After years of racing, Idaho Sled Dog Challenge announces it’s shutting down
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The following is a news release from the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge.
MCCALL — After successfully staging the Warm Lake Stage Race for the fourth consecutive year, the race’s organizers and board of directors have decided to discontinue staging Idaho Sled Dog Challenge events moving forward.
Organizers held the original race, dubbed the McCall Ultra Sled Dog Challenge, in 2018 and ultimately staged 300-mile and 100-mile races five times. However, in addition to canceling its races in 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, organizers had to cancel or suspend the lengthier races due to low snow or avalanches the last three consecutive years.
“Without a reliable trail, our board of directors feel it is too much to ask of our volunteers and sponsors to continue, so we’ve decided it’s time for all good things to come to an end,” ISDC founder and organizer Jerry Wortley said. “The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge will have no future races.”
As an Iditarod Qualifier and part of the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown, the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge has drawn mushers from as far away as New Hampshire, Canada, and even Alaska for a chance to compete on steep trails through Idaho’s West Central Mountains. The Rocky Mountain Triple Crown also included the Eagle Cap Extreme near Joseph, Ore., and the Race to the Sky near Helena, Mont., both of which have faced similar challenges in recent years.
“The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is reputed to be one of the toughest anywhere with over 36,000 feet of climb,” Wortley said. “It’s gratifying to know that multiple ISDC mushers have progressed to the Iditarod by way of our race, including an Iditarod Rookie of the Year and a Most Improved Iditarod Musher. Also of special note, female mushers have consistently dominated the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, having won every 100-mile race and all but one 300-mile race since our event’s inception.”
Wortley said the board was grateful for the passionate reception it received from the community.
“It’s gratifying to know that the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge has brought so much joy to the many children who have escaped school for a day to cheer on the dogs, and to see the amazing community spirit that came alive at race time,” he said. “There are so many people and organizations to thank for your selfless support over the years. To successfully stage a multi-day event of this magnitude, it took an army of over 200 volunteers and thousands of volunteer hours each year, generous financial support from our sponsors, donors and grants, and support from a variety of associations, government permits, and private property permissions to make it happen. We could not have succeeded without the community as a whole unleashing its spirit and support.”
The final race standings for the fourth annual Warm Lake Stage Race were:
1. Kayson Judd (Coalville, UT) — bib #7 — 5:25:02 total time — 9.97 mph avg.
2. Ashley Sargent (Coalville, UT) — bib #6 — 5:28:45 total time — 9.86 mph avg.
3. Alexandra Ness (Trego, MT) — bib #8 — 5:34:22 total time — 9.69 mph avg.
4. Rex Mumford (Huntsville, UT) — bib #1 — 5:35:38 total time — 9.65 mph avg.
5. John Kunzler (Vernal, UT) — bib #5 — 5:59:22 total time — 9.02 mph avg.
6. Melissa Turner (Herald, CA) — bib #3 — 6:13:35 total time — 8.67 mph avg.
7. Jane Devlin (Bend, OR) — bib #4 — 6:31:43 total time — 8.27 mph avg.
8. Caroline Nevills (Middleton, ID) — bib #9 — 7:31:30 total time — 7.18 mph avg.
9. Liz Nevills (Middleton, ID) — bib #2 — N/A total time (scratched) — 6.67 mph avg.
Idaho Sled Dog Challenge organizers held the inaugural Warm Lake Stage Race in 2023. In 2024, it was the only race ISDC organizers weren’t forced to cancel due to low snowfall, and last year the Warm Lake Stage Race was the only event organizers didn’t have to cancel due to severe avalanche risk.