Team and Trail
Long distance sled dog races, or just trips by dogteam... My goal with this blog is simply to help support the history, spirit, passion and love for dog teams and the trails they run.


Thursday, January 22, 2009

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...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

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.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

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.

Friday, January 16, 2009

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.

Monday, January 12, 2009

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. Link

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.

Friday, January 9, 2009

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.