Communities On The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway

 

Communities On The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway@

Sutton Visitors Center https://visitalaska.wordpress.com

suttonvisitors@hotmail.com

 

Mile Marker 60.1 — 114.9 Sutton to Majestic Valley Lodge

Sutton to the Majestic Lodge, along the mighty Matanuska River, 54 miles of the most beautiful part of the Glenn Highway. Nestled between the Chugach and Talkeenta Mountain Ranges, Visit the Historic Alpine Park. Athabascan Culture Exhibits, native music, dancing and storytelling. Madwater River Rafting. Stop at Pinnacle Mt RV Park & Café’s petting zoo with over 100 animals. Gifts Stores, Antiques Shops, Native Art, gold panning, hiking, Geo-Caching Maps at the Sutton Visitors Center. The Matanuska Glacier, the only glacier accessible by car, Walk on A Glacier. Glacier Trekking & Ice climbing with Mica Guides, View wildlife, Dall sheep. Comfortable lodging, at Tundra Rose Guest Cottages, Grand View Café & RV Park , Sheep Mt. Lodge, Majestic Valley Wilderness Lodge & Matanuska Lodge,…So Much To Do !

 

· Mile 60.1

· Sutton Visitors Center

· Alpine Historical Park

· Jonesville Café & General Store

· Riverside Deli & Grocery

· Matanuska Madwater Rafting

· Mile 70

· Pinnacle Mt RV Park & Café

· Mile 77

· Chickaloon General Store

· Mile 99.5

· The Matanuska Lodge

· Mile 102

· Matanuska Glacier Park

· Mile 102.5

· Mica Guides — Trekking & Ice Climbing

· Mile 109.5

· Tundra Rose Guest Cottages

· Mile 109.7

· Grand View Café & RV Park

· Mile 113.5

· Sheep Mountain Lodge

· Mile 114.9

· Majestic Valley Wilderness Lodge

Mile Marker 60.1

Jonesville Café & General Store:  Open Daily year round, grocery, serving breakfast, lunch & dinner, espresso, beer on tap. Gifts, internet wireless, laundry, bathrooms w/ hot showers. ATM ,Ice, firewood, propane, easy access semi’s, trailers. 907 746-7461 or email : Rebecca_hobbs@msn.com for more information. Web site http://alaskaadventuresites.com/webpages/suttongeneralstore/

 

Mile Marker 60.1

Alpine Inn  Open 10AM to 1AM — Beer, Wine, Full Bar, pool tables, music, outdoor deck, group events, live music events, banquets. 907 745 – 9595

 

Mile Marker 61.6        

  Alpine Historical Park: 

Open 9AM to7PM Daily May 31—Sept. 15

Historical Buildings, Athabascan Winter Lodge Exhibit, Coal Mining Relics, Local Fossils, Gardens, Picnic Area, Tour Bus Access, Playground & Restrooms. Coal Miner’s Hall of Fame, 14 miles east of Palmer. One hour from Anchorage, groups events & weddings. 907 745-7000

Web Site www.alpinehistoricalpark.org

Email alpinehistoricalsociety@hotmail.com 

 

Sutton — Visitors Center: Located at the Alpine Historical Park

Open daily, Information, internet, brochures, Geo-Caching, hiking trails, camping, fishing, 4—wheel, cross country skiing maps. Reservations for local activities and lodging. Call 907 745-1716

Email suttonvisitors@hotmail.com 

Web Site https://visitalaska.wordpress.com

 

Riverside Deli & Grocery: Open Daily 7AM to 9PM Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, fully stocked grocery store, video rentals, gifts, ATM, Ice, Propane, Take out menu, Great Deli Sandwiches. Daily Specials. Call Ahead 907 746 — 3354

 

Mile Marker 65.1

 

Madwater Rafting: Mile 65.1 Open Daily Open [June – August]   Whitewater rafting or inflatable kayaking available on multiple trips daily.  Enjoy our scenic, splashy "Fun Run."  It’s a great day to be on the water with Matanuska Madwater! “Need a Good Paddling “ 1-888-MAD-RAFT

Web: www.matanuskamadwater.com.

