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.

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.

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.

Jodi Bailey wins Two Rivers Solstice 100

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that Chatanika musher Jodi Bailey won the Two Rivers Dog Mushers Solstice 100 from Pleasant Valley Store to Angel Creek Lodge and back this past weekend, edging out Iditarod and Yukon Quest champion Lance Mackey by a mere two minutes. In the 2007 Gin-Gin 200, Bailey won the women’s division with the fastest overall time, finishing 20 minutes ahead of Lance Mackey’s winning time in the men’s division. Next weekend Bailey and Mackey are poised to duel it out yet again at the 2008 Gin-Gin 200 from Paxon Lodge to MacLaren River and return.

ADN: Sheep Mountain 150 is Back

The Anchorage Daily News posted an article by Kevin Klott, "Sheep Mountain race is back," which details this weekend's 150 mile race from Sheep Mountain Lodge to Eureka Lodge and back. The Sheep Mountain 150 was cancelled last year due to minimal snow conditions, but this year the snowfall has been good and the trails are ready for the largest field of mushers in the race's four year history:

The field includes big-name mushers such as four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King of Denali Park, perennial top-10 Iditarod finishers DeeDee Jonrowe of Willow and Ken Anderson of Fox and three-time Quest champion Hans Gatt of Canada. Missing is two-time Iditarod champion and four-time Quest winner Lance Mackey -- the 2006 Sheep Mountain champion.

Klott's article includes a listing of the mushers entered.

A Patch for Lance Mackey's Zorro

A new fund-raising patch for Lance Mackey's Comeback Kennel focuses on the famous Zorro, stud dog extraordinaire and the victim of Lance's unfortunate encounter with a snowmachine at the end of last spring's All Alaska Sweepstakes race in Nome.

Designed by Mackey fan and textile wizard Sarida Steed-Bradley, of San Antonio, Texas, this unique patch will be a collector's item for any mushing enthusiast! They can be ordered for $10.00 each, postpaid, shipped via U.S. Postal Service, and approximately $7.00 of each patch order goes to support the Comeback Kennel's 2009 racing season. To place your order simply send a personal or business check or money order to: Sarida Steed-Bradley, 115 Wickes Street, San Antonio, Texas 78210-1160. Be sure to include the number of patches you'd like and your mailing address. Pay Pal account: southpaw.dogs@gmail.com


The Larry Appreciation Patch, honoring Lance's intrepid long-time leader and the only dog to win the Golden Harness Award for both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest, is still available in limited numbers, also for $10.00 each postpaid. Join the fun, show off these beautiful patches and support the 2007 and 2008 Iditarod and Yukon Quest champion teams!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas - Iditarod Version

'Twas The Night Before Christmas - Iditarod Version

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the dark,
Not an athlete was stirring, not even one bark!

The harnesses were hung on the dog rack with care,
In hopes that Lance Mackey soon would be there.

The mushers all seated in the snack bar nearby,
While visions of Fourth Street danced in their eye.

And Martin in his parka, just in from Big Lake,
Had just settled down for a long coffee break.

When out in the kennel there arose such a scream,
That Martin, at the table, knocked over the cream!

Away to the lobby, he flew like an eagle,
Tripped over his mukluks, his face in a giggle.

The shine on the ice, from a recent deep freeze,
Gave a luster of bad trails - this race is no breeze!

When what to all eyes should so wonderously quicken,
But a great big dog sled, dogs waggin' and lickin' !

With a cute bearded musher, as if in a trance,
That I knew in a moment it must be our Lance!

More rapid than blizzards, by trailside he came,
And he whistled and shouted, and called dogs by name!

Now Larry, now Hobo, now Hansome and Dred,
On Zorro, on Lippy, on Rapper, they sped...

To the end of the kennel, to the sides to and fro,
Now slip o'er the ice and a'truckin' we go!

As mushers before an Iditarod high,
When they dream of a smooth trail right up to the sky....

So up to the rafters the dogs, they all flew,
The dog sled, the athletes and Lance Mackey too!

And then in a twinkle was heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing, it sounded like "Woof!" !

As the mushers were startled, and were turning around,
From the chimney Lance Mackey came down with a bound!

He was dressed all in fur, and had left his boots on,
When he slipped on some dog poop, his grace was all gone!

A bundle of bones he had flung on his back,
But they shot 'cross the room when his body went SMACK!

His eyes, they were spinning, his brain a bit more,
His cheeks were both frozen, when hitting the floor!

His droll little mouth let out such a shout,
That the mushers all trembled, and quickly ran out!

The line of a harness ended up in his teeth,
And a tug line encircled his head like a wreath!

He had a thin face and a little flat belly,
That shook when he fell like a bowl full of jelly!

He was lanky and lean, and a little bit brass,
And they laughed when they saw him fall right on his a-- !

With a blink of his eye, and a lump on his head,
He spoke not a word - I thought he was DEAD!

He spoke with a mumble, but got up with a bolt,
He couldn't see the mushers, he took such a jolt!

Laying a bootie aside of his nose,
And giving a shudder, to the roof top he rose.

He sprang to his dog sled, and gave it a shout,
With a gee and a haw, they really dug out!

But I heard him exclaim as he flew full of bluster,
"I'll be back next year, 'cause I'm suing you, buster!"

by Walt Tremer

With Apologies to Martin Buser, Lance Mackey and Clement C. Moore (and with special appreciation to Walt Tremer for his kind permission to share this!)