Idaho Sled Dog Challenge still a go despite low snowfall

CASCADE, Idaho (Jan. 8, 2024) — Despite sled dog races cancelling this winter from Minnesota to Oregon, the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is still a go for later this month.

“Sled dog racing is a challenging sport often run in extreme weather conditions, but the absence of weather this winter has been an even greater challenge,” race founder and organizer Jerry Wortley said. “Although we are experiencing record low snow levels, trail conditions in Valley and Adams counties for the 2024 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge currently appear adequate to run the race, potentially with some modifications to the routes.”

Wortley and his team evaluated checkpoints last week. Prior to the snowfall over the weekend, they found checkpoints averaging 6-8 inches of snow on the level. He said some grooming is underway with about 2 feet on top. Wortley said the long-range forecast promises some improvement with heavier snowfall that began over the weekend and is expected to continue, delivering 1-3 inches daily over the next week or so with temperatures remaining consistently below freezing.

Last night, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the West Central Mountains from 11 p.m. tonight until 5 p.m. Wednesday. The report said heavy snow is expected with accumulations of 8-12 inches and as much as 15-24 inches in mountains above 6,000 feet above sea level. The report also forecasts accumulating snowfall with very cold temperatures will likely continue through the weekend with a very active pattern anticipated through Saturday.

The 300-mile and 100-mile races start from the Lake Cascade Boat Ramp, cross the ice, and traverse the West Central Mountains, so race officials are closely monitoring the ice depth. With colder temperatures on the way, they hope to find a safe route across the lake, but they have a contingency plan just in case.

“Of course the safety of our mushers, their teams, and our volunteers is our top priority and we are monitoring conditions closely with that in mind,” Wortley said. “While trail conditions are not ideal, they continue improving — especially with the current snowfall — and we feel extremely positive trail conditions will steadily improve between now and race time at the end of the month.”

He said race organizers are meeting with local snowmobile clubs and Valley County’s groomers on Jan. 11 for a comprehensive trail report and ISDC’s snowmobile trail crew is conducting on-site evaluations to determine if reroutes are needed on any part of the trail.

Wortley said the race’s board of directors will make the final call Jan. 15 and to follow the ISDC Facebook page at fb.com/IdahoSledDogChallenge for updates.

Celebrating its sixth year, the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is unfolding independent of the McCall Winter Carnival for the first time. The latter event is transitioning this year from its former 10-day extravaganza that kicked off the last weekend of January to a three-day soirée at the end of February.

One of the most grueling mushing competitions on the planet due to its topography, the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge features world-class mushers. It is the only 300-mile Yukon Quest qualifier in the lower 48 and one of only three such events for the Iditarod in the contiguous continental U.S. The Iditarod and the Yukon Quest are considered the longest and the toughest sled dog races in the world.

“Mushers will tell you this is a very, very atypical race,” Idaho Sled Dog Challenge co-founder and trail coordinator Dave Looney said. “Our elevation change is 36,000 feet, which is greater than the Iditarod. They call it a 500-mile race packed into 300 miles. So the dog care and the pacing and the attention they have to pay to the terrain is really important, because there’s a lot of up and down. One musher said the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is like climbing Mt. Everest — twice.”

The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is part of the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown, which includes the Eagle Cap Extreme near Joseph, Ore. — which has been cancelled this winter due to lack of snow — and the Race to the Sky near Lincoln, Mont.

WORLD-CLASS MUSHERS

Currently six mushers are registered for the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge’s 300-mile race, seven are signed up for the 100-mile race, and eight are competing in the Warm Lake Stage Race. However, Wortley can see the musher field increasing with the Eagle Cap Extreme and Minnesota’s John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon being cancelled this year.

Wortley said as an accommodation for teams that have trained and are now confronted with cancellation of other sled dog races. ISDC is not charging the higher registration fee that is normally assessed for late sign-ups. Teams have until Jan. 17 to register for the race to allow time for logistical support arrangements.