 

Mile Marker 70

Pinnacle Mt RV Park & Café: Mile 70 26616 N. Glenn Hwy. Open Year round Breakfast all day lunch & Dinner specials daily & full menu. RV Hook-Ups, Gifts Shop, Antiques, largest antique tractor collection in Alaska. Bathrooms with hot showers, laundry, Petting Zoo with over 100 Animals. Caravans and Trucks welcome.

Call for reservations: 907 746-6531 Email: pinnaclepeak@mtaonline.net

 

Mile Marker 77

Chickaloon General Store: Near MP 77 on the Glenn Highway. The Chickaloon Historical Room shows photos of the Coal Mining community. Breathtaking views of King & Castle Mountain. Locally owned and operated. Local Alaskan gifts made of fur, fleece, leather, bone, antler, skulls, river rocks & gems. Laundry, showers, propane, gas and everything for your camping, hiking and BBQ needs. Stop in for a snack and a chat! Call 907 746-1801

 

 

 

Communities On The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway@

Sutton Visitors Center

Email  suttonvisitors@hotmail.com

Web Site  https://visitalaska.wordpress.com

907 745 –1716

Mile Marker 99.5

The Matanuska Lodge

 

The Matanuska Lodge: Mile 99.5 Four beautifully decorated rooms w/private baths, a 7 person deck located hot tub, a game room w/pool table & exercise equip.  Splendid views of on site private 40 acre lake with paddle boats and canoes, w/ The Matanuska Glacier at your doorstep.  Daily Breakfast & Hors d’oeuvres w/special Continental fare, Dinner by request. Big screen TV, Wireless Internet. Private bath robes, hairdryers, and lighted makeup mirrors. Radiant heat floors & ceiling fans, total blackout shades.  Wildlife that visits & a spotting scope for viewing Dahl sheep from a picnic area & fire pit. Near Mica Glacier Guides & Nova rafters. The Matanuska Lodge, a resort for all seasons, w/activities to enjoy any time of year. For The Discriminating Traveler.

34301 W. Glenn Hwy. 99674 Phone: 907 746-0378 

Web Site: www. Matanuska Lodge.com  

Email: nuska1@mac.com

 

Mile Marker 102

 

The Matanuska Glacier

Matanuska Glacier: Mile 102 “Walk on a Glacier” Guided Tours, Hiking. The average person takes about fifteen minutes to walk ”back in time to the ice age”.  Everyone has seen Glaciers from boats, aircraft, highways and in books and films.  Our tours give you a outstanding hands on experience & also ties other information together in a deeper understanding. Call 888 253-448

Email blueice@mtaonline.net

 

Mile Marker 102.5

Exposure Alaska & Mica Guides : Mile 102.5 " Discover glacier hiking, trekking and ice climbing on the blue ice of the Matanuska Glacier. Explore crevasses, pools, towering ice formations and hidden lakes. Just about anyone can enjoy glacier treks with our experienced guides.  No experience is necessary for any of our trips.  Whether you’re a first time visitor to a glacier or seeking an introduction to the vertical world of ice and mountaineering, we have an adventure for you! For Reservations : 907 351– 7587 800 956-6422

Email: info@micaguides.com

Web Site: www. micaguides.com

Mile Marker 109.5

Tundra Rose Guest Cottages

MP 109.5 Three quality guest cottages in a relaxing nature setting with unobstructed Matanuska glacier views, kitchenettes, coffee makers, gas fireplaces, private baths, private decks/ patios and cable TV. Located at the base of sheep mountain, Dahl sheep can be viewed on the surrounding mountains. Dining and Laundry services nearby.

Web Site www.tundrarosecabins.com  Email info@tundrarosecabins.com

907 745 5865  If calling long distance from within Alaska, call 1-800-315 5865 for reservation.

 

Mile Marker 109.7

 

Grand View RV Park & Café

MP 109.7 Is your dining and RV camping destination while entering or exiting Alaska. Relax in our log café, which features hearty home style meals and brick oven baked pizza. Full service pull-through RV sites have 30/50 amp electric with delicious spring water. The only RV park with commercial cable TV and WI-FI at every site! Spectacular panoramic mountain views, Dahl sheep and other wildlife viewing. 15 Minutes to the Matanuska glacier by car.

