KEMMERER — Leading up to the Kemmerer leg, Stage 5 of the 30th annual Pedigree Stage Stop Race, the top five racers — Anny Malo, Stephane Roy, Alix Crittenden, Cathy Rivest and Bruce Magnusson — were competing for the championship title and a prize pool of $200,000, an increase of $35,000 from the previous year.

After contending with severe weather conditions at the start of the race in Pinedale and a canceled stage two due to high winds and poor trail conditions, the racers arrived at the Hams Fork trailhead in Kemmerer ready to compete.

The format of this year’s race differed from previous years. Instead of seven stages in seven different locations, the first two stages were scheduled to take place in Pinedale, with two in Big Piney. Although the second Pinedale race was canceled due to bad weather and not rescheduled, the race continued in Kemmerer on Wednesday, Feb. 5, and, despite the setbacks, the competitors were eager to hit the trails.

The Kemmerer leg presented its own challenges, including icy snow, high winds, and flat light conditions. Strong, sustained winds carried wet, icy snow that pelted mushers’ faces, significantly reducing visibility along the compacted trail.

In the treeless, white expanses of the upper Hams Fork River drainage of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, mushers relied heavily on their lead dogs to navigate the nearly invisible trail in whiteout conditions.

Snow began before the 8 a.m. musher meeting and continued until the last team, led by Mike Bestgen, crossed the finish line. Visibility was often extremely low along the trail. Despite Kemmerer being one of the shorter, less mountainous sections of the race, it remained challenging as high winds and fresh snow covered the trail surface.

According to a press release, the times and speed of top competitors reflected the effectiveness of the Pedigree trail crew, as the base held up well, allowing the dogs to maintain their footing and momentum.

Bruce Magnusson from Newberry, Michigan, delivered a strong performance that propelled him into second place overall, positioning him well for the final three days of racing. Meanwhile, Anny Malo from Saint-Zenon, Quebec, Canada, maintained her lead.

Alix Crittenden of Bondurant also delivered a stellar run with a small string of dogs, demonstrating her experience. Notably, she stopped for nearly two minutes during the race to assist another competitor, a decision that cost her valuable time; yet she still placed third for the day. Despite this setback, her performance in Kemmerer showed that she had a pathway to making up lost time and contending for a podium finish.

The City of Kemmerer and the South Lincoln Training & Event Center hosted a “Meet the Mushers” dinner at the recreation center the evening before the race, providing the community an opportunity to engage with the sled dog racers.

Kemmerer Director of Events and Recreation Trista Gordon described the dinner as a success, saying, “It was a great time seeing the community support this event and also fun for the community to meet those running the 30th Annual Pedigree Stage Stop Race.”

The dinner saw an attendance of over 100 people.