Photo courtesy of Lynda Bekoalok.
Photo by Gabby Hiestand Salgado/ KYUK.
In Unalakleet, the checkpoint runs around the clock as locals work together to welcome mushers off the trail. Generations- old sourdough starters are expanded to feed crowds, with pancakes served alongside home-cooked meals like salmon bakes and casseroles. The tradition began with the
late William “Middy” Johnson, whose vision for hospitality still shapes the checkpoint today. “Somebody’s always here, 24/7,”Louisa Paniptchuk said. “Always something going on.”
Next along the trail, Shaktoolik meets mushers with wind and a strong sense of community. Checkpoint leaders Gary and Lynda Bekoalok help welcome teams as they arrive. “When it’s not windy here, the mushers think they’re lost,” Lynda said. Volunteers bring warm meals, children gather at the checkpoint, and mushers find a place to rest before heading back out on the trail.