The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge operates under a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, which allows for 25 mushers and dog teams between the 300-mile and 100-mile races. The permit allows for an extra 15 mushers to compete in the Warm Lake Stage Race.

Jessie Royer — who lives in Seeley Lake, Mont., and won the 300-mile race in 2018, 2020, and 2023 — is returning this year to defend her title. Born in Idaho and raised on a Montana cattle ranch, Royer is considered one of the mushing world’s top contenders, has finished third in the Iditarod on multiple occasions, and has competed in the legendary race 21 times.

Nicole Lombardi — who hails from Lincoln, Mont., and won ISDC’s 100-mile race in 2022 and 2023 — is competing in the 100-mile race again this year.

The 2024 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge has attracted teams from six states, including its first-ever racer from Texas — Trace Drake from San Angelo, who’s competing in the 100-mile race and the Warm Lake Stage Race. The musher field also includes a mother and daughter, a father and son, and two brothers.

Three Idahoans are on the roster, including Preston-based Bryce Mumford, who won the Eagle Cap Extreme’s 200-mile race in 2017 and is vying again in the ISDC’s 300-mile race along with his father, Rex Mumford, from Huntsville, Utah. And Middleton mother and daughter Elizabeth and Caroline Nevills are competing in the Warm Lake Stage Race.

The remaining mushers hail from California, Montana, Oregon, and Utah. Erik Oline from Seeley Lake, Mont., is returning for the 300-mile race after taking fourth place last year. Jesika Reimer from Emigrant Gap, Calif., who took second place in last year’s 100-mile race, will compete again in that event. Joining her are brothers Wade and Dallin Donaldson from Coalville, Utah, who took third and fourth place, respectively, in last year’s 100-mile race.

Meanwhile, Clayton Perry from Power, Mont., is returning for the 300-mile race, in which he competed in 2020 and 2022, and he’s entered this year’s Warm Lake Stage Race, too. And Dave Bush from Bend, Ore., has registered for the 300-mile race for the first time, having finished in fifth place in the 100-mile race in 2022.

Bino Fowler from Bend, Ore., returns to the 100-mile race again this year along with Morgan Anderson from Enterprise, Ore. Plus, Craig Anderson from Enterprise and Jane Devlin from Bend are competing in the Warm Lake Stage Race again.

Rounding out the Warm Lake Stage Race musher field are Charlotte Clawson from Corbett, Ore., and Hugo Antonucci from Adin, Calif.

ISDC will finalize the musher roster Jan. 17. Bios for the registered mushers are available on the website.

EXCEPTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND TRAILS

Wortley said the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge boasts top-notch veterinarians, too.

“We have some great vets from the West Central Mountains and from the Boise area and they’ve all worked on the Iditarod,” he said. “As part of our safety regimen we insist on great dog care, so we have a lot of medical talent. We want to see the sport flourish, and we can’t do that without taking good care of our animals.”

Looney said they couldn’t stage the race without help from Valley County’s trail groomers and the local snowmobilers, too.

“Our race course has to be groomed, because there’s so much vertical that the dogs have trouble pulling sleds uphill in deep snow,” he said. “There’s a very symbiotic and extremely important relationship between race organizers and the trail groomers and local snowmobilers, who are very dedicated to helping keep the races going.

“Valley County grooms 500 miles of snowmobile trails, and the trails we utilize for the sled dog race are part of that network. We’re super grateful to be able to use them, and we stage the races midweek so we don’t compete with recreational snowmobilers during those coveted weekends. Valley County helps out a ton at the checkpoints, too, by grooming the rest areas for the dogs.”

FOLLOWING THE RACES

Spectators can follow the races online day and night via GPS sled trackers or by visiting five road-accessible checkpoints.

The 300-mile and 100-mile races start at the Lake Cascade checkpoint, with the former race finishing there, too, and the latter race finishing at the Wye Trailhead & Campground checkpoint near New Meadows. There are three other road-accessible checkpoints: the Little Ski Hill in McCall, the Platt Warming Hut on West Mountain Rd. in Donnelly, and Wellington Snow Park in Smiths Ferry. A sixth checkpoint at 3rd Fork Cabin is not accessible by road.

