Idaho Sled Dog Challenge returns for 7th year

CASCADE, Idaho — The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge will return to the west-central mountains of Idaho for its seventh run from Jan. 27 to Feb. 5.

The race was modified to a 200-mile event this year, with teams from eight states competing.

The race was reduced from a 300-mile race because a bridge required to reach Smiths Ferry checkpoint was consumed by a wildfire.

National Sled Dog Race champion Doug Swingley is attending as a handler and coach for two teams.

The race is one of three qualifiers in the lower 48 for the Iditarod, which is the longest and toughest sled dog race in the world.

The following Montana mushers are participating in races:

200 mile race:

• Clayton Perry (Power, MT)
• Charmayne Morrison (Bozeman, MT)

100 mile race:

• Nicole Lombardi (Lincoln, MT)
• Alexandra Ness (Trego, MT)
• Redman Glisson (Power, MT)

52-mile Warm Lake Stage Race:

• Clayton Perry (Power, MT)
• Redman Glisson (Power, MT)

The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge sent out the following:

This year the 300-mile race has been modified to a 200-mile event with the loss of part of the trail required to reach the Smiths Ferry checkpoint after wildfires consumed a bridge this summer.

Idaho Sled Dog Challenge turns seven

CASCADE, Idaho (Jan. 8, 2025) — The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is returning to the West Central Mountains of Idaho for its seventh run Jan. 27-Feb. 5.

One of the most grueling mushing competitions on the planet due to its topography, the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge features world-class mushers. It is one of only three qualifiers in the lower 48 for the Iditarod, the longest and toughest sled dog race in the world.

WORLD-CLASS MUSHERS

The 2025 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge has attracted teams from eight states, including its first-ever racer from Iowa. The musher field also includes three Idahoans, a mother and daughter, and two brothers and a sister. In addition, four-time Iditarod champion Doug Swingley is attending as a handler and coach for two teams.

Currently four mushers are registered for the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge's 200-mile race, including Clayton Perry (Power, MT), who took fourth place in the 300-mile race in 2022 and first place in the 52-mile Warm Lake Stage Race last year. He is joined by two other Idaho Sled Dog Challenge veterans, Charmayne Morrison (Bozeman, MT) and Wade Donaldson (Coalville, UT), who are advancing from the 100-mile race, and ISDC first-timer Kevin Mathis (Monona, IA).

This year the 300-mile race has been modified to a 200-mile event with the loss of part of the trail required to reach the Smiths Ferry checkpoint after wildfires consumed a bridge this summer.

Nicole Lombardi (Lincoln, MT), who took first place in the 2023 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge's 100-mile race, is running two teams in the 100-mile race this year, and Jesika Reimer (Emigrant Gap, CA), who took second place in the 2023 100-mile race, is also registered. Other returning mushers include Dallin Donaldson (Wade's brother, also from Coalville, UT), Elizabeth Nevills (Middleton, ID), and Jane Devlin (Bend, OR). Mushers new to the 100-mile race include Alexandra Ness (Trego, MT), Kelly Barton (Bend, OR), Michael Tarver (Driggs, ID), Natalie Donaldson Wilson (Wade's and Dallin's sister, also from Coalville, UT), Redman Glisson (Power, MT), and Victor Lazo (Dubois, WY).

In this year's 52-mile Warm Lake Stage Race, Clayton Perry (Power, MT) is defending his 2024 victory. Other returning mushers include 2024 second-place finisher Craig Anderson (Enterprise, OR), and Elizabeth Nevills (Middleton, ID) and her daughter Caroline Nevills (Middleton, ID). Mushers new to the race include Kelly Barton (Bend, OR), Linda Pierce (Okanogan, WA), Melissa Turner (Herald, CA), and Redman Glisson (Power, MT).

The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge operates under a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, which allows for 25 mushers and dog teams between the 300-mile and 100-mile races. The permit allows for an extra 15 mushers to compete in the Warm Lake Stage Race.

The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is part of the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown, which includes the Eagle Cap Extreme Jan. 22-25 near Joseph, Ore., and the Race to the Sky Feb. 7-11 near Helena, Mont.

ISDC will finalize the musher roster Jan. 10 Bios for the registered mushers are available on the website.

EXCEPTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND TRAILS

Founder and organizer Jerry Wortley said the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge boasts top-notch veterinarians, too.

“We have some great vets from the West Central Mountains and from the Boise area and several have worked on the Iditarod,” he said. “As part of our safety regimen we insist on great dog care, so we have a lot of medical talent. We want to see the sport flourish, and we can't do that without taking good care of our animals.”

ISDC co-founder and trail coordinator Dave Looney said they couldn't stage the race without help from Valley County's trail groomers and the local snowmobilers, too.

