Among the Iron Dog Ambassador class, three white-haired racers stand out — 75-year- old Paul Dick, 72-year-old Rex Hibbert and 68-year-old Rob Hallstrom, better known as the “Three Old Guys”.
When it comes to rugged snowmachine expeditions, it’s not their first rodeo. It wasn’t Dick or Hibbert’s first time on the Iron Dog trail either — Their team placed third overall in the 1994 Gold Rush Classic.
Together, the Three Old Guys have ridden thousands of miles across North America, including a nearly 5000 mile, 38-day journey from Grand Rapids, MN to Circle, AK in 2023. When the chance to join the Iron Dog’s Expedition Class came, the trio didn’t hesitate.
“I think all of us thought we were a little too old for adventure racing, but we liked the riding,” Hallstrom said. “When we got the opportunity to come here, we couldn’t pass it up.”
What they initially thought would be a “leisure ride” turned into something far more difficult.
This year’s race was marked by a series of storms that swept through the region. Outside of Elim, nearly two dozen racers from both competitive and non-competitive teams, were caught in deep snow, reported to be as deep as 14 feet in some areas.
After seven days on the trail, battling fierce winds and bitter cold temperatures, the Three Old Guys finally arrived in Nome, with thousands of fans tracking their journey on social media.
“I think there are a lot of people, they kind of feel sorry for us,” Dick laughed. “These guys are a bubble off.”
Though the guys have said this is their final ride, they’re not ruling out future adventures.
“We kind of decided before we left this would be the last run for the Three Old Guys, but we’ll see,” Hallstrom explained.
Dick joked, “We might have to have a divorce… It won’t be a muddy one, but it’ll be a divorce.”