2024 RACE SCHEDULE

Race events that are open to the public and free of charge include:

* Meet musher Laurie Warren — Jan. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ponderosa Center at 1117 E. Lake St. in McCall.

* Warm Lake Stage Race start — Jan. 24 at North Shore Lodge & Resort at Warm Lake with vet checks at 9 a.m. and the leg one start time at 11 a.m.; the address is 175 N. Shoreline Dr. Cascade, ID (from Cascade take Warm Lake Rd. 26 miles east to Warm Lake).

* Warm Lake Stage Race finish — Leg two starts at 10 a.m. Jan. 25, with an early afternoon finish back at North Shore Lodge & Resort at Warm Lake.

* Ceremonial start in partnership with Brundage Mountain Resort — Jan. 28 at the McCall Activity Barn at 141 Moonridge Dr. in McCall from 10 a.m. to noon. Vet checks for teams competing in the 300-mile race will be held at 10 a.m. at the Ridley’s parking lot at 411 Deinhard Ln. in McCall. Vet checks for teams vying in the 100-mile race will be held at the McCall Activity Barn from 10 a.m. to noon. Parking at the ceremonial start is extremely limited and race organizers encourage spectators to ride the free shuttle from the Ridley’s parking lot to the Activity Barn that day, with service beginning at 9:30 a.m.

* Official race starts — Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. for the 300-mile race start and 2 p.m. for the 100-mile race start, both at the Lake Cascade boat ramp on Lake Cascade Parkway between Lakeshore Bar & Grill and Lake Cascade State Park’s Van Wyck Campground.

* 100-mile race finish — Expected between 6-10 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Wye Trailhead & Campground checkpoint off U.S. Route 95 about 6 miles west of New Meadows (turn east on Tamarack View Dr. at the Wye Trailhead sign).

* 300-mile race finish — Expected to begin around noon Jan. 31 and last throughout the afternoon at the Lake Cascade boat ramp.

PLEASE LEAVE PET DOGS AT HOME

Organizers implore people to leave their pet dogs at home. An incident initiated by a spectator’s pet dog at a prior race start caused a sled dog team to take a tumble.

PARKING AND SHUTTLES FOR THE RACE STARTS

Like previous years, there is no event parking at the Lake Cascade checkpoint (i.e., the race starting line at the boat ramp). However, organizers have arranged for buses to shuttle spectators there for the Jan. 29 300-mile and 100-mile race starts from Hotel NoBo. Shuttles will run every 15-20 minutes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Spectator parking is available at Hotel NoBo at 500 N. Main St., Cascade, ID 83611 and at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 560 ID-55, Cascade, ID 83611.

Unlike previous years, no parking is available at Davis Ranch north of Cascade.

Follow the ISDC Facebook page at fb.com/IdahoSledDogChallenge for updates.

CHECKPOINT SCHEDULE

Optimal times for watching mushers and their sled dogs arrive and depart the other road-accessible checkpoints include:

* Cascade — From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 29 for the official race starts, all day Jan. 30 when mushers and their teams in the 300-mile race have a mandatory minimum six-hour layover, and around noon through early afternoon Jan. 31 for the 300-mile race finish.

* Platt Warming Hut — In the evening Jan. 29 and very early in the morning Jan. 30 for the 100-mile racers and all day and evening Jan. 31 for the 300-mile teams.

* Little Ski Hill — Late evening Jan. 29 throughout the morning Jan. 30 when mushers and their teams in the 100-mile race have a mandatory minimum three-hour layover.

* Wye Trailhead & Campground — Between 6-10 a.m. Jan. 30 for the 100-mile race finish and around 8 p.m. Jan. 30 through the morning of Jan. 31 for the 300-mile racers.

* Smiths Ferry — Early evening Jan. 29 through early morning Jan. 30 for the 300-mile teams.