Web Site www.grandviewrv.com  Email info@grandviewrv.com

907 746 4480 summer phone

 

Mile Marker 113.5  

Sheep Mountain Lodge: Mile 113.5 11 Comfortable cabins w/private bath. Full service restaurant, hot tub & sauna. "Premium guest cabins with kitchens." Breathtaking views of the Matanuska River Valley. Diverse recreational trails for hiking & cross country skiing. Wildlife Viewing, easy access for RV’s & Buses.

Web Site www.sheepmountain.com    Email info@sheepmountain.com

Toll Free 877 645-5121

 

Mile Marker 114.9

Majestic Valley Wilderness Lodge: Mile 114.9

A Serene Wilderness amidst Alaska’s Chugach & Talkeenta Mountains. Comfortable Rooms and Cabins. Summer & Winter Activities. Convenient location to Denali & Wrangell St. Elias National Parks. Wildlife Viewing. Perfect for weddings, retreats & special events.

Web Site www.majesticvalleylodge.com  Email info@majesticvalleylodge.com

907 746-2930 Fax 907 746-2931

 

Communities On The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway@

Sutton Visitors Center

Email  suttonvisitors@hotmail.com

Web Site  https://visitalaska.wordpress.com

907 745 –1716

 

All rights reserved @Web Press Designs.  No photos or ad’s  can be reproduced without written permission from webpressdesigns@msn.com .

All photos property of Wendy Zake DBA Web Press Designs

 

Holland America and Princess Cruise Lines…….Visits The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway

On May 15th a Holland America Cruise Line representative will visit Palmer and The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway on a FAM trip provided by the Palmer Convention & Visitors Bureau.  Hosted by Geri McCann, and her vision to see Palmer and the surrounding areas of The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway grow and  prosper with economic development in Tourism.  If we are selected as an area that the Holland America and Princess Cruise lines can market to their clients world wide, we are all in for a huge economic boost.

Not only will we provide visitors from all over the world a chance to experience an Alaska that up to now has never been experienced by tourists, we will grow as an international destination bringing with it, jobs, employment and a stability to a failing economy that has plagued many who live in rural area such as ours.

My hat is off to Geri McCann to her insight, vision, hard work against all odds to preserve and  keep the light burning for all of us.

Join us, in her vision……The Palmer Convention and Visitors Bureau.  To become a part of this wonderful opportunity we need your support.

Below is a letter of support you can sign and send to us, we welcome your ideas and look forward to a new beginning.

To The City of Palmer and Communities on The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway

We do not market ourselves self as a tourism destination as well as other communities do; as a result thousands of tourists come through our area in route to other destinations primarily for a nice rest stop instead of staying and spending.

We support the Palmer Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (PCVB) mission to change that image, and re-introduce Palmer and Communities on The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway as an exciting and enriching cultural/adventure tourism destination.

The PCVB is working hard to produce essential marketing tools such as; the Palmer Visitors Guide with regional attractions map, tourism website – (www.visitpalmer.org), and marketing the “Palmer Package” through FAMS, and booths at tourism related trade shows.

We are partnering with these efforts by joining the PCVB and encourage the City to collaborate with the PCVB by joining, purchasing advertisements, and providing additional funds and resources to assist in the production and distribution of the Palmer Visitor Guide and essential marketing tools crucial to launching Palmer as a premier tourism destination. The greater Palmer region is coming together to market itself as one dynamic package and Alaska’s prime tourism destination.

Please support the community and the PCVB efforts to promote tourism in Palmer and to communities along The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway. Help us get connected and intercept the tourism industry slipping through our fingers and town.

For more information about Palmer and The Communities on The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway

Contact:  info@visitpalmer.org or visit our web site www.visitpalmer.org

ITS OUR TIME TO SHINE!!

Show your support and sign below and email us!!

Name/Title Business Location

 

Wasilla Duo Wins Iron Dog

By TIM MOWRY
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Published on Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:53 PM AKST

FAIRBANKS — When he saw Tyler Aklestad’s body sprawled out on the Tanana River ice on Saturday, Todd Minnick prepared to do what any Tesoro Iron Dog racer would do — stop and help.

It didn’t matter that Aklestad and Minnick were battling for the lead of the world’s longest snowmachine race only 100 miles from the finish line and were separated by only a matter of seconds after almost 1,900 miles of racing.
If a fellow Iron Dogger is in trouble, you stop, even if the title is on the line.

