2009 Mushing History Conference

The 2009 Mushing History Conference is scheduled for the first weekend in November, with a meeting for the presenters planned for Friday, November 6th, and the Conference to be held on Saturday and Sunday, November 7th and 8th.

A sampling of the confirmed speakers to date is available at the conference website. For information about the Conference contact:

Conference Director: Tim White, 881 County Road 14, Grand Marais, MN; email: twhite@boreal.org

Coordinator: Helen Hegener, Northern Light Media, P.O. Box 759, Palmer, Alaska 99645; (907) 354-3510; email: helen@northernlightmedia.com

Trailbreakers: Pioneering Alaska's Iditarod

Trailbreakers: Pioneering Alaska's Iditarod, Volume 1: Blazing the Last Great Gold Rush Trail 1840-1930, by Rod Perry. This book is, according to the author, "The most authentic, thorough treatment ever given the gold rush history of the old Iditarod Trail, done as only one who is not only a master writer, story teller and historian who has driven dogs on weeks-long trips through trackless arctic wilderness could tell it."

Iditarod! The most in-depth, definitive work on the old Gold Rush Trail. A historical narrative written by a race pioneer who ran the first Iditarod in 1973 .
Well known for his ability to tell a colorful story, Rod Perry is one of the premier authorities on the Iditarod Trail.

Informative excerpt from the book's Facebook page: TRAILBREAKERS Volume I is the most-complete, most-accurate telling of how the fabled Iditarod Trail came to be. As it relates the 1840-1930 progression of events establishing the “Last Great Gold Rush Trail in North America,” the book educates and corrects long-standing myths and misinformation that have grown up. It interests and entertains, filled as it is with humorous anecdotes and colorful gold rush tales. Anyone acquainted with Rod Perry as a raconteur knows he couldn’t write history any other way.

To order TRAILBREAKERS Volume 1 visit author Rod Perry's dynamic website, which features a peek inside the book, an expanded author's profile, and a galley of historic gold rush photographs.

Lance and his Leaders

Lance Mackey and his lead dogs, Larry and Maple. Photo by Theresa Daily, Daily's Web Design, GoMush.com



Tonya Mackey bestows a kiss on her husband's leader, Maple. Photo by Theresa Daily, Daily's Web Design, GoMush.com

Lance Seizes the Lead

Lance heading out on the Iditarod Trail from the Willow Re-Start on Sunday, photo by Helen Hegener, Northern Light Media.

According to his Comeback Kennel website, Lance's team includes: Larry (Team Dog), Chucko (Team Dog), BoyCuz (Team Dog), Maple (Leader), Rapper (WheelDog), Tulasak (Team Dog), Pimp (Wheel), Dred (Leader) Rev (Leader), Battel (Leader), Niki (Team), Lippy (Leader), Shasta (Team ), Zena (Leader), Pauly (Wheel/Team)

From Lance's site: He still has 16 healthy, happy dogs running in his team. Four of those dogs are rookies to this years Iditarod trail. They have done good, trained well and now they have accomplished running over half the Iditarod trail. He couldn't be happier. "It's like watching your kids grow up and do well" he says" there's a certain amount of pride taken in watching them excel"

Iditarod Updates

Jon Little's Trail Notes:

Only Lance Mackey can lose about an hour getting lost at the end of a long run, and not have it effect his race much. Mackey is in control of this race now, the earliest he ever taken charge. Now the question is, can anybody challenge him?

Josh Rogers' Iditablog:

The question now shifts to if either Seavey, King, or Neff will be able to make up the distance between them, and Lance Mackey. Hugh Neff is facing some pretty formitable competitors in a hunt for his first victory, Jeff King is searching for a 5th Iditarod Championship, and Mitch Seavey is looking for his second.

Anchorage Daily News:

Mackey on Friday fell asleep on his sled during a 25-mile run from Shageluk to the Yukon River town of Anvik, took a wrong turn and cost his team a couple of hours, briefly sapping its spirit.

But by Saturday morning Mackey's 16-dog freight train was rolling again. He reached Eagle Island at 8:33 a.m., and an hour later he was still alone there.

