Granite State riders complete world's longest snowmobile race

Perseverance was the name of the game for two locals who recently completed the Iron Dog — what's known as the world's longest, toughest snowmobile race.

Kim Bergeron of Dublin and Jean-Pierre Bernier of Hancock left Big Lake, Alaska, on Feb. 15 on snowmobiles specially outfitted for the course's rugged, backcountry terrain. Over the next six days, they raced north past Nome and back to Big Lake — a path of more than 2,500 miles. That's like snowmobiling from Keene to Phoenix, Ariz.

Bergeron and Bernier had both completed a shorter version of the Iron Dog in past years. The 1,100-mile Expedition Class race ends in Nome, with five days to finish, Bernier said. 

Riders must finish the 2,503-mile Pro Class, which he and Bergeron completed this year, in six days, he said.

Returning from a failed attempt last year, Bergeron and Bernier completed the Pro Class race this year in just over 97 hours, closing the last leg in a nearly continuous, 33-hour sprint to the finish that brought them into Big Lake around 5 p.m. on Feb. 22.

For Bernier, that last stretch was about doing whatever they could to get into Big Lake in time. "That's what it took to get to the finish," he said.

An accident that sent Bergeron's sled into a river drowned the team's dreams of finishing last year.

After being "so close last year," Bernier said it was "very emotionally satisfying" to complete the trek. Of the 30 teams that set out, 16 completed the race. As the final team to cross the finish line, Bergeron and Bernier earned the race's Red Lantern Award for perseverance and determination.

The obstacles facing the team went beyond the usual perils of the Alaskan winter. Until about three weeks before the race, it wasn't clear they'd be able to go at all.

While in Alaska in December, Bergeron got a call that his 21-year-old son Jason had suffered life-threatening injuries in a fall and was paralyzed from the chest down.

"It was touch and go with Jason living or dying," Bernier recalled. "At that point, the priority was not on racing." With Jason in a hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., Bergeron and Bernier were on the brink of calling off their Iron Dog plans.

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About a month after the accident, Jason began to show signs of movement. From there, his recovery was what his family and friends describe as "miraculous," according to a news release about the race from Bernier.

With Jason stable and less than three weeks left before the start of the race, Bergeron called Bernier to say he was in. According to the release, Bergeron was inspired by his son's perseverance and courage. "After discussing with Jason and the rest of my family I made the decision to race," Bergeron said in a prepared statement. "I was thankful that my race partner had kept up his physical and mental preparation for the race. It was meant to be."

On the way north, good snow and well-frozen rivers eased the path of the two riders. They received fuel and oil at race checkpoints, but were otherwise on their own for the duration of the race. In Nome, they got one day off to rest and repair their machines.

An Iron Dog champion snowmobiler built the sleds Bernier and Bergeron used this year, and they made it to the halfway mark in good condition. "Our sleds were in the best shape of any," Bernier said, noting they needed less than four minutes of "wrench time" in Nome.

The route back south proved more challenging, as a river they had ridden on earlier in the week had thawed out. It was the same river, Bernier said, that ended their race prematurely last year when Bergeron's sled sank into the water.

"With this race you can never let your guard down," he said.

With only a two-hour break for dinner, Bergeron and Bernier rode continuously from 8 a.m. Friday to Saturday evening to finish the race. At the finish, they posed for a picture in front of the setting sun before heading off to celebrate with family, friends and the other racers.

Back in New England, Bernier and Bergeron are fixtures of the snow-rider community. Bernier has served on Hancock's Conservation Commission since 2017, working to protect local trails, and is a member of the Washington Snow Riders and Merrimack Valley Trail Riders. Bergeron is the former county director of the N.H. Snowmobile Association and is now business director for that group. He's also vice chair of the Northeast chapter of the International Snowmobile Congress and a member of Winchester Trail Riders. Both are members of the New England Trail Riders Association and N.H. Off-Highway Vehicle Association.

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Abigail Ham can be reached at 603-355 8554 or aham@keenesentinel.com.

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