Hoar Frost Adorns Trees as Beringtons Leave Iditarod (Photo: David Poyzer)

While there’s an intense race up ahead on the Yukon River and the back of the pack teams are enjoying life in the ghost town of Iditarod, Gregg Vitello has departed Ophir and has about 50 miles left to Iditarod.

The middle of the pack is sitting in or heading to Shageluk at mile 487 on the southern trail.  The village has a population of 83 people.  Shageluk is an Ingalik Indian word meaning ‘village of dog people’ which is most certainly true when Iditarod comes through.

Matt Hall is one of a handful of mushers resting in Shageluk on Friday afternoon.  Hall is a Yukon Quest Champion with four starts and four Iditarod finishes.  He’s been in the top ten once in sixth place.  Growing up on the banks of the Yukon River, Hall began mushing at the age of two.  He ran a trap line with his dog team and guided for Bush Alaska Expeditions, a company owned by his parents.  Matt established his Smokin’ Ace Kennel on the Chena River near Two Rivers.  He embraces a subsistence lifestyle with his 31 dogs.  During the summer he works for Alaska Icefield Expeditions on the Denver and Mendenhall Glacier.  Earlier this winter Hall claimed gold in the Alaska Quest 300.  He’s back for his fifth Iditarod with dogs out of a first generation born when he was 16 years old.  Matt currently sits in 15th place.

Dan Kaduce of Chatinika, Alaska is currently parked in Shageluk where the weather is sunny, 18 degrees and winds are 10 mph from the north.  Kaduce grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.  He is four of four in his Iditarod runs with fourth place being his best finish in 2022.  Kaduce finished with all 14 dogs in that race and received the Humanitarian Award.  Besides an impressive trophy Kaduce received his 2023 entry fee.  That’s plenty of incentive to return.  .  Kaduce came to Alaska to ski but while on skis a dog team went by.  Dan decided skijoring with a couple of dogs would be the fun.  One thing led to another and now Dan and his wife, Jody Bailey, both Iditarod and Yukon Quest veterans own and operate Dew Claw Kennel.  Dan was Rookie of the Year in 2010 placing 21st.  He’s an equipment operator and enjoys construction, wood working and hunting.  Dan currently holds 16th place.

Riley Dyche of Fairbanks is also resting in Shageluk.  He grew up in Iowa but started running dogs in Colorado.  After college, Dyche relocated to Alaska and worked with Alaska Icefield Expeditions where he met Matt Hall.  He handled for Matt and has also worked for Ryne Olson and Sven Haltman.  In 2016 he established is own kennel, Dark Horse Racing.  Riley earned his Iditarod finishers belt buckle in 2020.  He’s finished two of his three Iditarod runs with a best finish of 25th.  Riley ran the Quest Alaska earlier in 2023.  Dyche sits in 17th place in Shageluk.

It appears that Brent Sass is breaking his run up the Yukon into equal chunks, camping along the way, with the idea of taking his 8-hour Yukon rest in Kaltag.  That same strategy proved successful for Peter Kaiser in 2019 when he won the race.  Observers say that Sass is in race mode and his eleven dogs are looking strong. Jessie Holmes has completed his 8-hour stay at Anvik and is back on the trail.  Having passed through Grayling, he’s 17 miles behind  Sass.