Estimated checkpoint times can vary by many hours depending on trail conditions, so race officials encourage spectators to monitor the trackers when planning checkpoint visits. Visit idahosleddogchallenge.com for checkpoint locations, driving directions, a local resources guide, musher bios, and more.

“In addition to the race starts and finishes, we highly encourage visiting our five road-accessible checkpoints as the races progress,” Wortley said. “Watching and cheering for the teams along the trail as they arrive and depart the checkpoints and witnessing firsthand how the mushers care for their dogs as they get some much-deserved rest is an unforgettable experience.”

IDITAROD TRIP RAFFLE

Idaho Sled Dog Challenge organizers are raffling off two VIP packages for two to the 2024 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Only 500 tickets are available and cost $100 each, yielding odds of only 1-to-250. With only 75 raffle tickets sold as of press time, Wortley said the odds of winning are excellent.

The five-day guided packages are worth $20,000 each. Two winning ticket holders and their choices of one guest each will experience what Wortley — an Iditarod Air Force pilot — bills as the adventure of a lifetime Feb. 29-March 5, 2024. He said they will fly out on the Iditarod Trail, visit checkpoints, see the canine athletes in their element, take in Alaska’s beauty and culture, and experience the vast untamed wilderness of the last frontier.

Visit https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/iditarodtourpackage/Campaign/Details to purchase a raffle ticket.

The winning tickets will be drawn Feb. 1, 2024, at 2 p.m. MST. All proceeds benefit the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, a 501(C)(3) nonprofit (Idaho Charitable Gaming License 23-R-5411-R).

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The race relies on volunteers to help with everything from handling dogs to managing parking, setting up and staffing checkpoints, providing food, operating ham radios, putting up fencing, moving straw bales, and assisting at the start and finish lines.

Wortley said Race Central, the Ceremonial Start, and the Platt Warming Hut and Little Ski Hill checkpoints still need volunteers, and sign-ups have been extended to Jan. 13.

“The race could not happen without the generous support, time, and enthusiastic spirit of over 200 volunteers,” Wortley said. “This race belongs to them.”

Visit idahosleddogchallenge.com/volunteer for a list of available positions and to sign up.

SPONSORS STILL SOUGHT

According to Wortley, the race would not be possible without the generous support of its cash and in-kind sponsors. He said the logistics of running all its events concurrently through the wilderness and over mountain ranges with numerous checkpoints is daunting.

Organizations can sponsor checkpoints for $3,000 each. Other cash sponsorship packages include trail breaker, sled banner, and lead dog sponsors, which cost $1,500, $500, and $200, respectively.

More than 50 cash and in-kind sponsors have signed on to fund and provide the critical support necessary to ensure all the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge events succeed.

The cutoff date for sponsorships is Jan. 10.

Race organizers are also seeking a title sponsor for the 2025 race. The package costs $15,000 and offers inclusion of the sponsor’s name in the official race name, its logo on musher bibs, professional banners at the start and finish lines, a VIP tent at the sponsor’s checkpoint of choice, public acknowledgement at all events, and many other perks.

The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so sponsorships and donations are tax deductible.

Visit https://idahosleddogchallenge.com/sponsor for more details about sponsorship packages.

CONNECTING WITH IDAHO CLASSROOMS

Students at local schools are looking forward to attending the official race starts again and kids have been busy decorating musher bags and art for the race.

In addition, the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is hosting the 2024 Iditarod Summer Conference in McCall. Dates for the two- to three-day gathering will be announced later. Attendees will be able to earn continuing education unit credits at the event. Sign up for the Iditarod Newsletter at https://iditarod.com/edu/iditarod-edu-newsletter/ for conference details and registration.

MORE INFO ON THE WEBSITE

More details about the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, shuttle service to and from the ceremonial, 300-mile, and 100-mile race starts, and the final slate of mushers will be announced in mid-January. Meanwhile, please visit idahosleddogchallenge.com for more information.