Being at the Salt Creek Summit or Ollokot Checkpoint is a lot of fun with lots of action and you enjoy an up close and personal experience with the dogs and the mushers, while experiencing the solace of the great outdoors! Please read through the following information, and if you would like to be part of the Salt Creek or Ollokot crew, fill out the volunteer application here.

Salt Creek Checkpoint Information

General Overview - Conditions, Gear, Tents

This checkpoint is located at Salt Creek Summit (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/wallowa-whitman/recarea/?recid=52711) and its main responsibility is communications. Salt Creek is the main troubleshooting link if there are communication glitches that dictate backup pathways. Salt Creek is set up as a relay point for Ollokot if the main communications network between Ollokot and net control fails. Salt Creek is responsible for reporting all trail traffic that goes by, maintaining the fencing separating the race trail from the parking lot, and controlling any spectators to protect the teams from interference.

The actual checkpoint is located beside the race trail about 300 yards down from the snopark parking lot. Snopark parking passes are required for parking. The checkpoint is made up of one tent. This operations tent houses the communication gear, the trail monitoring gear, a cot, chairs, and a wood stove. There is no electricity. Workers are responsible for their own food. Pack lunches or bring food you can prepare on a wood stove.

CAUTION: All vehicles parking at the Salt Creek Snopark must have a valid snopark permit!

While working the race at the tents plan on winter wilderness camping conditions with extreme cold and prolonged exposure to the elements. The wind at Salt Creek can be strong. Pay particular attention to warm footwear and waterproof outerwear.

Headlamps are required. See the list at the end of the Ollokot Checkpoint Information for a complete list. Snowshoes are good if there are blizzard conditions. All checkpoint workers walk back and forth from the parking lot to the tent.

General Rules

Try to keep a quiet and well-organized checkpoint. Most teams do not stop at the checkpoint. If they do, when around the dogs be careful not to step on the dogs’ feet. No pets, alcoholic beverages, or rowdy behavior is permitted. Your checkpoint manager has the final say or can relay questions to Race Central for clarification.

Setting Up Salt Creek

All gear is packed in on sleds pulled by a snowmobile on the day before the race. Once the checkpoint is set up, any other personal gear is pulled in on Thursday by hand with a plastic sled.

To set up the tent, pack with snowshoes an area a little larger than the footprint of the tent. The tent size is usually 10 x 12 or 12 x 12. Set the area safely off the trail but not too far. There are separate tent setup and stove set-up directions in your checkpoint packet. Fence off areas with snow fencing and lath stakes to according to the instructions provided. Put your checkpoint banner up and after dark activate the highway warning light. When walking from the snopark to the checkpoint, walking along the edge of the groomed trail will reduce wear, and prevent the need for snow shoes.

Jobs At Salt Creek

* Communicators are responsible for setting up all the communication equipment at the checkpoint. They receive and send communication information to net control and any other stations set up for the race as needed. Communicators work on an overlapping eight-hour shift schedule 24/7 from Wednesday until the end of the race on Saturday morning.

* Checkpoint Support workers run the physical aspects of the checkpoint, keep track of all the trail traffic connected to the race, maintain the race fencing at the snopark area, and protect the racing teams from spectator interference. This may include splitting firewood, fueling generators, repairing fences, assisting spectators, etc. Search And Rescue (SAR) is staged at the Salt Creek snopark, so workers may have opportunities to assist them as well.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday at Salt Creek

The race is scheduled to start at 12:00 pm (1200) on Thursday. The first outbound teams will be arriving at Salt Creek Summit around 1:00 pm (1300) and later with the 100 milers and 200 milers all mixed together. The Pot Race teams have a separate start after the 100milers and 200 milers have left so will be trailing behind the other teams. Your first indication of race teams approaching is the arrival of the point trail crew for the 100-mile and 200 mile on snowmobiles. They are ahead of the first team.

The sled dog teams DO NOT have to stop and check in when running the OUTBOUND or INBOUND course but checkpointworkers will try to record as many musher bib numbers and the time as they go by. Any missed racer numbers will be recorded as “unknown racer” and times noted.

All trail workers that go by are required to check in and be recorded. There is a separate sheet on a separate clipboard for this.

The trail workers are expected to stop and check-in. That is not always the case. You turn the musher information and the trail worker information into the communicators and the communicators relay it back to race command by radio. The communicators also have scheduled report times for weather, etc. that they deal with.