“Our racecourse has to be groomed, because there's so much vertical that the dogs have trouble pulling sleds uphill in deep snow,” he said. “There's a very symbiotic and extremely important relationship between race organizers and the trail groomers and local snowmobilers, who are very dedicated to helping keep the races going.

“Valley County grooms 500 miles of snowmobile trails, and the trails we utilize for the sled dog race are part of that network. We're super grateful to be able to use them, and we stage the races midweek so we don't compete with recreational snowmobilers during those coveted weekends. Valley County helps out a ton at the checkpoints, too, by grooming the rest areas for the dogs.”

FOLLOWING THE RACES

Spectators can follow the races online day and night via GPS sled trackers or by visiting four road-accessible checkpoints.

The 200-mile and 100-mile races start at the Lake Cascade checkpoint and finish at the Wye Trailhead & Campground checkpoint near New Meadows. There are two other road-accessible checkpoints: the Little Ski Hill in McCall and the Platt Warming Hut on West Mountain Rd. in Donnelly. There is no Smiths Ferry checkpoint this year due to the loss of part of the trail required to reach it after wildfires consumed a bridge this summer.

2025 RACE SCHEDULE

Race events that are open to the public and free of charge include:

* Sled Dog Week — Jan. 21-31 features several new events, including sled dog movies at the McCall Public Library, a bingo night at Foresters in McCall, a trivia night at Broken Horn Brewing Co. in McCall, and similar events in Cascade, New Meadows, and at Tamarack Resort to be announced soon.

* Warm Lake Stage Race start — Jan. 29 at North Shore Lodge & Resort at Warm Lake with vet checks at 9 a.m. and the leg one start time at 11 a.m.; the address is 175 N. Shoreline Dr. Cascade, ID (from Cascade take Warm Lake Rd. 26 miles east to Warm Lake).

* Warm Lake Stage Race finish — Leg two starts at 10 a.m. Jan. 30, with an early afternoon finish back at North Shore Lodge & Resort at Warm Lake.

* Meet the Mushers — Feb. 1 from 2-4 p.m. at Hotel NoBo at 500 Main St. in Cascade and Tamarack Resort at 311 Village Dr. in Donnelly. Race organizers are printing posters attendees can purchase for $5 that mushers will autograph for fans for free.

* Ceremonial start in partnership with Brundage Mountain Resort — Feb. 2 at the McCall Activity Barn at 141 Moonridge Dr. in McCall from 10 a.m. to noon. Vet checks for teams competing in the 100-mile race will be held at 10 a.m. at the Ridley's parking lot at 411 Deinhard Ln. in McCall. Vet checks for teams vying in the 200-mile race will be held at the McCall Activity Barn from 10 a.m. to noon. Parking at the ceremonial start is extremely limited and race organizers encourage spectators to ride the free shuttle from the Ridley's parking lot to the Activity Barn that day, with service beginning at 9:30 a.m.

* Official race starts — Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. for pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m. for the 100-mile race start, and 3 p.m. for the 200-mile race start at the Lake Cascade boat ramp on Lake Cascade Parkway between Lakeshore Bar & Grill and Lake Cascade State Park's Van Wyck Campground. Sled dog teams will depart in three-minute intervals. Shuttles from Hotel NoBo's parking lot at 500 Main St. in Cascade begin at 8:30 a.m.

* 100-mile race finish — Expected between 6-10 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Wye Trailhead & Campground checkpoint off U.S. Route 95 about 6 miles west of New Meadows (turn east on Tamarack View Dr. at the Wye Trailhead sign).

* 200-mile race finish — Expected to begin around 1 a.m. Feb. 5 at the Wye Trailhead & Campground checkpoint off U.S. Route 95 about 6 miles west of New Meadows (turn east on Tamarack View Dr. at the Wye Trailhead sign).

PLEASE LEAVE PET DOGS AT HOME

Organizers implore people to leave their pet dogs at home. An incident initiated by a spectator's pet dog at a prior race start caused a sled dog team to take a tumble.

PARKING AND SHUTTLES FOR THE RACE STARTS

Like previous years, there is no event parking at the Lake Cascade checkpoint (i.e., the race starting line at the boat ramp). However, organizers have arranged for buses to shuttle spectators there for the Feb. 3 200-mile and 100-mile race starts from Hotel NoBo. Shuttles will run every 15-20 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spectator parking is available at Hotel NoBo at 500 N. Main St., Cascade, ID 83611 and at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 560 ID-55, Cascade, ID 83611.

No parking is available at Davis Ranch north of Cascade.

Follow the ISDC Facebook page at fb.com/IdahoSledDogChallenge for updates.