Kleedehn Still Leading, Neff Close Behind

Brent Sass leaving Circle City, photo by Helen Hegener

February 22, 2009; 1630 AKST (Circle City, Alaska) - William Kleedehn and Hugh Neff arrived at Central Checkpoint this afternoon within three minutes of one another. The two have been consistently near the top of the leader board since the race started eight days ago, but to be within three minutes of each other at this stage of the race will make for an incredible finish.

There's a Central checkpoint photo and more of this race update at the Northern Light Media Journal.

"300 Miles of Mushers"

Updates from the Yukon Quest site this morning:

Yukon Quest mushers and their dog teams will soon be stretched across nearly 300 miles of trail.

The 5 front runners are in and out of Eagle Checkpoint, on their way to Slaven's Roadhouse and should reach Circle City some time close to midnight Saturday.

Check the race site for complete information on the mushers' positions. And from another race update:

By late Friday evening both Slaven's Roadhouse, the next stop for the front runners, and Circle Checkpoint, the first checkpoint on the Alaska road system, were populated with Yukon Quest Judges and Veterinary Team members awaiting the arrival of the first teams. While teams are not anticipated to arrive in Circle until midnight Saturday, unpredictable weather conditions made it prudent to position Race Personnel at the earliest possible opportunity.

Saturday's reported clearing weather should allow race organizers to complete the flights delayed by Friday's weather system, and the accumulating snowfall should continue to improve trail conditions for Yukon Quest mushers and their dog teams.

Five Quest Mushers Scratched

With Josh Cadzow's return to the Dawson City checkpoint this morning, five Yukon Quest mushers have now scratched from the race: Jean-Denis Britten, Jerry Joinson, Hans Gatt, David Dalton and now rookie favorite Josh Cadzow of Fort Yukon. Twenty-four mushers are still headed for Fairbanks.

Photo by John Hagen.

The Yukon Quest Continues

It's time for Team and Trail to pick up on the Yukon Quest, which started on February 14th in Whitehorse, and is heading for Fairbanks, 1,000 miles away. The teams are just coming off their mandatory 36 hour rests in Dawson City, and the big news as they get back on the trail again is three time Quest champion Hans Gatt's not joining them. He scratched from this race to refocus his efforts on the upcoming Iditarod. Details at the Yukon Quest site, Northern Light Media Journal, and no doubt many other sources.

Photo by John Hagen.

Klondike 300 Slideshow

It was such a lovely day today I drove up to Willow's Eagle Quest Lodge at Deshka Landing and took a few quick photos of a couple of the teams going through. Nothing fancy, no close-up shots here, and almost as many "interesting tree shots" as sled dog teams. But for what it's worth, here's the slideshow. (Note the link goes to the album; click the slideshow link for the show. You can control the time onscreen, or pause the photos.)

For current musher standings check the website.

Klondike 300

The Klondike 300, originally scheduled for January 17 but delayed by adverse weather conditions, starts at 10 am Saturday, February 7 at the Tug Bar, at the end of the Knik-Goose Bay Road, south of Wasilla, Alaska. The mushers currently entered are, in starting order: Carmen Perezchino, Abby West, Louise Bissonnett, Kristy Berington, Ray Redington Jr., Cym Smyth, Ryan Redington, Steve Geiger, Jessie Royer, Aaron Burmeister, Benedict Beisch, DeeDee Jonrowe, Jim Lanier, Emil Churchin, Lance Mackey, Nancy Yoshida, and Jan Steve. For complete information about the mushers and the race visit the race website.

A Texan Coming North

There's a Texan coming back to Alaska in March... Sarida Steed-Bradley is returning for this year's Iditarod after 37 years away from Alaska. To say she's excited would be an understatement; reading her weblog, Return to Alaska, A Journey North, gives some small indication of what this trip will mean for her:

Alaska has called me back. Over the past year and many months I've found my thoughts and dreams turning north as if magnetised like a compass needle. I'm almost ready to go.

And later, she reveals part of the greater impetus behind her pilgrimage:

Phil had just recently been discharged from the Army. He was back at Gramma and Grandpaw's house for a few weeks to gather his hunting and fishing gear, visit family, see friends and prepare to move. His decision had not gone over well with the family and we had hastened up the road from Austin for a weekend visit before he left. Why Alaska, for crying out loud? Nothing anyone said could change his mind, because Alaska had claimed his heart.