Johnny Wagner/News-Miner Nick Olstad speaks to his grandparents over a cellular phone wedged in his balaclava after he and teammate Todd Minnick won the 2009 Tesoro Iron Dog on Saturday afternoon, February 14, 2009, at the ceremonial finish downtown on the Chena River.

“I seen Tyler laying on the ice and I turned to go over there to see if he was OK,” Minnick said.

The next thing he knew, Minnick and his snowmachine were “cartwheeling” down the river, having hit the same three-foot high wind drift that Aklestad did. He landed on the frozen ice not far from Aklestad.
“There we were, both laid out on the river,” Minnick said.

Like two boxers who had each landed a big punch and gone down at the same time, both Minnick and Aklestad pulled themselves up off the ice for one final flurry that will go down as one of the most exciting Iron Dog finishes in the 25-year history of the race.

Riding a pair of Polaris Dragons, Minnick, 29, and Olstad, 23, held on to win the Iron Dog in record time, edging the Ski-Doo team of Aklestad and Tyson Johnson by just 3 minutes, 18 seconds.

Their time of 37 hours, 19 minutes, and 8 seconds over the 1,971-mile trail shattered the previous course record of 38:07:57.

“We finally did it,” Minnick said, accepting a victory hug from Wasilla friend Gov. Sarah Palin, who was at the Chena River finish line in downtown Fairbanks waiting for her husband, Todd, who finished in sixth place with partner Scott Davis.

It was Minnick’s first Iron Dog win in 10 tries while Olstad, also of Wasilla, earned his second Iron Dog crown. The victory, worth $25,000 of the $160,000 purse, also broke a four-year reign by Arctic Cat racers. The last time a pair of Polaris riders claimed top Iron Dog honor was 2001.

“We rode ‘em hard,” Minnick said of the black, red and white 600cc Polaris Dragons he and Olstad drove to victory.

More than half of the windshield on Minnick’s machine was missing as a result of his crash between Manley and Nenana.

“It was pretty pristine before that,” Minnick said of his sled.
Davis, who with Palin set the previous course record in 2007, wasn’t surprised to see the record fall. Trail conditions were near-perfect this year with a layer of fresh snow cushioning the trail the entire way.

“I’ve never seen it that fast,” said Davis, who finished almost four hours behind.
The second team to leave the starting line, Minnick and Olstad led the race almost from wire to wire. They took the lead about five miles from the starting line held it for the next 1,700 miles. They led Aklestad and Johnson by 38 minutes at the halfway point in Nome.

“There was a lot of pressure leading the whole time,” Minnick acknowledged. “We couldn’t slack off at all.”

It wasn’t until  Thursday on the 120-mile run from Ruby to Tanana on the Yukon River that Aklestad and Johnson, who had been slowly closing the gap on Minnick and Olstad, caught up and passed them briefly.

Only 1 minutes, 42 seconds separated the two teams when they left Tanana on Saturday for the final 232 miles to the finish in Fairbanks.

Minnick and Olstad maintained their slim lead for the first 100 miles Aklestad and Johnson caught and passed them about 30 miles out of Manley while Olstad was stopped.

Minnick and Olstad re-took the lead after both Aklestad and Minnick crashed. Aklestad hit the snow drift first and he was traveling faster than Minnick. Aklestad estimated he was traveling about 80 mph when he hit what he described as “a really bad wind drift on an open section of trail that I hit way too hard.”

Aklestad’s Ski-Doo landed on upright on its back end and the impact stretched his track out, he said. After that, the track was “bubbling up” at high speeds, forcing Aklestad and Johnson to back off, Aklestad said.

Even so, Aklestad and Johnson managed to re-take the lead when Olstad was forced to briefly stop again.

But Minnick and Olstad caught up and passed them about 25 miles from Nenana and led into the final fuel stop. They left Nenana a minute ahead of Aklestad and Johnson and managed to stretch their lead by another two minutes enroute to Fairbanks.

“We pushed as hard as we could but we couldn’t catch them,” Johnson said. “Our only hope was that they blew a belt or something.”
Even when Aklestad and Johnson passed them on Friday and again on Saturday, Minnick said he and Olstad never panicked.

“We knew our machines were faster on top end speed and that’s how it worked out,” Minnick said.

