Huslia was ready and waiting on Thursday evening for the first team to arrive. Community members and volunteers had been working for some time to organize the checkpoint and establish communication for Iditarod Communications as well as Iditarod Insider.
Huslia is Ready and Waiting
Then at 20:18 on March 9th Mitch Seavey arrived. He was welcomed by a large crowd of adults and children. The excitement of the community over welcoming the first musher to their village, the half-way point of the race, was unmistakable. Seavey signed in with the checker then parked his team and began his routine of dog care.
The Community of Huslia Welcomes Mitch Seavey
Seavey and the vets went to work simultaneously. The vets did their field physicals and attended to any concerns Seavey might have while he removed booties, spread straw, doled out chunks of salmon and cooked up delicious dog stew. Once Mitch was satisfied that his team had what they needed for a good rest, he walked back to the Huslia banner to receive the GCI Dorothy G. Page Half-way Award.
Seavey Opens a Bag of Salmon Snacks
This is Seavey’s 24th run to Nome. His rookie run was in 1982 when he crossed the finish in 22nd place. He ran his fifth Iditarod in 1998 claiming 4th place. He placed in the top ten again in 2000. After claiming Iditarod gold in 2004, he’s been a nearly unstoppable top-ten machine. An injury in 2011 is the only interruption of a very impressive string of top ten finishes. Seavey again claimed gold in 2013. With that win he became the oldest guy to win Iditarod at the age of 53. In 2014 he followed his son Dallas and Aliy Zirkle to the finish. In 2015 and 2016 he followed Dallas to the finish. There was a lot of kidding between father and son at the musher banquet in Nome where the elder Seavey warned the younger that he was planning to lead Dallas to Nome this year. This is the first time Mitch has claimed the half-way award.
Mitch Seavey Receives the GCI Dorothy Page Half-way Award
It was sure evident that the children of the village love the mushers and love the dogs. Everywhere Mitch went there was a line of children following him – like the pied piper. He went over to get water and the kids followed. He went back to the banner for the award and the kids followed him. While he was taking off booties and bedding his dogs down the kids followed him. The questions they posed most often – “can we touch your dogs” and “what are their names?” He heard that time and time again as parents with the children were reminding the youngsters to ask before touching the dogs.
Nicolas Petit followed Seavey into Huslia 6 hours later. Following Nicolas by two hours was Jessie Royer. From there teams arrived at hour intervals – Michelle Phillips, Ralph Johannessen, Jason Mackey and John Baker. Current race standings show that Dallas Seavey and Wade Marrs have completed their 24-hour and differential layovers in Ruby. They are on the trail to Huslia right now and will be surging into the lead once they pass through here.
Stay tuned for more news from the welcoming village of Huslia.