Sarida already has some wonderful stuff on her blog, like all the mushers drawn for the 1972 Fur Rendezvous in Anchorage, and a lovely photo of the beautiful full color patch she designed for Lance Mackey's inimitable lead dog, Larry. She shares some of her hopes for her trip, like seeing the Aurora Borealis again, and some marvelous re-writings of favorite old Alaskan-oriented songs. Get to know this lady from Texas now, and follow along as she traces her roots back into the North Country.

Commentary by Joe May

There's a very interesting commentary by Joe May at the Don Bowers site, and as usual, Joe's writing is stellar:

The mushers of this years Bowers race will use trails, knowledge, and skills that developed and evolved here in the upper valley by those unique characters. I thought it a fine gesture to recognize them and the time they defined….good history is so easy lost.

Joe's right about the good history, and with many years on the trail, he's one who should know. Click over and read what he has to say.

Dogsled Mail in Alaska, 1890s–1963

An interesting post about delivering mail by dogteam in Alaska between the 1890's and 1963:

In 1963, the U.S. Post Office Department honored Chester Noongwook of Savoonga, on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. He was the last mail driver...

Klondike 300

The race has been delayed by weather conditions - see update at the Klondike 300 site.

The Klondike 300 Sled Dog Race starts at 10:00 am Saturday, January 24, at the Tug Bar, at the end of the Knik-Goose Bay Road, Knik, Alaska. The Klondike is a 300 mile race held annually (usually on the third weekend of January) and covers a course from the start at Tug Bar on Knik-Goose Bay Road, through Deshka, with food drops, dog drops, and six hour layovers at Yentna Station,and Angel Haven Lodge, then back to Yentna Station for dog and food drops and another six hour layover, then back through Deshka to the starting point and finish at the Tug Bar.

Starting order for the race: Carmen Perezchino, Sterling, Alaska; Becca Moore, Montana Creek, AK; Matt Hayashida, Willow, AK; Abby West, Two Rivers, AK; Ramy Smyth, Willow, AK; Wade Marrs, Wasilla, AK; Louis Bissonnette, Two Rivers, AK; Jen Seavey, Sterling, AK; Kristy Berington, Kasilof, AK; Ray Redington, Jr., Wasilla, AK; Cym Smyth, Big Lake, AK; Ryan Redington, Wasilla, AK; Wattie Donald, Scottland; Steve Geiger, Willow, AK; Jessie Royer, Fairbanks, AK; Mike Barnett, Scotland; and Dan Kaduce, Fairbanks, AK.

2009 Iditarod Wells Fargo Mushers' Drawing Banquet

Get your tickets (while they are still available) to the 2009 Wells Fargo Mushers' Drawing Banquet to take place on Thursday, March 5th at the brand new Dena’ina Center in downtown Anchorage. This is the first time for this banquet that the venue is large enough to hold every Iditarod fan who wants to attend. We’ve been turning people away for years. So come join us this year! Dress is casual. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. The program and dinner begin at 6 p.m. The dinner menu consists of boneless short ribs, salad, vegetables and desert. (Vegetarian meals available upon request.)

The main part of the program for the evening will be the mushers drawing for their starting positions. This is your chance to get up close and personal with the 2009 mushers and an excellent opportunity to get their autographs as they take their place in the autograph line after they’ve drawn their starting number. Tickets are $65 and tables seat 10. To order tickets, go to www.iditarodstore.com and click on Banquet Tickets. If you have further questions, please contact banquet coordinator, Sue Albright, at 907-352-2201.

Mitch Seavy Wins the Kusko 300

Mike Campbell reported for this morning's Anchorage Daily News:

Seavey early this morning wrapped up his second consecutive Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race, coming from behind on the last stretch to win in 38 hours, 30 minutes, just eight minutes faster than Martin Buser of Big Lake.

Jeff King of Denali Park, who led earlier Monday, slipped to third, 90 minutes behind Seavey.

Seavey's second consecutive Kusko victory was his third overall in the world's richest middle-distance sled dog race, earning him $20,000 of the $100,000 purse. Only King, who has won eight times in Bethel, owns more Kusko titles.