For the soft-spoken Olstad, it was his second Iron Dog victory. He won with Marc McKenna as a rookie in 2005. Olstad has finished the race twice in five tries, both times as a champion, but he seemed happier for Minnick than himself.

“I’m glad Todd could get one,” Olstad said.
For the snake-bitten duo of Aklestad, 23, and Johnson, 29, it was their second runner-up finish in the last three years. They placed second in 2007, too, the only other year in the five they raced together that they have finished the race. They did everything they could to win, Johnson said.

“Any other year we probably would have been hours ahead if it wasn’t for those guys,” Johnson said of Minnick and Olstad. “We pushed it as hard as we could.”

The fact that they beat the course record by 45 minutes didn’t ease the disappointment of finishing second.
“That’s not what I enter the race for,” Aklestad said.
McKenna and Dusty Van Meter finished in third place, 47 minutes and 2 seconds behind the winners, almost the identical time they trailed Minnick and Olstad  at the halfway point in Nome. Their time of 38:06:06 also broke the old course record.

“We got a half hour behind on the first day and didn’t feel like pushing hard enough to make it up was the right thing to do,” said McKenna, who won last year’s race with Eric Quam before teaming up with Van Meter, a three-time champ, this year. “Those guys in front were running hard and clean.”
Quam and his new partner, rookie Brad Helwig of Anchorage, finished in fourth place in 39:02:46, fending off a late challenge by Fairbanks’ Tyler Huntington and Mike Morgan of Nome, who finished five minutes behind Quam and Helwig at 39:57:46.

Huntington and Quam actually caught up to Quam and Helwig about 10 miles from Nenana but Huntington ran out of gas and had to stop and pour more fuel into his tank that he was carrying on his machine. The same thing happened on Friday after Huntington and Morgan passed Quam and Helwig on the way to Tanana.

“It’s kind of a heartbreaker,” said the 23-year-old Huntington, “I’m a little disappointed.”

One of the race’s top up-and-coming racers with three consecutive top seven finishes, Huntington said will be taking a break from the Iron Dog following the birth of his second child in two years.

“This is it for awhile,” he said.

Johnny Wagner/News-Miner Race fans gather around Nick Olstad, left, and Todd Minnick after the duo claimed a victory in the 2009 Tesoro Iron Dog on Saturday afternoon, February 14, 2009, at the ceremonial finish downtown on the Chena River.

 

Sutton General Store & Jonesville Cafe

Welcome to the Sutton General Store & Jonesville Cafe

Located in downtown Sutton on the Glenn Highway

A great place to stop for meals or supplies on the Glenn Highway. The Jonesville Cafe is the home of the valley’s best burgers made with quality lean beef. We feature real home cooking and is ar famous for our homemade pies.

In the mood for some eggs in the afternoon? Breakfast is served all day!

On Saturday nights we server fresh baked pizza.

Stop by the General Store for supplies:

• Groceries
• Ice cream
• Souvenirs
• Showers
• General supplies
• RV & semi parking

The views are incomparable in the Matanuska Valley

Sutton Alaska: A Bit of Local History

Sutton is a small Community that was founded in 1918 as a station on the Matanuska Branch Railroad, as well as a wash plant site for the US Navy’s Chickaloon Coal Mine. Sutton’s growth was then spawned by development of several nearby coalmines in the 1920’s, which produced coal to meet a significant portion of Alaska’s energy needs through the mid 1960’s.

Evan Jones Coal Mine, Located just north of Sutton, was the largest and the most productive of the Matanuska coal producers with an average employment exceeding 100 miners. For nearly half a century, the Evan Jones Coal Mine supplied coal to various customers that included the Alaska Railroad, Local Military and Utility power plants as well as domestic heating for customers with total sales exceeding six million tons.

The Alaska Railroad switched to diesel powered locomotives during the early 1950’s and local Military and Utility power plants converted to natural gas in the late 1960’s which eliminated local demand for coal causing the Evan Jones Coal Mine to close in 1968 with little hope of ever re-opening. Today, more then thirty years since the closure of the Evan Jones Coal mine, there is renewed interest and optimism that once again the high quality coal of the Matanuska Valley could pay a meaningful role in meeting Alaska’s growing energy needs.

