In his first race back after sitting out for a season, King benefited from Aliy Zirkle's trail-breaking effort over the final 50 miles to claim victory Sunday in the Sheep Mountain 150, the race that signals the start of the distance mushing season.
A blizzard raged Sunday morning when Zirkle, the leader after 100 miles, left Eureka Lodge after the second of two mandatory five-hour layovers. She owned a 15-minute edge over King and remained ahead of the four-time Iditarod champion for 49 miles, driving her 12 dogs down a trail filled with fresh snow.
A mile from the finish line at Sheep Mountain Lodge, King passed Zirkle for the win and the $1,720 check that came with it.
"At times there was zero visibility," Zack Steer, owner of the Sheep Mountain Lodge, said by phone. "There was a lot of trail-breaking today. Jeff passed her one mile from the finish. Aliy was a little disappointed and Jeff, not so much."
King appears poised to rev up his career after announcing his retirement after the 2010 Iditarod. The Denali Park musher sold many of his dogs and skipped all of last season, and then this summer he signed up for the upcoming Iditarod.
King, 55, and his team of 12 dogs posted a blazing time in the final 50 miles, making the trip in 5 hours, 9 minutes. Zirkle made the run in 5:26, the second-fastest time of the day.
According to a Facebook posting from Sheep Mountain Lodge, "Jeff said he ran the whole last run without booties out of caution that they would collect snow and bog the dogs down. He saw snow filled booties all along the run and wondered if that was slowing Zirkle down at all."
King finished in 26 hours, 50 minutes for a two-minute edge over Zirkle, who collected $1,250 for seocnd place. minutes behind him was Zirkle, who won $1,250.
Richie Diehl of Aniak claimed third place and $750 in 27 hours, 36 minutes; Jake Berkowitz of Chugiak won $500 for fourth place (27:42) and Judy Currier of Fairbanks won $200 for fifth place (27:46).
A field of 47 mushers entered the race, which began at noon Saturday.
Sheep Mountain 150
(as of 7:30 p.m. Sunday, times were available for only the top 17 finishers)
1) Jeff King 26:50, 2) Aliy Zirkle 26:52, 3) Richie Diehl 27:36, 4) Jake Berkowitz 27:42; 5) Judy Currier 27:46, 6) Jerry Willomitzer 27:50, 7) Bruce Linton 27:51, 8) Ray Redington 28:06, 9) Maria Hernetkoski 28:16, 10) Kelly Griffin 28:17, 11) Ryne Olson 28:19, 12) William Kleedehn 28:29, 13) Abbie West 28:38; 14) Michelle Phillips 28:43, 15) Martine le Levier 28:44, 16) Jason Mackey 28:50, 17) Ken Anderson 29:12, 18) Anjanette Steer, 19) Kelly Maixner, 20) Robert Bundtzen, 21) Nicolas Petit, 22) Guro Eidal, 23) Maren Bradley, 24) Mitch Seavey, 25) Braxton Peterson, 26) Travis Cooper, 27) Trent Herbst.
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