Montana musher wins Idaho Sled Dog Challenge 100-miler

Although severe avalanche danger forced organizers to cancel the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge 200-mile event midrace Tuesday morning, seven teams vying in the 100-mile contest were able to safely finish with defending champion Nicole Lombardi from Lincoln, Mont., emerging victorious.

She won the 100-mile race in 2023 and 2022. This year, Lombardi ran two teams, with her second team mushed by Madeline Rubida and earning third place. Dallin Donaldson, one of three siblings from Coalville, Utah, competing in this year's Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, captured second.

The final race standings for this year's 100-mile race are:

1. Nicole Lombardi (Lincoln, Mont.), 18:44, 8.17 mph avg; 2. Dallin Donaldson (Coalville, Utah), 19:46 total time, 7.55 mph avg; 3. Madeline Rubida (Lincoln, Mont.), 19:47, 7.55 mph avg.

Idaho's top finishers were Michael Tarver of Driggs, ninth, and Liz Nevills of Middleton, 10th.

The top seven finishers in the 100-mile event left the Little Ski Hill checkpoint prior to the races being placed on hold early Tuesday morning. Officials held the three remaining teams competing in the 100-mile event at the checkpoint after race marshal Mark Cox placed both races on a 12-hour hold at 3:12 a.m. PST following reports of an avalanche and worsening conditions that were not forecast prior to the race starts.

Meanwhile, three mushers began the 200-mile race Monday afternoon, but officials held them at the Wye checkpoint Tuesday morning. Officials originally planned to reevaluate trail conditions and decide if they should proceed following the 12-hour hold, but at 6:25 a.m. PST Tuesday the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge announced it was canceling the remainder of the race.

"The safety of our mushers and their teams is paramount," race co-founder and trails coordinator Dave Looney said. "The safety margin was not adequate to warrant continuing the race, and that was confirmed when I spoke with the Valley County groomers."

Officials awarded mushers in the 200-mile race based on how they arrived at the Wye checkpoint and their time completing the 58-mile first segment of the trail. The final race standings for this year's 200-mile race are:

1. Wade Donaldson (Coalville, Utah), 9:14, 6.71 mph avg; 2. Clayton Perry (Power, Mont.), 9:35:24, 6.47 mph avg.; 3. Charmayne Morrison (Bozeman, Mont.), 9:38, 6.44 mph avg.

This year's 200-mile race will not serve as an Iditarod qualifier because the race was cut short. However, it won't affect Morrison, who has already qualified to compete in this year's Iditarod Feb. 27-March 6.

    Liz Nevills of Middleton and her team compete in the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge.