Kwethluk musher and defending champion Raymond Alexie was the first musher to reach the halfway checkpoint in this year’s Bogus Creek 150 sled dog race.
Alexie and his 10 dogs made the run up to the race’s sole checkpoint in 6 hours and 33 minutes and arrived in Bogus at 9:33 p.m., hotly pursued by Bogus rookie Darren George just a minute later at 9:34 p.m.
Third into Bogus was Akiachak musher Aaron Alexie at 9:43 p.m. Bethel’s Pete Kaiser followed fourth into Bogus at 9:50 p.m., with former winner Mike Williams Jr. just 8 minutes behind Kaiser at 9:58 p.m. Rookie Sigurd Napoka of Tuluksak rounded out the Top Six, arriving at the checkpoint half an hour after the leader at 10:01 p.m.
Teams are required to take four hours of rest at the Bogus Creek checkpoint, and will race back downriver throughout the early morning on Sunday (Feb. 11). The first-place finish is expected early in the morning Sunday.
