Husky News

KUSKOKWIM 300: Warming poses different challenges for dogs as they retrace course.

Windy warm weather met mushers Saturday during the 29th running of the Kuskokwim 300, and as of early Saturday night the frontrunners had reached the halfway point and were bound for the Bethel finish line.

Young 18-year-old Rohn Buser of Big Lake and Ed Iten of Kotzebue jockeyed for first place, heading into the Aniak checkpoint and inbound for Bethel within 18 minutes of each other, driving closer to the $20,000 winning payout.

But the victor, expected this afternoon, is still anyone’s guess. Veteran mushers Mitch Seavey, DeeDee Jonrowe and Jeff King were not far behind.

Those three, as well as Skagway’s Hugh Neff, only stopped briefly at the Pike Lake checkpoint before continuing down the trail. Defending Kusko champion Martin Buser followed closely.

Martin Buser, King and Jonrowe are maintaining a slightly faster pace than Iten and the younger Buser. On the leg from Kalskag to Aniak, the three averaged 9-plus mph, while Iten and Rohn Buser were a little slower. If the three speedsters can maintain their pace, they should be able to overtake the leaders.

King, the winningest Kusko musher of all time, is noted for his closing charges in this race. Last year, he fell just short of catching Buser.

Rohn Buser also placed well last year, finishing fourth with a B-team that ran a blistering pace and impressed many veteran mushers. The younger Buser won rookie of the year honors, and he has signed up for the Iditarod in March.

Iten, too, is no stranger to the Kusko. He won in 2004 and placed in the top three five times in the past 15 years.

High winds and spring-like weather promises to be the racers’ biggest challenge on the push to the finish.

Grace Haas, one of the head checkers at the Kalskag checkpoint, said mushers will face vastly different conditions as they breeze back through the area they traveled less than 24 hours ago on the out-and-back course.

“When they came through here yesterday there was a lot of snow, but when they come here later tonight or in the morning, it’s going to be a different trail,” she said.

“It makes it difficult for the dogs. Yesterday, it was hard on the dogs because the snow was so deep, tomorrow it will be because it is so slippery.

“If you don’t believe in global warming, come over here and look,” she added. “It’s here.”

Haas said many mushers took one of their mandatory six-hour layovers in Kalskag, and the teams looked good. Despite the warm-up, ice conditions on the Kuskokwim River remain good.

“We have a few (dropped) dogs here, but it’s quiet right now,” she said Saturday night.

One racer, 1976 Iditarod champion Jerry Riley of Nenana, started with eight dogs, well below the 14-dog maximum race rules permit. Every other musher started with 14.

“We asked him about it and he said he had eight dogs that he felt comfortable with, so that that’s what he chose to do,” said Kara Erlwein, a race volunteer from Anchorage working at race headquarters in Bethel.

Erlwein said temperatures reached 37 degrees at one point during the day, but all of the teams appear to be handling the conditions well.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “We have a beautiful sunset right now and it’s warm. It’s windy, but it’s warm.”

Temperatures aren’t high enough to threaten the river ice, but around town conditions are “a little slushy,” she said.

Mushers must take one more rest of four hours before they arrive at the finish. Once completed, the final sprint will begin in earnest.

Kuskokwim 300

Standings as of 10:30 p.m.

Into Aniak — 1. Rohn Buser, 8:57 p.m.; 2. Ed Iten, 9:15; 3. Mitch Seavey, 9:25; 4. DeeDee Jonrowe, 9:42; 5. Hugh Neff, 9:43; 6. Jeff King, 9:50; 7. Dave Decaro, 10:11.

Out of Pike Lake — 8. Ramey Smyth, 6:41; 9. Martin Buser, 6:48; 10. John Baker, 6:58; 11. Mike Williams Jr., 8:12; 12. Myron Angstman, 8:19.

Out of Aniak (outbound) — 13. Jim Lanier, 5:11; 14. Jackie Larson, 5:57; 15. Paul Gebhardt, 6:32; 16. Jerry Riley, 6:40; 17. Sebastian Schnuelle, 7:02; 18. Mike Williams Sr., 7:04; 19. Melissa Owens, 9:47.

Into Aniak (outbound) — 20. Kyle Belleque, 4:26; 21. David Tresino, 7:45.

Out of Kalskag (outbound) — 22. Jessica Klejka, 2:52.

Kaiser takes first in Bogus 150

Pete Kaiser of Bethel crossed the finish line just after noon Saturday to win the shorter Bogus 150 by more than 24 minutes over John Simon and claim $5,000.

Simon won $4,000 for finishing second, and third-place Angela Denning-Barnes, who was about 49 minutes behind Kaiser, took home $2,000.

The Bogus race goes from Bethel to Bogus Creek outside of Tuluksak and returns.

Bogus 150

Into Bethel — 1. Pete Kaiser, 18 hours, 52 minutes, 10 seconds; 2. John Simon, 19:16:53; 3. Angela Denning-Barnes, 19:41:15; 4. Walter George, 19:54:15; 5. Sam Jackson, 19:55:15; 6. Ira Jackson, 20:12:16; 7. Anthony Olick, 20:26:29; 8. Andrew Andrew, 20:53:30; 9. Schouviller Wassilie, 21:04:30; 10. Carl Andrew, 21:04:52; 11. Robert Tikiun Jr., on trail.

Redington leads Klondike 300 field

Ray Redington Jr. pulled into Deshka at 4:13 p.m. Saturday to take the early lead in the Klondike 300.

Jason Young was 10 minutes behind Redington — followed closely by four Iditarod veterans.

Jessie Royer and Cim Smyth were both eight minutes behind Young. Then came Matt Hayashida and Ken Anderson, who arrived at 4:35 p.m.

Source: Anchorage Daily News