Norman Vaughan ‘25 Serum Run
2008 Tenative Trail Itinerary

Day 0 - Meet in Nenana Saturday 16 Feb 2008 Come prepared for the 3 days of travel until first drop point in Tanana. Dog food, straw, gas and oil.

Day 1 - Sunday 17 Feb 2008 Nenana to Old Minto, approx 28 miles. Mostly river travel. In 2002 the trail was diverted to the old overland trail due to poor ice condition on river. You may travel all the way on the river.

Day 2 - Monday 18 Feb 2008, Old Minto To Beaver Point Lodge, approx. 35 miles. Dog lot in fixed areas on lake or around cabins. Lodging and meals will be provided.Water should be available Normally you will travel the river to Tolovana Slough. 2004 was the first year going to Beaver Point Lodge using the overland trail. Depending on conditions travel may be on the river or via the wooded overland trail.

Day 3 - Beaver Point Lodge To Manley Tuesday 19 Feb 2008 approx. 35 miles. Dog lot n large lot in front of roadhouse At roadhouse. Make your own arrangements. Cabins, rooms, or bunk rooms are available. Available at rear of roadhouse More than likely traveling the wooded overland route, but possible river travel depending on conditions.

Day 4 - Manley To Tanana Wednesday 20 Feb 2008 approx. 55 miles. Dog lot behind and beside community center. Can be windy with traffic going by. Lodging in community center, hopefully heater, floor space. Plan to cook your own meals. Water available at laundry on north side of village. Snowmachines will need to haul water. Have plenty of quarters, cost is 25 cents for about 5 gallons of hot water. DROP BAGS. Trail: Overland. Leaving Manley you will pass through the some hills, then a space spruce forest. Watch for overflow and frozen overflow from before Tofty on. You will cross Fish Lake which is several miles long. Then you will travel open areas with wooded boarders until you get to Hay Slough. Hay Slough can be glare ice with a raised center, making for interesting mushing. You may follow the slough to the river or jump off the slough a couple miles from the river and us the local overland trail to the Yukon, then cross the Yukon and down the bank to a ramp leading you to the road to Tanana. Watch for local mushers and vehicles!!

Day 5 - Tanana To Bone Yard Cabin Thursday 21 Feb 2008 approx. 42 miles. Dog lot in cabin yard, which can be tight, or on river below cabin. Teams will need handlers once on the bank to get parked! Old cabin floor space, or tent camping. Camp cooking. Water availability: Melt Snow. First full day of travel on the Yukon River. Cabin is located up a steep bank with limited room to maneuver or park on top. Mushers should look for someone to be guiding lead dogs at the top of the bank unless parking on river.

Day 6 - Bone Yard Cabin To Trapper Cabin Friday 22 Feb 2008 approx 45 miles. Dog lot: In woods around cabin. Tight lanes in trees. Approach is through alders. Small cabin and tent camping. Camp Cooking Water availability: Melt Snow. Second day of travel on the Yukon River. The cabin is not visible from the river; it sits behind alders on the right bank. The slough downstream of the cabin access often generates overflow at its mouth which can migrate to in front of the cabin area.

Day 7 - Trapper Cabin To Ruby Saturday 23 Feb 2008 Approx. 35 miles. Dog lot: Open lot across from Community Center. (Possibly school) Community Center heater floor space (Possibly school gym) Plan to cook your own or raid the local store. ! Laundry facility has showers, bring quarters to pay for them. Water availability: If at Community Center, locals will bring water – if at school – in utility closet. DROP BAGS AT THIS CHECK POINT Third day of travel on the Yukon

Day 8 - Ruby To Galena Sunday 24 Feb 2008 approx. 50 miles.Dog lot: Parking lot behind Community Center Heated Community Center floor, restrooms, and payshowers nearby. Meals should be available from the Culinary Arts School. Hot water available in utility closet of center. Snowmachiners would be helpful in hauling water. Forth day of travel on the Yukon. Nearing Galena the trail may veer off the river to avoid overflow. It is not uncommon to encounter overflow approaching Galena. You have to cross roads and travel a short distances on roads. Watch for traffic! Snowmachiners should be available as road guards. We will spend two nights in Galena.

Day 9 - No Travel Monday 25 Feb 2008 We will be spending 2 nights in Galena

Day 10 - Galena To Nulato Tuesday 26 Feb 2008 approx 48 miles. Dog lot: Ball field behind school. Heated floor space in school. Cook your own meals in school kitchen. Water available at school Fifth day of travel on the Yukon. Have you and the dogs had enough yet?

Day 11 - Nulato To Kaltag Wednesday 28 Feb 2008 approx 36 miles. Along trees next to school Heated floor space in school. Cook your own meals in school 2 smalls stores in village. Water available at school DROP BAGS Sixth day of travel on the Yukon. If you're wondering what is wrong with your team, not to worry, just the river miles. Tomorrow you will sea change.

