Seeing mushers, dog sleds up close

Elma - When you are old and sitting in a rocker on the front porch reflecting on your life, what will you see?

If you are Darrell Knecht, Howard County Emergency Management Coordinator of Elma, you wouldn’t be caught in a rocker if there is something outdoorsy to do. He is always trying anything new.

While everyone else is complaining about the weather, Knecht actually enjoys winter, doing all sorts of outdoor activities associated with snow.

“I always followed the Iditarod—then I heard about the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon (near Duluth, Minn.) and started following it on the Internet and Facebook. Then I saw they were asking for volunteers so I applied!”

That was three years ago, and he’s been volunteering since then, most recently during this year’s Jan. 26-28 event. The marathon is touted as the longest sled dog race in the lower 48 states.

Knecht worked at two different road crossings. “It’s a safety thing. You just stand there and make sure no traffic comes through. The road is used mostly by logging trucks, and they have the right-of-way,” he explained. The road has warning signs before and after the crossing to warn the truckers.

The first road crossing was at Two Island. “It’s in the middle of nowhere,” Knecht joked. “It is about 20 miles as the crow flies from the Trail Center checkpoint [halfway point].” He compared Trail Center to Lourdes. “Although Lourdes might be bigger!”

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon has several parts, including a marathon of about 373 miles, and a mid-distance race. All the mushers and their teams of dogs in the mid-distance race must rest for at least eight hours. There is also a junior race for kids.

The marathoners have a mandatory eight-hour layover at Grand Portage, another four hours at Highway 2 and 18 other restful hours in-between. Each team has a GPS to track the rest stops.

The race started at 11 a.m. on Sunday. “I saw my first team on Monday at 1 a.m. The last one went through at 11 a.m.”

There is no way of knowing when the teams will come to his crossing, but Knecht has learned some tricks over the years. 

First, he hears the ham radio operators at the checkpoint before his crossing about 20-30 minutes before the first dogs appear.

Second, he has learned, especially at night, he can see the headlamp of the musher reflecting on the tree tops as they climb a hill right before his crossing. “I’m in the middle of the woods, and it’s the only way I can tell a team is coming.” 

It’s a good thing he has learned how to look for the teams as he can’t hear them coming. It is very peaceful and quiet in the woods.

He had a little bit of a break before the teams came to his second crossing. “I was anticipating the first one to come through about 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, but he was really cranking. He came through about 1:30, two hours before any of the others.”

His favorite part of the race is the beginning, as it is the most exciting. “The dogs are howling, barking and carrying on. They are so excited to do what they’re born to do. It takes 5-6 handlers plus a four-wheeler to hold them back!” Then when the race starts . . . silence.

Knecht also enjoys checking out the resting spots along the trail. The support crew will have an area reserved for the team. They will spread hay on the ground and get the turkey fryer ready for the dogs’ food. “But the musher is the one who gets the food ready and feeds the dogs. He or she takes care of everything.” The dogs even have booties to keep their feet in good condition. “The dogs get taken better care of than the mushers!”

One of the neat things done by the sponsors of the event is having trail mail. Individuals can purchase an envelope with a picture of dog sledding. Knecht purchases several. He ads a personal message about the history of the sport, along with personal information. The mushers carry the letters in their dog sled. At a designated point along the route, the envelope is taken from the sled and mailed.

Knecht mails the cards to his grandsons and nieces and nephews. He also sent one to his daughter, Amber Nietert, who teaches first grade in Springville, Iowa. Nietert’s class enjoys getting the letter and writes a thank you note to Knecht.

The winner of the marathon was Ryan Redington, who is originally from Alaska. His grandfather started the Iditarod. Another participant was Kevin Mathis, who hails from northeast Iowa, Monona to be exact.

Knecht enjoys volunteering for the marathon and plans to go back next year. “I’ve always liked winter. If I was 20-30 years younger, I’d have a team!”