Visit our site

http://alaskaadventuresites.com/webpages/suttongeneralstore/

 

Listen to Alaska Public Radio – KBC

Listen Live to KBC

This station broadcasts from Anchorage, great listening.  A mix of music, news, events and discussions.

Click on links to find out more about what is happening on this site.

I listen every day, The Native Philosophy is very Spiritual,

today the topic was the word LOVE.

A new native word is taught everyday,

teaching you Native Languages.

We are all tribes of the world.

Listen and Learn Something New !

http://www.knba.org/

http://www.etown.org/

 

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GeoCaching – Sutton –Alaska

Coming To Sutton Summer 2009 – Watch for details!

Where You Go –

Geocaching is a relatively new sport that has become popular with the advent of easy-to-use Global Positioning Satellite receivers (GPSr). Players create and hide containers (known as caches) with a logbook, and depending on the container, items for trade. Their coordinates are recorded with a GPS, and the cache is posted on a website, along with a description and other useful information. The seekers load these coordinates into their GPS, and head out to find the cache.

You will start at The Alpine Historical Park in Sutton at Mile 61.5 on

The Glenn Highway Scenic Byway.

Stop by to pick-up maps and coordinates!

Open May – Sept.

Email for more information

alpinehistoricalsociety@hotmail.com

View Map and get directions

View  Map

There are over 1000 geocaches in Alaska, in every part of the state. Many are located in relatively populated areas, in municipal parks or other easily accessible locations. Others are located along the highway system in Alaska, and guests could literally find dozens of geocaches every day as they travel through the state. A few are located in very challenging areas, and require considerable physical skill and specialized equipment, such as climbing gear or a boat to find.

Alaskan geocachers do a very good job of placing caches in particularly interesting locations, so that their fellow players can discover and enjoy some of Alaska’s more spectacular sights and experiences while searching for geocaches.

What You See

Alaska’s scenery is spectacular almost everywhere you go. A visitor might plan a trip to Alaska with the goal of geocaching every day, or perhaps plan a vacation in Alaska and travel around, and visit geocaches that he or she comes across along the way. For example, there are literally dozens of geocaches on the road between Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks. In either case, the geocaching guest can expect spectacular scenery and some very creative geocaches.

Photo – @w.zake

A winter view of Mt. Eska taken near a geocache along the Glenn Highway near Sutton, Alaska.

Photo – @w.zake

What You Bring

Of course, a geocacher will always have his or her GPS receiver with them. Fortunately, Alaska is very well connected to the Internet, so if a guest had a laptop computer, one could easily connect to the geocaching.com website to download coordinates of caches. Since geocaching is an outdoor sport, all of the usual gear that you would need for a walk in the woods is appropriate, such as insect repellent, rain gear, appropriate footwear, etc. Also, since Alaska has a large number of large wild animals that wander the woods, a knowledge of safe outdoor travel and what to do when confronted with a large animal is also very useful.

We are very familiar with the sport (this is one of our personal hobbies), and we would he happy to assist you with planning an Alaskan vacation that would include geocaching, either as a casual diversion while here, or as a geocaching safari.

You Never Know What you will Find!

 

Snow Machine Races – Tesoro Iron Dog

2009 Tesoro Iron Dog Underway

Published on Sunday, February 8, 2009 11:11 PM AKST

The 2009 Tesoro Iron Dog got underway Sunday on Big Lake. To the cheers of a couple hundred spectators 38 out of the 39 registered teams screamed off the starting line after Alaska Governor Sarah Palin waved the green starting flag. Team 30 of Andy Lachinski and Mark Brown scratched due to an injury. According to the Iron Dog web site the team of Bradly Helwig and Eric Quam were the first into the Ophir checkpoint and back on the trail to Nikolai followed closely by the team of Andy George and Dwayne Drake. For complete up to the minute race standing visit www.irondog.org. For photos from today’s start visit the Frontiersman photo gallery. Watch for a complete story and interviews in Tuesday’s print edition of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

 

Tesoro Iron Dog competitor Tyler Aklestad heads off Big Lake and Into the wood at the start of the 2009 Tesoro Iron Dog Sunday.

 

 

Iron Dog racer Mike Morgan hits a bump as he speeds across Big Lake during the start of the 2009 Tesoro Iron Dog. ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman