Snow Conditions Help Make Race to the Sky Best Ever

SEELEY LAKE – With some of the best snow conditions in the past several years, Young Living Race to the Sky 300 mile mushers started showing up at the Seeley Lake Check Point Sunday morning just after 4:30 a.m. The 100 mile finishers started to come in just after 7 a.m. Seven mushers completed the 300 mile race, eight completed the 100 mile race and one of the two juniors finished the 100 mile junior race.

Race Director Pam Beckstrom wrote in the Sunday morning press release, "Trails were hard and fast and temperatures were great running temps (around five degrees)."

The 100 mile adult winner Rick Larsen from Belt, Mont. came in a minute a head of second place finisher Clayton Perry from Power, Mont. at 7:06 a.m.

Larsen is a 10-year veteran of the Race to the Sky. Though this was not his first win, he thought this year was the fastest he'd ever done the section from Whitetail Ranch to the finish in Seeley Lake.

"Some of the best snow we've ever had," said Larsen.

Larsen wasn't the only musher to mention the great snow. Several had just come from races in warm and rainy conditions.

Perry was leading the 100-mile but was passed by Larsen after stopping just a mile short of the finish to snack his dogs and "give them a little loving."

The stop may have cost Perry first place but helped him earn the coveted Best Cared For Team Award presented by Race to the Sky Head Veterinarian Dr. Kathy Topham.

Topham said it was a hard choice because several teams that finished the 100 mile event could have easily gone back out on the trail for the 300.

Seventeen year old Cristina Gibson from Carlton, Wash. won the Young Living Race to the Sky Junior 100 finishing just 2.5 hours behind Larsen. She was the only musher to finish the Young Living Race to the Sky Junior Race.

Seeley Lake's Roy Etnire finished the 100 mile in seventh place crossing the finish line at 8:35 a.m. Sunday morning. He received the Sportsmanship Award for his extensive work ahead of the race helping to get the trails marked and attending meetings. After completing the race himself, he volunteered to go back out on a snowmobile to assist a musher who had troubles.

Jessie Royer of Tabiona, Utah took a commanding lead of the 300 mile race and never looked back. She came through Seeley Lake the first time just after 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

Temperatures on the trail Sunday night were -17 degrees Fahrenheit with 50 mile per hour winds.

"It was COLD," reported Beckstrom. "The trails are some of the best ever for the teams. Snowmobile assistance is all volunteer, spending many hours grooming and packing trails for the teams."

At 7:23 a.m. Monday morning she checked into the White Tail Ranch check point with 12 dogs for her mandatory six-hour layover. She crossed the finish line in Lincoln at 7:23 p.m. Monday night for the win.

Last year's 300 mile champion Laurie Warren from Council, Idaho, was about two hours behind Royer into the White Tail Ranch check point followed by Dylan Harris from Tabiona, Utah. Harris passed Warren on the way into Lincoln for the second place at 9:51 p.m. finish followed by at 10:26 p.m. Warren Brett Bruggeman of Great Falls, Mont. arrived fourth at 11:36 p.m.

Past Seeley Lake resident Cindy Gallea of Wykoff, Minn., Damon Ramaker of Fountain, Minn. and Miriam Osredkar of Fairfield, Mont. finished early Tuesday morning.

For more information about the mushers or the race visit racetothesky.org.