Expedition class in McGrath after two days of adventure
Expedition Class Team 88 stops for some selfies and a hotdog roast on the run between Puntilla and McGrath on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. Courtesy Nick Harrington
After a full night’s rest, Iron Dog’s Expedition Class began Day 2 on Thursday of the 2023 trek from Big Lake to Nome. Riders departed Big Lake Wednesday, making the 80-mile run to Skwentna, where they quickly checked in and out at the Skwentna Roadhouse before throttling on to Puntilla for the night. Riders covered roughly 160 miles on Day 1.
“Trail conditions were great,” said Iron Dog board treasurer and Ambassador Team 77 leader Roger Brown. “We made pretty good time all things considered.” Brown’s team consists of six riders, who are taking their time on the course to meet with fans and followers along the trail. That said, Brown added, the weather was supposed to take a turn for the worse, so the group headed out of Puntilla by 8 a.m. Thursday to try and beat the impending storm.
They weren’t the only ones watching the weather. Eight other teams were gone by 8 a.m., en route to McGrath, nearly 200 miles away. While the Expedition Class is not a race, followers are still watching the leaderboard to cheer on their favorites from afar. By 2 p.m., all of the 15 teams in this year’s Expedition Class were clustered together, zeroing in on Nikolai. From there, they had only 52 miles to go to McGrath.
Team 88 enjoyed roasted hotdogs on the trail. Expedition teams can slow down and take their time. Courtesy Nick Harrington
Team 77’s Kris Kaltenbacher said he was feeling the itch. The Dillingham native and longtime film industry rider has been featured in SledHeads magazine countless times and been part of the Boondocker Movies for the last 15 years. He’s used to big riding and high speeds, so being part of a more leisurely trip is a new experience for him.
“It’s amazing,” he said from the Puntilla checkpoint. “My home state is more beautiful than any state I’ve been to. After only 140 miles, this race is no easy task. I’m excited to push forward but it’s hard to contain myself and remember it’s not a race for us.”
Cindi Herman, owner of the Skwentna Roadhouse and an Iron Dog Race, Inc., board member, said the Expedition Class riders were looking good.
“The weather was beautiful, it was a bluebird day,” she said. “Everybody who came through looked in good spirits, and the volunteers were so great. They were a great group of guys and gals. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
The Skwentna Roadhouse is generally a quick in-and-out for riders and racers, but it still sees plenty of traffic – especially when the Pro Class hits the trail on Friday.
By 4 p.m. Thursday, the first Expedition Class teams began arriving at McGrath, and the rest were just approaching or passing Nikolai, to the east. There, riders planned to break for the night and start fresh in the morning. Team 88 was one of the first teams to arrive, but not without complication, said Brian Jurenka, who is riding with teammates Nick Harrington, Dave Schreier and Mike Telkamp.
“About 20 miles out of McGrath, Dave’s sled decided that his engine was going to go south on him,” Jurenka said. The team towed Schreier in, and were holed up Thursday evening, resting.
“We have parts coming tomorrow, and we are hoping we can get it fixed,” Jurenka said. “But other than that, the ride went pretty good.”
Team 50, Kim Bergeron and Jean-Pierre Bernier, had to stop twice along the Farewell Burn to fix a broken A-arm but didn’t let it ruin their fun. Courtesy Kim Bergeron
Telkamp and Jurenka are Iron Dog Pro Class veterans, and Schreier completed his first Expedition Class in 2022. Nick Harrington, of Frankford, Del., is the rookie among them. He said the wilderness of Alaska is challenging but beautiful.
“This is nothing like the East Coast where I’m from,” Harrington said. “It’s a totally different type of miles. Two-hundred miles on the East Coast is not the same as 200 miles out here.”
Harrington said the terrain kept him guessing. One minute he’d be following Jurenka and the next “(Jurenka) he’d disappear in a hole and then he’d reappear.
“I was out there laughing; we are just bouncing over these hills,” Harrington said.
Expedition Class veterans Kim Bergeron and Jean-Pierre Bernier, Team 50, also enjoyed a fast and beautiful day – beginning with an “outstanding breakfast” at Rainy Pass Lodge: fresh fruit, eggs, bagels, sausage, biscuits, gravy, coffee, juice and more.
But they, too, encountered some mechanical difficulties. The trail had plenty of snow – “Hell’s Gate was like a slot car run, and the south fork of the Kuskokwim was fast with no open water.”
In the Farewell Burn, Bernier lost a lower A-arm – “We replaced it trail side,” Bergeron said. Then, just before Sullivan Creek, Bernier’s upper A-arm went kaput.
“We replaced that trail side, too,” he said. After that, it was most smooth sailing for Team 50, although the 30 miles leading into Nikolai, though well covered, were rough from all the traffic.
“We fueled up in Nikolai and they prepared hot dogs for us,” Bergeron said. “We needed the food; it was much appreciated. We had packed in New Hampshire maple syrup made by one of my employees and left 10 bottles for them.”
“All in all, it was a great day,” Bergeron said. “We are thankful for the volunteers who make this possible!”
On Friday, Expedition Class riders will continue toward Nome, while Pro Class racers will line up for their start at Big Lake. The first team departs at 10 a.m.