The Kuskokwim 300 site has complete race updates.

Delayed, Wet Kusko

Looks like another wet Kuskokwim 300 shaping up. Mike Campbell reported an update in today's Anchorage Daily News:

Wet, warm weather that's blanketed much of Alaska forced organizers of the world's richest middle-distance sled dog race to postpone today's scheduled start.

The 30th running of the $100,000 Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race, due to begin at 6:30 tonight, has been pushed back to 3 p.m. Saturday, with the shorter Bogus Creek 150 now due to start and hour later.

Some racers and organizers feared this week's warm-up would turn the race into a rerun of last year's "Kusko-swim" that turned the 300-mile trail from snow to water in 24 hours, pinning two mushers down 50 miles from the finish line and putting more than a dozen snowmachines underwater.

Martin Buser's wife Kathy has a good post at their Happy Trails Kennel blog:

Alaska Airlines is to be commended for it's unbelievable work in accommodating dogs and people through the entire ordeal. Ticketing, reticketing, moving dogs, working so hard to get dog teams and mushers into Bethel. Our flight included Jeff King, John Baker, Mitch Seavey and dogs, Ken Anderson and his dogs and Martin and our team. The service provided makes Alaska Airlines one of the most unique in the business, remaining flexible and working hard to get people and dogs where they need to be safely. We can't thank all the Airline people associated with this flight enough. They worked overtime and went way beyond the regular duties to make this trip as managable as possible.

Kuskokwim 300

The Kuskokwim 300 is considered one of the the Big Four of Alaska distance mushing, along with the Copper Basin 300, the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, and there's a great article about the Kusko by reporter Mike Campbell in the Jan. 13th Anchorage Daily News:

...as usual, the Kusko field is stacked. Entrants include:

• Four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King, whose eight victories in Bethel make him the winningest Kusko musher in history;

• Fellow four-time Iditarod champ Martin Buser, who has prevailed twice at the Kusko;

• Defending champ Mitch Seavey of Sterling, who last year earned more prize money in a single season than any musher in history. In addition to the Kusko ($20,000), Seavey was seventh in the Iditarod ($48,000) and won the All-Alaska Sweepstakes' $100,000 winner-take-all jackpot.

• Ken Anderson of Fairbanks, whose second place in the Yukon Quest, followed by fourth in the Iditarod, suggest he's poised for a championship breakthrough.

All are chasing the winner's $20,000 share of the $100,000 purse, mushing's biggest prize after the Iditarod and Quest.

The more interesting part of Campbell's article, however, is about the many Native distance mushers, both those entered in the Kusko and it's related shorter races - the Bogus Creek 150, and Akiak Dash, and those who've now retired. It's a good article, and the Kusko 300 is going to be a great race!

Klondike 300 postponed until Monday

The Klondike 300 has been postponed until Monday. From the site:

WE HAVE 18 MUSHERS SIGNED UP. AND WE DISCUSSED WITH THE DOG MUSHERS OF ALL THE OPTIONS WE HAD (AND THERE WEREN'T TO MANY OF THEM). WE DISCUSSED THE TRAIL SITUATION AND THAT PART CAN BE DEALT WITH. THE RIVERS HOWEVER ARE A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY, WHEN I SPOKE WITH RON FROM DESHKA HE SAID IN A FEW HOURS THE 2 INCHES OF OVERFLOW ON THE MAIN TRAILS ON THE RIVER TURNED INTO 4 INCHES IN SEVERAL AREAS. WHEN HE GOT OFF THE PACKED TRAIL 8 INCHES OF WATER. WE LET THE MUSHERS DECIDE ON STARTING ON SUNDAY OR MONDAY AS THE WEATHER IS "PREDICTED" AS COLDER.
THE MAJORITY THOUGHT MONDAY AT 10 AM WOULD BE THE START. PAT PATTERSON AND I PLAN TO RIDE THE RIVER SATURDAY AND SEE FOR OURSELVES WHAT THE SITUATION IS AND HOW TO PROCEED FROM THERE, AND I'LL POST IT HERE ASAP. BEN KLEINENBERG

