T200 Musher Roster up to twenty names. Deadline today.

2012 winning cover art drawn by local student. So cute!

With the 2012 Tustumena 200 set to begin on Saturday (January 28), fans of mushing and the race itself are eagerly awaiting the release of the official roster. Race coordinators have done an amazing job keeping fans updated via their website and their facebook page. The deadline to sign up for this year's race is today, Monday January 23.

On the list of mushers this year are four time Iditarod Champion Jeff King - who just last year was "retired" from racing - and Alaskan favorite DeeDee Jonrowe. Peninsula musher Paul Gebhardt, and 2011 Iditarod runner up Cim Smyth are also competing. Gebhardt just finished the Kuskokwim 300 yesterday in third place and earlier in the season Jeff King won the Sheep Mountain 150. The Junior T boasts a whopping four entrants, including last year's winner Conway Seavey. Seavey's dad, Mitch, is the 2004 Iditarod Chamion and his older brother Dallas won the 2011 Yukon Quest.

Word from the trail says it is in the best condition it's been in years, and the new checkpoints are getting a lot of positive feedback. The one downside is that Clam Gulch, a mainstay for the race, will not be a check point this year. Originally Clam Gulch was a stop, but an announcement was made late last week that there would be changes to the proposed trail. New to the race this year, and going back to the race's roots, is the check point in Homer. Other check points include Oil Well and Freddie's Roadhouse in Caribou Hills - which will serve as the halfway layover. Homer will also have a mandatory layover during both legs of the race.

Vet checks are Friday afternoon, the junior race begins at 9am in Kasilof, the 200 will follow at 11am.