Iditarod

Jessie Holmes wins Iditarod’s First Musher to the Yukon Award

Alaska Public Media | By Tegan Hanlon, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Published March 10, 2023 at 3:14 PM AKST

A musher in a red jacket pushes off his sled. — Jessie Holmes pulls up his snow hook and departs Nikolai. Holmes said he hurt his knee after tumbling off his sled in the Farewell Burn area. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)

Jessie Holmes and his 12-dog team were first into Anvik early Friday, winning the Iditarod’s First Musher to the Yukon Award.

Anvik is about 510 miles into the 1,000-mile competition, and it’s the first checkpoint on the Yukon River.

Holmes pulled in at 4:03 a.m. His award included a five-course gourmet meal prepared by the executive chef at Marx Bros. Cafe, Jack Amon. On the menu: lobster bisque, Caesar salad, filet mignon and cheesecake.

“It’s as good as it sounds and it looks,” Holmes told the Iditarod Insider. “I’m getting my cheesecake from the wrong place — Costco.” He laughed.

two people sit at a table — Musher Jessie Holmes sits at a table in Anvik, gearing up for his five-course meal Friday morning. ( Iditarod Insider )

On the menu: a filet mignon with a red wine demi gloss, sauteed with maitake mushrooms, asparagus and mashed yukon gold potatoes. ( Iditarod Insider )

Holmes planned to take his mandatory eight-hour stop in Anvik. Mushers need to take one eight-hour stop at a checkpoint on the Yukon River or Shageluk.

Next into Anvik were Nic Petit and his 10 dogs at 6:54 a.m. followed by Brent Sass and his 11-dog team at 7:04 a.m. Richie Diehl blew through an hour later and then came Pete Kaiser at 8:33 a.m.