Jessie Holmes Leads All Mushes to Unalakleet (Photo: Insider Video)
Jessie Holmes has never been first to Unalakleet but that changed this afternoon at 12:33 when Holmes glided into the Gold Coast community behind his team of 11 dogs. Holmes was greeted by Kermit Ivanoff the checker and Mark Nordman Race Director. Nordman introduced Cheryl Johnson, presenter of the Ryan Air Gold Coast Award. Holmes received a tiny wooden treasure chest that contained $1,500 in Gold Nuggets. Jessie said, “That’s amazing. I’ve never had gold like this. I’ll cherish it and use it for something special.” Additionally, a member of the Ryan family presented him with a hand carved loon created by a Shaktoolik resident.
Jessie Holmes Receives Ryan Air First to the Gold Coast Award in Unalakleet (Photo: Insider Video)
Ryan Air was founded in Unalakleet and its core business is serving the people who live along the Bering Sea Coast and throughout western Alaska. Mushing has long been a way of life for the Ryan family. The company’s founder drove mail by dog team between Unalakleet and Kaltag in the early 1900;s and other Ryan family members also mushed dogs in the territorial guard with Muktuk Marston.
Dallas Seavey rolled into the checkpoint at 12:50 then departed at 12:59 for Shaktoolik. It’s likely that he’ll camp at one of the two shelter cabins this side of Shaktoolik to set up his run for Koyuk. Tracker shows that Holmes is back on the trail after resting four hours. Matt Hall rested 3 hours and is back on the trail.
Travis Beals, Matt Hall, Paige Drobny, Ryan Redington and Jeff Deeter have all checked in to UNK. There are 261 miles left of the race. It’s a giant chess game, every move is important. While mushers are strategizing and reacting to moves of competitors, no one knows what moves Mother Nature might make. There is some good news for mushers in that the high winds that were forecast for the coast have been downgraded.
How often has the first musher to reach the Gold Coast checkpoint of Unalakleet been the first musher to reach Nome? In the past ten years, excluding the year of the Gold Trail Loop, only four mushers have gone on to win the race after being first into Unalakleet. In 2023 it was Ryan Redington; 2022, it was Brent Sass; Thomas Waerner in 2020 and Mitch Seavey in 2013. That’s only a 40 % correlation however being first to Unalakleet is a better predictor than being first to the half-way checkpoint, the Yukon River or Kaltag.
Rookie Josi Thyr Talks to Insider in Kaltag (Photo: Insider Video)
Insider interviewed Josi Thyr in Kaltag and asked her about Rookie of the Year. Josi said when planning for the race it crossed her mind but not as a goal, running a 10 day race is her goal and if that includes rookie of the year, all the better. She acknowledged that she’s new to the trail and all but one of her dogs is new to the trail so it’s hard to plan for something you’ve not experienced before. Josi said she’s gained a lot of knowledge being on the trail, mostly learning to read the dogs as the terrain and weather changes. She talked about mushing being a constant learning process. The wind on the coast will be a challenge and she plans to take it as it comes. She has 4 young leaders all named after race horses who are doing an excellent job of setting a good trotting pace and are always anxious to go.
Re-Rookie Gabe Dunham in Kaltag (Photo: Insider Video)
Re-rookie Gabe Dunham is having a great run. She’s resting in Kaltag in 22nd place and she reports her dogs are eating well. Yesterday she told Insider KattiJo that her earbuds had broken so she and her dogs are listening to her playlist over the air. She has a massive number of songs on her phone, every genre imaginable. Before the race she handed her phone to friends and other folks in social gatherings and asked them to download their favorite song.
A couple miles out of Unalakleet Gabe fell asleep and woke up when her face hit the trail. She reached for her sled but it was just out of reach. The dogs, wanting to run, just kept going and trotted right into Kaltag Checkpoint. Gabe walked the two miles and was greatly relieved to see her dogs standing waiting for her. She said it was an emotional two mile walk, worrying about all the worst case scenarios but the dogs were absolutely fine and ready to eat.
All teams made the Yukon River. Then today, three scratches were announced. Erin Altemus scratched at Ruby with 12 dogs in harness. Isaac Teaford Scratched in Nulato with 12 dogs in harness. Connor McMahon scratched in Galena with 11 dogs in harness. Press releases regarding the scratches are available to read on the Iditarod web page. All three were first year rookies which leaves 13 rookies on the trail.
