text by David Dodman; photos and audio by Laureli Kinneen
When Hugh Neff arrived into Anvik early this morning, he wasn’t the only one who received an exceptional breakfast.
The five-course meal courtesy of Anchorage’s Millennium Hotel was a breakfast for two, and Neff decided to invite Larry Westlake, an Iditarod race judge. (It didn’t hurt, as Neff quipped, to “butter up the Kobuk 440 race marshal”; the Kobuk 440 is a sled-dog race that will take place in April.)
While the two ate, Neff talked about his push to the Yukon River, the trail conditions leading to Anvik – in summary, faster than some had predicted – and his dog team.
Neff was also, of course, excited for his First to the Yukon Award: not just because of the gourmet breakfast and its “after-dinner mint” of $3,500 in cash, but also because this mushing award is Neff’s first.
KNOM trail reporter Laureli Kinneen was there:
As of 2pm Friday, Neff is in 3rd position. He rested for exactly 8 hours in Anvik – the first Iditarod musher to complete his mandatory Yukon River rest – and departed at 1:26pm with 12 dogs.