After the last team goes by the sweep team for the 100 mile and 200-mile teams, check-in and continue on their way. Next you will see the point trail crew for the mid-distance/31-mile racers appear on snowmobiles, check-in and get back on the trail. These racersthen pass by followed by the sweep team. The 31-mile Racers continue around the Hass Owl Loop and then pass the checkpoint on their INBOUND ROUTE. They do not have to stop but instead, throw out their drop tags to identify their team. The last of these racers will be followed by the 31-mile sweep team.

There is now a long break for the Salt Creek workers as they do not have much to do until an hour or two before the first 100miler team is expected back on the inbound route. This can happen around 3:30 to 5:00 a.m. (0330-0500) on Friday or a little before, depending on the weather and trail conditions and the speed of the teams. Mushers on the INBOUND ROUTE are not required to stop and sign in unless they have lost their drop tags. Checkpoint workers then record the musher bib number or race sled number, the number of dogs, and the time, and then hand the clipboard to the musher to sign. Count the dogs twice. If you are really sleepy it is amazing how many dogs materialize. If there is a dog riding on the sled count that one as a “dog in the bag.”

NOTE: Mushers are issued drop tags during registration before the race. These tags are deposited at locations on the course where a formal check-in is not required. Drop tags allow the mushers passing to be recorded without requiring the musher to stop.

After all the 100 milers go by headed to the finish, unless there is a very slow team, there is again a break. The second day of the 31-mile Race starts at 12 noon on Friday with the timetable very much like the Thursday Race.

The first 200 milers appear as early as 5PM Friday (1700) or very early Saturday morning. These teams are more spread out and can be as much as 8 to 10 hours apart. Again this depends on the weather, trail, and speed of the teams.

Suggested List for Remote Checkpoint

At Salt Creek plan on winter conditions with extreme cold and prolonged exposure to the elements while working the race. Pay particular attention to warm footwear and waterproof outerwear. Workers are expected to bring their own warm clothing, meals, and transportation. Ride-sharing with fellow workers may be available, and a snopark permit is necessary. Cooking utensils, drinking water, & hot drink mixes are provided at the checkpoint. There are places to warm up out of the cold, but you may spend hours on the trail. The following is a suggested list of equipment you may wish to bring:* Multiple options for cold-weather clothing

* Headlamp with extra batteries

* Personal food

* Personal gear: Camera, medicines, hand warmers, etc.

* Sunglasses/Goggles, Gloves, Facemask, etc.

* Hand-held radio

Ollokot Checkpoint Information

 General Overview: Conditions, Gear, Tents

Checkpoint Ollokot is a remote backcountry checkpoint that is accessed by snowmobile only. This is a very busy checkpoint as all the distance teams, the snowmobile trail workers, and officials pass through here. All volunteers and gear will be taken into the checkpoint by snowmobile. Winter wilderness camping conditions exist with extreme cold and prolonged exposure to the elements. Pay particular attention to warm footwear and waterproof outerwear. Workers are expected to bring their own warm clothing (lots of layers), their own sleeping bag, sleeping pad, personal items, headlamp and personal snacks or any special foods they require. Pack all personal gear in labeled stuff bags or soft duffels lined with plastic garbage bags to keep all your gear dry. At the checkpoint, your gear will be stored under the cots or in the sleeping tents. Pack as compact as possible. Remember to label the stuff bag and also the stuff that is in it. Anything stored under the cots will freeze even if the tent has a wood stove in it. To insure that you get to sleep in your own sleeping bag keep it stuffed until you are in it.

Typically everyone helps in setting up the tents and the kitchen area. In addition, everyone helps out with the cooking and general camp duties. The checkpoint is busy most of the race and requires volunteers who are committed and equipped to work in a remote winter environment. The rewards are great.

There are 8 tents at Ollokot. One is a hospitality tent where food and cooking facilities are available 24/7. Two tents are sleeping tents for workers to sleep. Workers rotate sleeping times. One tent is a sleeping tent for mushers. Another tent is the comms tent for the communications team workers and the radios. Then two tents are for the veterinarians and any officials going through. The last tent is for the Trail Crew. You are welcome to bring your own tent but please contact the checkpoint manager ahead of time.

Food for mushers and workers is provided in the Hospitality Tent 24/7 starting on Wednesday evening dinner. If you are at Ollokot on Wednesday during the day please provide your own lunch and snacks. Provided food consists of hot drinks, hot stews and soups served in crock pots, and breads, rolls and sandwich making items. If you prefer, you are more than welcome to bring all your own food. You need to supply any treats, snacks, soft drinks or special foods you personally require.

