I think the problem here, as Stephanie has said, is that the schools are now charging a fixed rate for lodging. Their budgets have been cut and they are doing a uniform rate. From the standpoint of being a musher, I need access to a warm place to thaw out my dog meat AND hot water and the schools provide this. I’m not thrilled at the price, but it is what it is. The fact that we are providing community services probably doesn’t matter to the schools. Just so everybody knows, when the Serum Run ran in 2009 (the year I did it), the costs were about $7500 apiece and machiners shared some of the mushers’ costs (like straw and shipping of the straw). The costs for machiners here are relatively low compared to mushers: gas, oil, lodging, and food.

As for Tolovana, that is NOT a village. Just an isolated lodge. We have a plan and there is no point re-inventing the wheel at this stage. Everything in terms of locations and guides is hooked into the route the Norman Vaughn Serum Run ran for years. I’ve had friends who mushed into Tolovana and it was not easy getting and out of there. The run to Beaver Pointe is quite nice and the trail good from there into Manley (look at their website). It is a typical remote lodge: I found it comfortable in 2009 and was not cold (although that was Phil’s experience in 2006). However, for those of you who don’t do much bush travel in Alaska, you need to be prepared that things won’t be perfect. I spent the weekend paying $100 to $121 for lodging in Glennallen, at Lake Louise, and in Chistochina. At the point, it was about 48 degrees in the room as they could not keep it warm in -50 temps and I was thankful I had brought my own down blanket; at the Caribou Hotel (-46) they had plumbing issues and the room was also cold the first day I was there, at Red Eagle Lodge, there was no running water or toilet facilities due to freezing pipes so we had to use an outhouse etc., etc. and the toyo shut off so we had to have the owner get it started again (-42). THIS IS SIMPLY ALASKA BUSH TRAVEL IN THE WINTER.