The community of Ambler on the upper Kobuk River, population 264, is one of the busiest checkpoints on the race trail. - Ambler, Alaska 
Making Ambler’s Checkpoint Run Takes a Village
Lolo Johnson is one of the most important people in Ambler’s operations for the 440. She’s the head cook, and right now she’s stirring a pot of caribou meat in broth.
“I’m making meatloaf, and it’s mixed with moose meat and regular ground beef. And we’re going to make mashed potatoes to go with it. We have turkey soup, we’re going to have caribou meat and we’re going to make a gravy mix with that, and then we’ll mix it with rice. So that’ll be the last of our menu, the last of the cooking!”
Lolo was born in Kotzebue, but she’s been in Ambler 12 years and worked the 440 ever since. She presides over the kitchen in the race checkpoint. It’s a wooden A-frame building in the center of town.
The building hums with activity day and night as visitors and villagers alike mingle and chow down. Outside, people congregate around the three big drums of hot water boiling on wood fires, as they wait for mushers to come in or head out.
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