Setting Up Ollokot

Ollokot is set up in stages. The pre stage equipment is usually taken in the third week of November and left at Ollokot. This equipment consists of wood, hay, and as much heavy stuff that can be packed in a trailer. The Wednesday before the race most of the rest of the equipment is taken in along with a set-up crew. This equipment is all hauled in by snowmobile and tracked 4 wheelers. Wood is split and transported to each tent. Tents are set up and labeled. Team parking areas are designated with signs, dog bedding hay is distributed and the trails for snowmobile use marked and snow fencing put up. Sled dog trails and parking areas are marked, fenced and packed down with snowmobiles. The set-up crew remains overnight. At least two of the comms workers are required to go in with the Wednesday set-up crew to set up communications.

Thursday morning around 7:00 am or 8:00 am the rest of the checkpoint workers meet at Race Central for carpooling to the drop point, a 2 hour drive, where they then catch snowmobile rides into the checkpoint. All personal equipment comes in at this time. After arriving at Ollokot the workers do any additional set up that is needed and any other camp organization that is needed. All workers then stay and work at the checkpoint until Saturday around noon or as soon as the last dog team leaves. At that time the checkpoint is broken down and all gear is hauled out to the drop point, loaded on to trucks, and workers catch rides back to Race Central.

General Rules

Safety is a mindset that must be adhered to at all times, safety for yourself, as well as everyone at Ollokot. Precautions and procedures will be reviewed by the checkpoint manager and QRT (Quick Response Team/Safety) Leader when you arrive at Ollokot. Try to keep a quiet checkpoint while mushers, dogs, and workers are sleeping. When handling the dogs be careful not step on the dogs' feet. Always ask the musher before handling any of their dogs. No alcoholic beverages or rowdy behavior is permitted. The Checkpoint Manager has final say in all areas.

Jobs At Ollokot

Communicators set up and run all the communication gear. They are responsible for the conduit of information transmitted via radio to all set up stations, trail mobiles, or checkpoints attached to the race.

Timekeepers record official times of the arrivals and departures of the teams from the checkpoint on time adjustment cards. They are stationed up by an official line located close to the hospitality tent. Time is recorded when the lead dogs nose crosses the official line. Timekeepers use synchronized watches for timing and also record the number of dogs in each team that comes into the checkpoint and the time and number of dogs in the team as it departs the checkpoint. All departing dogs must be in harness and under their own power.

The 8 dog teams or the 100 mile distance teams have a 6 hour mandatory layover time at Ollokot. There are three time adjustment cards with the calculated departure times for each 8 dog team. When these are filled in by the timekeeper, the musher gets one copy, the timekeeper keeps one and the third one is turned in to the comms tent. Eight dog teams cannot depart the checkpoint until that calculated departure time is reached.

The 12 dog teams or 200 mile distance teams are required to go through the checking procedure at Ollokot but can leave at their discretion. If the musher opts to stay to rest, that team needs to be shown to a parking place. If the musher decides to continue on the team will be directed out to the race trail. After finishing the 50 mile Twin Lake Loop the 200 mile teams return to Ollokot for their mandatory 6 hour layover. Time adjustment cards are filled out and distributed the same way as the 8 dog teams above. After the 200 mile mandatory layover, the 200 milers head out to the PO Saddle Loop, return to Ollokot for check in and then can head for the finish at their discretion.

Checkers check that the required safety gear is on the sled. Checkers are stationed at the official timing line at Ollokot. When a team comes in at arrival and stops, ask the musher if he needs any immediate vet help. Checkers then have a checklist card for each team on a clipboard. You visually acknowledge each item on that list and then check it off. Be patient as sometimes the musher has to dig for all the items. If a dog is “in the bag”, riding on the sled, when a sled comes in sometimes it is easier to do the gear check at the parking place.

The Cook prepares and lays out the food for all the mushers and workers. The cooks most demanding part of the job is determining what to buy and packing the food for transport in to Ollokot. Up to 40 people at a time can be at Ollokot.

Dog Handlers help control and guide the teams to and from their parking areas. Dog handlers will be broken up into handlers and parkers and will rotate these positions. You will be using small hand held radios. Initially dog handlers are at the team parking area but move around a lot getting all the teams parked or out onto the race course again when it is time for a team to leave Write down the parking area number where the team ends up. Mushers needing help getting the team out will usually come find you ahead of time.

After the team stops at the line, it is helpful to have a free worker stand in front of the lead dogs to keep the team lined out while waiting and to keep them from wandering to the left or right and dragging the rest of the team with them. When handling the dogs always ask permission from the musher before handling any dog. Be very careful not to step on a dogs feet. You can help the musher locate straw, water and dog food bags but you can’t help the musher with any of his dog duties. After the team is parked return to your parking station for the next arrivals.

