Jessie Holmes Leads Iditarod Mushers up the Coast

Jessie Holmes leads Iditarod mushers up the coast

By Ariana Crockett O'Harra As the frontrunners of Iditarod 54 approached the coast and the first coast checkpoint of Unalakleet, it was cold, calm, and clear. Inside the checkpoint building, on a bluff above the river, it was busy, with checkpoint volunteers whipping up eggs, frying bacon, brewing coffee and making the famous sourdough pancakes the Unalakleet checkpoint is known for. Bleary-eyed race officials were watching the trackers, and vet…

Unalakleet’s famed sourdough pancakes on the menu as mushers reach coast

https://knom.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/17unalakleet.mp3 About a week after leaving the Willow start line, Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race teams flooded into the Norton Sound village of Unalakleet. It’s a musher’s first glimpse of the Alaska coast, and with two-thirds of the grueling endurance race behind them, it's a sight for sore eyes.​ For years, Unalakleet locals have worked around the clock to make their hub village a favorite che…