Day 12 - Kaltag To Old Woman Cabin Thursday 29 Feb 2008 approx 48 miles. dog lot: Around cabin area Small cabin and tent camping Camp cooking Water availability: Melt Snow Hang on! You are about to see the first wooded trails with a team that has been training for a week on the river. Enjoy the new found power!! You will climb through the wooded trail up over the crest of the pass, and then start a long gently downhill slope to open plans of the pass. Follow the big Iditarod Tripod makers. You will find a Tripod Cabin sign; the cabin will be visible off to your left. Just beyond the sign is a narrow bridge crossing a creek (often with open water). Slow down and be prepared, try not to leave a spat mark on the far bank. You will pass the old Woman Cabin as you approach the new cabin.

Day 13 - Old Woman Cabin To Unalakleet Friday 1 March 2008 33 miles. Possibly in the slough on the east side of the village or behind school on beach Heated floor space in school. You may dine at the roadhouse. Local pizza parlor is also very good.Or you can cook your own or raid the store. Water available at school, or melt snow. Machiners will be needed to haul water. You will continue down the plans to the Unalakleet River, from there you will start seeing houses and local trails. Follow the markers to the flats and to the village.


Day 14 - Unalakleet To Shaktoolik Saturday 2 March 2008 approx. 40 miles. On beach behind school Heated floor space in school. There is a store that sells a variety of hardware and groceries Water available at school DROP BAGS You'll leave Unalakleet over ice then begin your climb into the Blueberry Hills. Expect wind and a hilly day. You'll drop down out of the hills toward the coast, and then make another up hill climb for a final downhill run. (the last hill is a fun one!) Once out of the hills you've got about 10 miles of travel along the flats to Shaktoolik.


Day 15 - Shaktoolik To Koyuk Sunday 3 March 2008 40miles In woods beside school Heated floor space in school Two stores available in Koyuk. Cook in school kitchen. Water available at school A flat trail day across the sea ice of Norton Bay. Expect wind! 16 Koyuk To Elim

Day 16 - Monday 4 March 2008 28 miles Nice area behind school Heated floor space in school Cook in school kitchen Water available at school You'll skirt Norton Bay until you reach the trial that carries you over the hills toward Moses Point. Don't be surprise if when you come over the hills you think you are looking at Norton Bay again. From Pt. Moses you skirt the coast to Elim. You may approach Elim on an overland road or from the sea ice depending on snow and ice conditions.

Day 17 - Elim To White Mountain Tuesday 5 March 2008 approx. 48 miles. Dog lot: Parking around school. Lodging: Heated floor space in school. Cook in school kitchen White Mountain school is on a steep hillside with the dinner facilities above the school. Ask around and you may be able to purchase fresh crab! Small store in village. Rest well, tomorrow will be the Topkok Hills! Water available at school DROP BAGS. From Elim you will travel the sea ice until you reach Walla Walla where you will once again take on some famous Iditarod hills, and the Little McKinley run! Wind is not uncommon as you can tell by how close the big tripod markers are places to each other. The ride down Little McKinley can be interesting with side hilling and drifts. The evening will be full of stories after the days travel! Once on level ground you will travel sea ice through Golovin then the final long straight run across the ice to White Mountain.

Day 18 - White Mountain To Safety Wednesday 6 March 2008 approx. 55 miles. Dog lot: Open area around roadhouse. Post available for anchors Lodging: Floor space in back room of roadhouse, Semi heated. Roadhouse serves some basic microwave type foods, or you may cook your own camp style. If lucky the roadhouse will have pots of snow melting on their heat stove for you, otherwise you'll have to fire up your cooker Out of White Mountain you will go up river to the trail leading to the famous Topkok Hills. Be ready for many decent sized ups and downs with ice in between! Wind can be present. But by now you and your team should be in prime shape for the hills. At the bottom of the last downhill is the Nome Kennel Club shelter cabin. It's there for a reason! The next section of trail is famous for being a 'blow hole' with frequent ground blizzards. There is a shelter cabin part way to Safety which is marked with a waypoint. If it's a white out you may want to wait at the Kennel Club Cabin and then convoy this section and use the GPS to insure you're travel straight.

Day 19 - Safety To Nome Thursday 7 March 2008 approx 22 miles. Dog lot: Not sure. Hopefully dogs will be loaded into dog boxes for shipment home.Lodging: Possibly group floor space somewhere, or space in private home, or you can arrange your own lodging at local hotels or B&B's Should be available Water available. The final run to Nome, you will probably travel over Reindeer Hill at Cape Nome, which will be the last hill you will encounter. It's a slog up, with a view of Nome form the top if weather permits. Then the last stretch to the Ft. Davis Roadhouse. (Road guards my be needed) The group will gather at Ft. Davis for the final parade down front street connected to snowmachines.

Day 20 - End of Trail Banquet Friday 8 March 2008 - 0 miles. Dogs should be out of Nome. Banquet . Location to be determined.