The Camp Tender oversees the overall smooth running of the checkpoint focusing on the tents, the wood supply, the woodstoves, the packed trails, the fencing and any help that anyone needs.

Gasoline Monitor keeps track of the gasoline usage of the snow machines coming into and departing Ollokot. This is done by unlocking the bulk gasoline tank, dispensing the gas and writing the quantity on a tracking sheet.

Snowmobile Drivers transport equipment, shuttle passengers and transport dropped dogs back and forth as needed.

Vet Team is responsible for the care of the sled dogs. At Ollokot there are 3-4 vets and 3-4 vet techs.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday at Ollokot

The race is scheduled to start at 12:00 pm (1200) on Thursday at Ferguson Ridge Ski Area. After all the teams have started, the vets that covered the start drive to the Ollokot drop point pick up site. Around 4:00pm (1600) Snowmobile transport is sent out from Ollokot Checkpoint to pick them up plus any other officials that are coming into Ollokot at that time. The first sled dog teams will be arriving at around 5:00 pm (1700) and continue to arrive until all are in. This could span 5 hours. The 100 milers have a mandatory rest time and remain for 6 hours while the 200 milers have the option of continuing on at their discretion. For the 200 milers Ollokot is a mandatory check in but not a mandatory rest stop at their discretion they can rest or go out on the Twin Lakes Loop part of the race (Leg #2). Some stay and rest for up to three or four hours, some opt to just go right out again and rest on a quiet part of the trail instead.

The 200 milers will start returning to Ollokot from the Twin Lakes Loop about 12:00am (2400) the same time some of the 100 milers are leaving for the finish. This is usually around 11:00 to 12:00 pm (2300-2400). The team arrivals and departures are quite staggered by this time so usually present no problems. There is a possibility of some head on passing by the teams coming into and going out of Ollokot for a short amount of time.

From about 1:00am (0100) Friday morning to about 7:00am (0700) the 200 milers are all doing their mandatory 6 hours of rest at Ollokot. When it is their time to leave they will run the PO Saddle Loop (Leg #3). After completing this loop the 200 Mile teams will drop into Ollokot again for a mandatory check in and then rest for a short amount of time or be on their way out on the race trail again headed for the finish (Leg #4).. Check the Estimated Arrival and Departures Times for a better estimate of the potential arrival times and where the teams may be on the race course at a given time.

In between the team arrivals and departures, dropped dogs are being shuttled out to their pickup point at the Ollokot drop point. Point and Sweep crews are coming in grabbing food and maybe getting some rest and going out again. Most workers get no rest until Friday after breakfast. At one time there may be 45 people and 100+ dogs at Ollokot.

Many workers come in and go out of Ollokot on snowmobiles. Snowmobiles have a designated parking area and should not be anywhere else in the checkpoint.

Saturday morning a transport crew arrives around 8 am (0800) in the morning at the checkpoint to start shuttling out all the gear. Some equipment is repacked in the horse trailer for a spring pick up while the rest goes out on the tub trailers pulled behind the snowmobiles. When the last team goes out there is a serious hustle to close camp and return to Joseph.

Suggested List for Remote Checkpoint

At Ollokot plan on winter wilderness camping conditions with extreme cold and prolonged exposure to the elements while working the race. Pay particular attention to warm footwear and waterproof outerwear. Workers are expected to bring their own warm clothing (lots of layers, NO COTTON!), their own sleeping bag, sleeping pad, personal items, head lamp, and snacks. It is very important to pack all personal gear in labeled stuff bags or soft duffels lined with plastic garbage bags to keep all your gear dry. At the checkpoint you will store your gear under the cots or in the sleeping tents. Following is a suggested list. Pack as compact as possible.

Cold weather sleeping bag or two sleeping bags

Insulating sleeping pad

Long john top

Turtle neck

Light Fleece pullover

Down vest or fleece vest

Down sweater

Gortex shell or ski parka

Long john bottoms, microfleece, ( 2 pairs or more)

Pants

Waterproof over pants

1 head lamp with your name on it, extra batteries

3 pairs of socks, wool blend

1 pair sorrels or insulated winter snow boots

1 pair of fingerless wool or fleece gloves

1 pair of fleece gloves or ski mittens

1 pair of ski goggles (optional)

Ski hat

Sunglasses

2 Way FRS Radio plus batteries

Extra or personal food

Camp cot (optional) put your name on it

Personal gear: camera, medicines, hand warmers, baby wipes, etc.

Ear plugs(for sleeping)

Helmet for riding snowmobiles (optional)