Wallowa County Chieftain
wallowa.com
Eagle Cap Extreme
January 25, 2017
A11
Bryce Mumford, 200 mile winner, starts the race- with
his 12-dog team of Alaskan Huskies.
Dave Bush, of Bend, Oregon, sports scratches and
cuts on his face from where a set of tire chains hit him
on the head, knocking hi out, en route to the ECX.
Extreme weather,
extreme fi nishes
at this year’s ECX
Story and photos by Ellen Morris Bishop
For The Chieftain
T
he 2017 Eagle Cap Extreme may go down in history for
the most extreme weather challenges. So far, it tops the
list for hotly contested races and close fi nishes, too.
“In ECX history, only twice have the top two fi nishers been
separated by less than 10 minutes,” said Troy Nave, ECX pub-
lic relations director.
Bryce Mumford and Brett Bruggeman fi nished less than
a minute apart. The top four teams fi nished a total of just 13
minutes apart, with fourth-place fi nisher Laurie Warren only a
minute behind third place Mark Stamm, and closing.
“For a race of this duration and diffi culty, that is almost un-
heard of, ” Nave said.
Iditarod veteran Mark Stamm led for most of the 200 miles.
Mumford and Bruggeman passed him on the last part of the
course, with Warren closing near the fi nish.
For the last hour of the race, Laurie kicked alongside her
sled, like a skate boarder, to help her team,” Nave said.”All
95 pounds of Laurie were chasing down three teams: two dog
teams from the back-to-back ECX champion, and one driven
by an Iditarod veteran,” Nave said.
The 100-mile race boasted similar intrigue, with Bino Fowl-
er leading most of the way, until winner Clayton Perry passed
him near the end. Only 2 minutes separated these two mushers
at the fi nish line.
Because of the ice and deeply drifting snow, race offi cials
eliminated two portions of the 200-mile course: the out and
back ridge-top leg to P.O. Saddle, and much of the Twin Lakes
segment. The changes shortened the course by about 45 miles.
“It was still an adequate distance for an Iditarod qualifying
race, especially considering the conditions,” Nave said.
Laurie Warren, of Council, Idaho, hugs her lead dog after her 4th place finish in the 200-mile race, with a time of 35 hours,
48 minutes.
Bino Fowler, winner of Best Cared-for Team, 100 mile, applies
Hooflex to his dogs’ feet before the race.
Maeva Waterman, whose team and sled slid off an icy trail
and over a cliff, hugs her lead dog before the start. No-one
was hurt in the mishap, but Search and Rescue helped her
recover her sled and dogs. Race rules disqualify a musher
who had help.
Bino Fowler, of Bend, Oregon, won the 100 mile race
last year and was second to Clayton Perry this year.
Bino took the “Best Kept Team in the 100-mile race”
award, however, and also helped another musher
who had slid off the trail get back into the race.
Clayton Perry, of Power, Montana, won the 100 mile race this
year, but took last year’s Best Kept Team award for the ECX
race.
Neil Bowlen’s team awaits the start of the race.
Morgan Anderson finishes the second of two 31-mile courses
known as the POT race, and wins handily, with the best
combined time. Next year, the 17-year-old wants to run the
100 mile ECX race.