ASPA Race Across the Valley Results
January 17-20, 2002

Click to go to specific results:  Stage 1    Stage 2    Stage 3   Stage 4   Fun Run   Overall

This year's Race Across the Valley featured a lot of excitement.  First, participation was the highest in years as ten people completed all stages and ten others competed as single day participants.  Second, in a quest for snow-covered trails in a nearly snowless year lead club members to new race venues such as the Chena River at the Nordale Road bridge.  Third, the race had a different leader on each day before George Salmon finished a mere 26 seconds ahead of Mike Malvick and 42 seconds ahead of Jim Herriges after nearly two hours of racing.  

Thanks to ASPA sponsors Alaska Feed Company, All Weather Sports, Beaver Sports, 49er Feed Distributors, Play It Again Sports, and Mountain Sports, who provided the individual day prizes, overall prizes, and participation prizes for all competitors.

Many thanks are also due to the many volunteers who helped make the races happen.  They were George and Cindy Salmon (Race Directors), Cindy and Larry Dean (Timing), Heather Houston and Sherry Jacobs (Registration), Justin Ness, Peggy Raybeck, Jerry Bohms, Tom McGrane, Janet Smith, Lynn Orbison, Tyler Orbison, and Jamie Hollingsworth (Dog Handling), Pat DeRuyter and Clarice Dukeminier (Turnaround Marshals and Prize Organizing), Art Stoller (Course Marshal), the Fairbanks North Star Borough (Chena Lakes Trail Grooming), the Alaska Dog Mushers' Association (access to Dog Mushers' Hall and the Jeff Studdert Trails), the Two Rivers Ski Club and Kay Kindt (Two Rivers Ski Trails Warming Hut and Trails), Matt Bray (Finishers' Medallions) and others who may have been overlooked.

Stage 1, January 17, 2002
Chena Lakes Recreation Area 
(7.6 miles, 14º F)

It was a beautiful day at Chena Lakes, with the temperature in the mid-teens. The trail was in excellent condition, thanks to the great grooming job by the Borough Parks & Recreation staff and the sprinkling of precipitation by Mother Nature.

Racers competed in one class, using one to three dogs.  Thirteen skijorers and 28 dogs completed the event. Gail Davidson, the only competitor with one dog, placed sixth in a field of thirteen.

Today’s event was highlighted by Mike Malvick’s fine demonstration of becoming a human brake at the start line. A small price to pay for having such energetic dogs; it didn’t seem to slow him down, as once he got going he placed in the top three. 

George Salmon won the day despite getting wrapped up around Art Stoller's snow machine.  Art was parked at the bottom of a dip with a trail junction to keep the skijoring teams on track.

Many thanks to Art Stoller, Janet Smith, Cindy Salmon, George Salmon, Heather Houston who helped make the race possible.

Stage 2, January 18, 2002
ADMA Trails 
(7.7 miles, 26º F)

Skijorers competed in one class, using one to three dogs. On Friday, 12 skijorers and 25 dogs completed the 7.6 miler event on the Alaska Dog Mushers' Association trails on Farmer's Loop Road. The competition became very interesting from the start, as teams went out in one minute intervals in a reverse order from the previous day's time; that is the slowest teams went out first and the fastest teams went out last. This made for many passing opportunities. Jim Herriges earned fastest day time at 27:00 minutes with two dogs, followed by three teams with three dogs each: Mike Malvick, Carol Kleckner, and George Salmon. Herriges now has the overall lead by over a minute, followed by Mike Malvick and George Salmon, who have only 2 seconds between them.

Many thanks to volunteers Cindy and George Salmon, Clarice Dukeminier, Justin Ness, Sherry Jacobs, Pat DeRuyter,   Also, ASPA wishes to express its appreciation to the Alaska Dog Mushers' Association for use of Dog Mushers' Hall for the event.

Stage 3, January 19, 2002
Chena River @ Nordale Road Bridge
(8 miles, 16º F)

Just goes to show, "it’s not over until it’s over".  With the third lead change in as many days and only one day remaining, Mike Malvick and George Salmon are now separated by only one second for first place, pushing Jim Herriges from first to third place overall. As tomorrow’s event is a hilly, curvy course at Two Rivers School trails and Herriges is a skilled skier, he has potential to make up the 1 minute 10 second difference.

Today’s event was a flat course on the Chena River, with challenges of a different kind. There was a mandatory 180 degree turn-around midcourse followed by head-on passes with other teams. Competitors started in reverse placement order, with the slowest team starting first. George Salmon took the day time with 27:24, despite physically doing the "limbo" twice with oncoming teams’ skijoring lines during head-on passes.  He was closely followed by Mike Malvick at 27:25.  Malvick also reported tricky maneuvers when meeting other teams head-on. Third place was very popular, with a tie between Carol Kleckner and Jim Herriges at 29:52.  In a race of this kind, almost every team has a good story to tell.

The volunteers who helped make today's stage possible were George and Cindy Salmon, Patricia Baer, Tom McGrane, Val Mackler, Janet Smith, Jerry Bohms, Cindy and Larry Dean, Jamie Hollingsworth, Peggy Raybeck, Clarice Dukeminier and Pat DeRuyter.

Stage 4, January 20, 2002
Two Rivers Nordic Ski Trails 
(6K or 11K, 18º F)

What a race to the end! Under very snowy conditions, (almost unheard of in Fairbanks this year) the trails at Two Rivers were as good as they’ve ever been. Teams went out in placement order, with the fastest teams leaving first, in two minute intervals. While Jim Herriges won his second stage by completing the 11 Km course in 29:37 with two dogs, it was not enough to move back into first place overall. George Salmon's second place finish as fast enough to create a 26 second gap in the overall standing ahead of second place finisher, Mike Malvick.  Herriges finished third overall despite running only two dogs in all four stages.  Only 46 seconds separated the top three overall finishers.  Gail Davidson ran her chocolate labrador in all four stages and finished seventh.

The volunteers who helped make today's stage possible were George and Cindy Salmon, Tom McGrane, Lynn Orbison, Tyler Orbison, Jamie Hollingsworth, Cindy and Larry Dean.  Thanks also to the Two Rivers Ski Club and Kay Kindt for providing access to the Two Rivers Ski Club warming hut and the Two Rivers Nordic Ski Trails.

11K Stage Race

6K Fun Run

Overall Race Across the Valley Stage Race Results

Click to go to specific results:  Stage 1    Stage 2    Stage 3   Stage 4   Fun Run   Overall

ASPA Home Page