strange race across the tundra though. It wasn't a circular course--we all drove 3 miles out of town and dropped the runners off to run across the muddy sponge-land. Here's Bart at the starting line:
Marie and Dorinda were getting changed when everyone left for the girl's race! Argh! I asked the superintendant of the whole district, Jim, if there were any more vehicles going to the starting line. His response was, "Sure, just take my Blazer. The keys are already in it." WOW! What superintendant in the entire U.S. leaves his keys in a car outside the school, then lets a first-year teacher drive his students down a bumpy dirt road?
It felt almost foreign, driving a car. Considering that I've ridden in a car maybe 5 times in the past 2 months. I've ridden in the back of a truck for 2 miles on my way to the airport a few times, but that's been about it. I grinned ear to ear when my students remarked, "Woah, you know how to drive?"
The flight on the way back made for some spectacular views of the Iditarod trail. Here's a collection of pictures:
That last picture of Shaktoolik really makes my world here seem small!
1 comment:
You really do live in a beautiful place!! I love the pictures of the sunsets and the Bearing Sea that you have been posting! Gosh that aerial view of Shaktoolik really makes me see just how small it is! Oh and the airplane in the background of the picture of the kids scares me because it is only as big as the truck that is next to it!
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