ASPA Race Across the Valley Results
January 30-February 2, 2003

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

Stage 1, January 30, 2003
Chena Lakes Recreation Area 
(6.7 miles, 0º F)

Race director George Salmon at the first stage of the 2003 Race Across the Valley. Photo by Dave Partee.

The 2003 Race Across the Valley has begun! Under beautiful sunny skies, a crisp and calm day (0-5 degrees F), eleven racers and 26 dogs competed over a wonderfully groomed 6.7 mile trail at Chena Lakes Recreation Area. 

With one minute intervals between racers, and very few dog handlers around, there were some very exciting starts. Fortunately, all skijorers who demonstrated how to be a human brake did so just before their start times! (good timing, Carol and Mike!). As this event places all entrants in the same class regardless of number of dogs, there were many passes – and many good stories to go with them.  Last year's second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers, Mike Malvick, Jim Herriges, and Carol Kleckner are again in that order in front of the pack.  Defending champion George Salmon is not racing this year so he can serve as Race Director and let wife Cindy take on the competition.  Cindy found herself skiing alone while her team ran ahead after her skijor line slipped from the carabiner.  Fortunately, her team stopped and let her get reconnected so she could go on to finish in fourth place for the day, only 65 seconds behind first place.  

Many thanks to Chris and Brett of the Chena Lakes Recreation Area maintenance crew for grooming such a great trail. 

Stage 2, January 31, 2003
Two Rivers Nordic Ski Trails 
(12K, 19º F)

The Two Rivers Ski Trails were fantastically prepared for this event, with groomed soft snow complimenting the hilly trail. Teams started in one minute intervals, which provided for much excitement due to the short number of available tethering posts and handlers. Teams were also required to do two loops of the same trail, which meant convincing dogs to do another lap when they thought they were at the finish line. Diversity and endurance were the name of the game today.

Mike Malvick remains in first place, with a one minute lead over the closest competitor, Jim Herriges. Matt Bray placed third today, compared to sixth place yesterday, which moved him to 5th place overall.  Matt commented that he "is trying to do sprint races with distance dogs," which could partly explain his better performance on a demanding hilly course where the average speeds are lower.

Many thanks to Kay Kindt and Bob Murphy and the Two Rivers Ski Club for allowing dogs on the nordic trails and for grooming the trails and to Kay who stayed to help time the race.  Kay's daughter Porche helped handle dogs at the start and finish.  Thanks, too, to George and Cindy Salmon, the race organizers.

The club offers its sympathy to Tone Deehr who broke her arm in a fall in the holding area just prior to the start of the race.

Stage 3, February 1, 2003
Junior Yukon Quest
Chena River @ Cushman Street Bridge
(6.4 miles, -2º F)

After thirteen mushers competing in the Junior Quest headed out onto the Quest trail, eleven skijorers followed their tracks part of the way for the third stage of the four stage Race Across the Valley.  Competitors skijored approximate six miles from the Cushman Street bridge to the Trainor Gate bridge and back in bright sunshine and cold temperatures.

The out and back format of the race meant the teams had ten head-on passes and had to negotiate the turn around, two things most dog teams usually don't have to do.  All teams handled both challenges well.  Another challenge was having the dogs choose the best route on the Chena River once past the well-groomed part of the trail beyond the Steese Highway Bridge.  Snowmachine traffic had packed down much of the snow on the frozen river leaving a trail fifty yards wide in places for the dogs to choose from.

Mike Malvick won his third consecutive stage by beating Cindy Salmon to the line by fifteen seconds and extended his lead in the overall classification to nearly three minutes ahead of Jim Herriges with one stage remaining.  Cindy Salmon's second place time was fast enough to move her ahead of Carol Kleckner into third place after three stages.  Herriges maintained his second place position in the stage race with a fourth place finish, 25 seconds behind Kleckner.

Jessica Larsen and her golden retrievers won the unofficial pure-bred division beating Chuck Deehr and his team of malemutes.

Many thanks go to the volunteers that helped the race happen.  Clarice Dukeminier timed the race, and Sunifa Brady, Tom McGrane, Louisa Roberts and Sara Elzey helped people bring their dog teams to the starting line.  Jim Herriges and Mike Malvick helped out by shoveling snow over the ice and gravel under the Steese and Old Steese Highway Bridges.  Thanks, too, to the Fairbanks North Star Borough for allowing use of their parking lot for a staging area and the Junior Yukon Quest for use of their Start/Finish Chute.

Stage 4, February 2, 2003
Jeff Studdert (ADMA) Racing Trails 
(5.9 Miles, 8º F)

Day four of the Alaska Skijor and Pulk Association (ASPA) Race Across the Valley stage race was held in conjunction with the Alaska Dog Mushers' Association (ADMA) Challenge Race #5 at the Jeff Studdert Race Trails. Competitors skijored 5.9 miles with one, two, or three dogs.

Mike Malvick completed a sweep of all four stages of the Race Across the Valley when he overcame a fall on the very fast, hard-packed course in the first mile to win in 19 minutes, 18.4 seconds. Cindy Salmon finished second for the day only three seconds behind in 19:21.7 and Jim Herriges finished third in the stage in 19:33.5. George Salmon finished fourth in 20:26.9, and Carol Kleckner limped home to the finish line with a broken ski binding to finish fifth in 21:39.2.

The fourth and final stage did not result in any changes in the overall standings. Malvick won the four stage race that covered a total of about 26 miles in 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 14 seconds. Herriges finished about three minutes behind in 1:37:16 with Cindy Salmon rounding out the top three at 1:38:47. Other finishers of all four stages were Kleckner, 1:42:05, Matt Bray, 1:47:48, and Peggy Raybeck 2:09:04. Herriges and Kleckner achieved their high finishes despite running only two dogs in the first three days of competition.

Competitors converged on the Hot Tamale for a late lunch buffet for an awards ceremony sponsored by Jammin' Salmons Physical Therapy.  ADMA President Dave Partee was on hand to present gift certificates for Prospector Outfitter to the top finishers of today's stage.  A certificate for brunch for two at Pike's Landing was presented to the overall winner.

*1-dog skijor course record. Old course record held by Bernard Kitka, 20:34.7, 3/10/96.

Overall Race Across the Valley Stage Race Results

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

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