Iditarod 2013 - More racers arrive in Unalakleet

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Jeff King, foreground, and Jake Berkowitz mush into Unalakleet in a snowstorm. March 10, 2013

Race leaders reached the snowy, windy checkpoint of Unalakleet on Sunday morning, but they're still on the hunt for truly cold temperatures.

Mitch Seavey of Sterling was first to the checkpoint, ski poling furiously as about 100 people watched him cruise in 15 minutes ahead of Aaron Burmeister of Nome.

Seavey won $2,500 worth of gold nuggets for arriving first – about one and half ounces of gold, all collected from the Nome area. The 2004 champ said this was the first time he had won an award along this year's trail – last year he was first to the Yukon, but the award went unsponsored. Seavey said he didn't try to win the Gold Coast award this year, saying his eye is on a larger prize – a second Iditarod championship.

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