Mushers signed up for the Klondike 300, in starting order:

1. JESSICA HENDRICKS, TWO RIVERS .AK
2. CARMEN PERZECHINO, STERLING, AK
3. BECCA MOORE, MONTANA CR. AK
4. MATT HAYASHIDA, WILLOW, AK
5. ABBY WEST, TWO RIVERS, AK.
6. RAMY SMITH, WILLOW, AK
7. WADE MARRS, WASILLA, AK
8. LOUIS BISSONNETTE, TWO RIVER, AK
9. JEN SEAVEY, STERLING, AK
10. KRISTY BERINGTRON, KASILOF, AK.
11. RAY REDINGTON JR., WASILLA, AK.
12. CIM SMYTH, BIG LAKE, AK.
13. RYAN REDINGTON, WASILLA, AK.
14. WATTIE DONALD, SCOTLAND
15. STEVE GIEGER, WILLOW, AK.
16. JESSE ROYER, FAIRBANKS, AK.
17. MIKE BARNETT, SCOTLAND
18. DON KADUCE, FAIRBANKS, AK.

2009 Copper Basin 300 Finish

Lance Mackey won the 2009 Copper Basin 300 Sled Dog Race at 4:41 at Wolverine Lodge on Lake Louise, northwest of Glennallen, Alaska.

For his time on the trail he’ll take home 25% of the $18,000 purse, or $4,500, and his name will be added to the base of the handsome race trophy. Previous winners of the Copper Basin 300, billed as “the toughest 300 miles in Alaska,” are listed at the CB300 website.

Among the front runners who also left the Sourdough checkpoint in the running for first place position were Hans Gatt, Brent Sass, and Allen Moore, three time winner of the CB300.

Congratulations, Lance!

No one in sight behind him! Photos in a few minutes…

Link to CB300 Start Photos

Start photos for the Copper Basin 300 are posted at the Northern Light Media Journal.

10:00 Monday update: three mushers resting at the Sourdough checkpoint: Lance Mackey, Sven Haltmann, and Hans Gatt.

Copper Basin 300 Update

Team crossing the Richardson Highway

Lance Mackey is the first musher into Sourdough checkpoint at 5:15 am on Monday. For more information see the Northern Light Media's Journal or you can subscribe to the Sled Dog News list for frequent race updates and discussion.

Copper Basin 300

Sunday Morning: Mushers are leaving Chistochina, headed across country to Paxon.
CB300 Trail Map
Some great photos
The latest race updates
Lance headed for Paxon at 6:04. Folowing him out of Chistochina just after 8 am were Braxton Peterson, Harry Alexie, Brent Sass, and Sven Haltmann.
There's discussion of the race happening on the Sled Dog News group.

Update Saturday Evening: 1st into Glennallen checkpoint: Allen Moore, followed closely by Hans Gatt and Lance Mackey! Check the Copper Basin 300 site for times and information on all the teams into Glennallen!


Minus Forty at Lake Louise


The Race Announcers


Lining out the team


Getting Ready to Go


Harry Alexie doing some last minute packing


Braxton Peterson with a big smile


Lance Mackey heads back to his sled at the start


Colleen Robertia


Can we go yet?


Aliy Zirkle


Sven Haltmann


Lance Mackey signs in at Glennallen


Race Headquarters in Glennallen


Updating the standings

The 2009 Copper Basin 300 Sled Dog Race started Saturday, January 10 at 10:00 am, at the Wolverine Lodge on Lake Louise, northwest of Glennallen, Alaska. With a poster tagline of “Twenty years of the toughest 300 miles in Alaska,” this well-respected mid-distance race has once again drawn an impressive line-up of mid-to-long distance mushers, including the defending champion, Allen Moore of Two Rivers, Alaska, who also won in 2005 and 2007. Iditarod and Yukon Quest champion Lance Mackey, who won the CB300 in 2006 and came in second last year, is also racing again this year. Follow this link for Northern Light Media's opening coverage of the race.

Knik 200 Coverage

Knik 200 Joe Redington Memorial Sled Dog Race coverage and photos can be found at the Northern Light Media Journal, the Go Mush website, and of course at the Knik 200 site.