It was very dark at 0500 when folks started to trickle to the chute to welcome Anna Berington into Nome. As the people gathered, the snow fell as it had for about twelve hours. In Nome the winds were calm but they might not have been coming over Topkok or out on the Safety Flats. GPS tracker made for a comfortable evening for fans – wake up every couple of hours, check the tracker then head to the arch just in the nick of time. It was easy to track Anna Berington and Mike Ellis but Charlie Benja was a different story. What’s up with Charlie? Why wasn’t his tracker updating? Why was he staying at mile 948 for so long? Only time would answer that question.

Anna of the Berington twins was the first musher in B/4 breakfast on Friday. Her dogs came trotting down front street but then weren’t very interested in taking the middle of the road into the chute. First they headed off to the right, the same direction the pilot car turned. Anna stopped them and the leaders took a sharp left past the chute. Anna stopped them again. This time she led them into the chute. All seemed to be going well but the leaders didn’t take off while the swing dogs did and an inevitable tangle resulted. Not to worry, this wasn’t the first nor would it be the last tangle Anna would deal with in the sport of mushing. When the team was lined out, Anna didn’t take any chances. She led the leaders to the burled arch. WELCOME ANNA!

Berington talked about the unpredictable nature of the race. Her trip down the Dalzell Gorge defies description. The Buffalo Tunnel was as rough a trail as she’d ever experienced. The wind at Shaktoolik was unrelenting. Finally on the final miles of the race, snow was falling, the weather was cooperating and the miles from White Mountain to Nome were more like Iditarod should be. Climbing over Cape Nome must have been the most magical portion of the whole race. Anna was very pleased with her dog team. She covered the miles with an average speed of 3.46 mph taking 39th place with an elapsed time of 11 days, 14 hours and 15 minutes. The Port Wing, Wisconsin native is now a three-time veteran of the Last Great Race.

The Sibes are coming! That was the cry from the chute when Mike Ellis’ headlamp was first spotted on front street. The Sibes were jazzed! Trotting smartly into the chute with heads high, tails flagging and ears tuned to Mike they were a BEAUTIFUL sight. There is a special bond between every musher and their dogs but the minute of silence Mike had with his leader Eliza spoke volumes. Working forward from the sled, Ellis thanked and praised each dog. When he got to Eliza, he knelt down and held her head gently between his hands and buried his face between her ears. Ellis and the Sibes have conquered the Iditarod Trail, a feat that qualifies them as survivors. Then there’s Frankie the handsome male running team. Mike describes Frankie as a movie star that’s destined to be a super sled dog. Frankie sports gorgeous blue eyes, excellent Siberian markings an athletic build, a great mind and has leader potential. Frankie is Eliza’s son. While Ellis has completed multiple Yukon Quest races, this is only his second Iditarod. The Tsuga Sibes claimed 40th place running an average speed of 3.46 mph in 11 days, 14 hours and 55 minutes. When his time was announced, Mike was quick to add that even though they were almost a day slower than last year, they still have the second fastest Sibe time for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Tsuga claimed set a new record on their rookie year. They also hold the fastest time for the Yukon Quest.