Anchorage Alaska - (Wednesday, March 10th, 2011) XXXIX Musher Trent Herbst (Bib #4) is the first to arrive in the Ghost town of Iditarod, on the banks of Iditarod Creek.  The Ketchum Idaho musher reached Iditarod at 5:29 am Alaska Time with 14 dogs.  The Iditarod Checkpoint signifies the halfway point in the 2011 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

Herbst completed the trek from Takotna to Iditarod in a little over 14 hours. When he arrived in Iditarod he was greeted by Emily Jones, product analyst for GCI, and was awarded the GCI Dorothy Page Halfway Award as well as $3,000 in gold nuggets, courtesy of Iditarod Principal Partner GCI.

Herbst said the trail from Ophir was in good condition, and the northern lights show, compliments of Mother Nature, was a big bonus.

The GCI Dorothy Page Halfway Award will be re-presented to Herbst in Nome on Sunday, March 20th, during the Iditarod Awards Banquet at the Nome Recreation Center.