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!

'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!)