CHECKPOINT SCHEDULE

Optimal times for watching mushers and their sled dogs arrive and depart the other road-accessible checkpoints include:

* Cascade — From 7-11 a.m. and noon-4 p.m. Feb. 3 for the official race starts and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 4 when mushers and their teams in the 200-mile race have a mandatory minimum six-hour layover.

* Platt Warming Hut — From 3-9 p.m. Feb. 3 for the 100-mile racers and from 6 p.m. Feb. 4 to 3 a.m. Feb. 5 for the 200-mile teams.

* Little Ski Hill — From 7 p.m. Feb. 3 to 7 a.m. Feb. 4 when mushers and their teams in the 100-mile race have a mandatory minimum three-hour layover.

* Wye Trailhead & Campground — From 3-9 a.m. Feb. 4 for the 100-mile race finish, from 9 p.m. Feb. 3 through 4 a.m. Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 from 1-6 a.m. for the 200-mile race finishers.

Estimated checkpoint times can vary by many hours depending on trail conditions, so race officials encourage spectators to monitor the trackers when planning checkpoint visits. Visit idahosleddogchallenge.com for checkpoint locations, driving directions, a local resources guide, musher bios, and more.

“In addition to the race starts and finishes, we highly encourage visiting our road-accessible checkpoints as the races progress,” Wortley said. “Watching and cheering for the teams along the trail as they arrive and depart the checkpoints and witnessing firsthand how the mushers care for their dogs as they get some much-deserved rest is an unforgettable experience.”

IDITAROD TRIP RAFFLE

Idaho Sled Dog Challenge organizers are raffling off one VIP package for two to the 2025 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Only 300 tickets are available and cost $100 each.

The five-day guided package is worth $20,000. The winning ticket holder and one guest of their choice will experience what ISDC founder and organizer Jerry Wortley — an Iditarod Air Force Pilot — bills as the adventure of a lifetime Feb. 26-March 4, 2025. Wortley said they will fly out on the Iditarod Trail, visit checkpoints, see the canine athletes in their element, take in Alaska's beauty and culture, and experience the vast untamed wilderness of the last frontier.

Visit https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/idahosleddogchallenge to purchase a raffle ticket.

Three winning tickets will be drawn — the grand prize Iditarod tour package, a second-place prize of $1,000 cash, and a third-place prize of $500 cash. The odds of winning a prize are one in 100 if you purchase one ticket, one in 20 if you buy five tickets, and one in 10 if you acquire 10 tickets.

The winning ticket will be drawn Feb. 6, 2025, at 2 p.m. MST. All proceeds benefit the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, a 501(C)(3) nonprofit (Idaho Charitable Gaming License 23-R-5411-R).

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The race is seeking volunteers to help with everything from handling dogs to managing parking, setting up and staffing checkpoints, providing food, operating ham radios, putting up fencing, moving straw bales, and assisting at the start and finish lines. Remote volunteer opportunities are also available for everything from event planning and marketing to behind-the-scenes logistics.

Volunteers who want to be involved before the race and to help make events happen are needed for Sled Dog Week and the Meet the Mushers events. Race organizers also need help with merchandise.

“The race could not happen without the generous support, time, and enthusiastic spirit of over 200 volunteers,” Wortley said. “This race belongs to them.”

Visit idahosleddogchallenge.com/volunteer for a list of available positions and to sign up.

SPONSORS STILL SOUGHT

Race organizers are seeking a headline sponsor. The package costs $15,000 and offers inclusion of the sponsor's name in the official race name, its logo on musher bibs, professional banners at the start and finish lines, public acknowledgement at all events, and many other perks.

Organizations can also sponsor the seven checkpoints for $3,000 each. Other cash sponsorship packages include trail breaker, sled banner, and lead dog sponsors, which cost $1,500, $500, and $200, respectively.

According to Wortley, the race would not be possible without the generous support of its cash and in-kind sponsors. He said the logistics of running all its events concurrently through the wilderness and over mountain ranges — with numerous checkpoints — is daunting.

Visit idahosleddogchallenge.com/sponsor for more details about sponsorship packages.

MCCALL TO HOST 2025 IDITAROD SUMMER CONFERENCE

The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is also hosting the 2025 Iditarod Summer Conference June 24-26 in McCall. The conference, staged by the Iditarod Education Department, immerses educators in the world of sled dog racing and its Teacher on the Trail(tm) program, and attendees will be able to earn continuing education unit credits. Registration opens in mid to late February.

Visit idahosleddogchallenge.com/summer-program to sign up for notifications about the conference and registration details.

MORE INFO ON THE WEBSITE

More details about the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, shuttle service to and from the ceremonial, 300-mile, and 100-mile race starts, and the final slate of mushers will be announced in mid-January. Meanwhile, please visit idahosleddogchallenge.com for more information.