Holmes out of Nulato, Phillips stays

Jessie Holmes was first into the checkpoint of Nulato Thursday night. The musher chose to grab a bale of straw and a couple of items before heading back down the trail. The assumption is the musher will take his 24 in Kaltag, which is next up for the musher. It's puzzling if he's taking straw and planning to 24 in Kaltag if the straw is just a ruse for those following behind, or if he's actually planning to go further into the race before 24ing.

This year the race is requiring teams to take a mandatory 8 rest on the "loop" part of the trail from Kaltag to Kaltag. If Holmes decides to not stay in Kaltag outbound checkpoint he could go to the very remote Eagle Island or Grayling to 24, and then he would most likely do his 8 on Kaltag inbound. This is all conjecture and it's no doubt what the mushers jockeying for position are trying to figure out. (there are other checkpoints, too, but if we try to stay with more tradition strategy of second leg racing...)

Michelle Phillips was close behind Holmes, coming into the checkpoint before Jessie had fully left. The livefeed went down as Phillips was coming in and it was speculated that she had also blown through the checkpoint, but her GPS tracker still has her INTO Nulato. It could be Phillips plans to take her 24 here before continuing on to the "second leg".

Further back is the chase pack of Mitch Seavey who spent 3.5 hours in Galena contemplating if he would 24 earlier than planned or if he would continue with his "plan A". Seavey told Insider in a rare interview for Iditarod 53 that plan A has him 24ing in Nulato. After assessing his team, the three-time Iditarod champion took off down the trail.

Travis Beals followed close behind, with Insider's Sean Underwood reporting that Travis had told him he was going to 24 here, but changed his plans. It's anyone's guess if Beals is feeling the pressure to not let Holmes, Phillips, and Seavey get too far ahead of him, or if he - like Seavey - reevaluated his team during his break. Beals spent a much longer time resting in the checkpoint and may overtake Mitch before reaching Nulato.

Nicolas Petit rounds out the top five currently on the GPS tracker. No one ever knows to expect from Nic except to expect nothing. So... not much commentary here (other than every time his team is on camera fans comment on how leggy his team is).

Matt Hall is still in Galena and at this point we can safely assume he is taking his 24.

At the back of the Pack, Deeter has picked off a few more teams after resting through the heat of the day on the trail. Quince Mountain, current Red Lantern, is also on the move again and closing in on the resting Mike Parker with the Northern Whites. Matt Failor is also resting on the trail just a little further up from Parker. 

Current top Rookie (which for Iditarod only "true"/first year rookies are eligible for rookie of the year) is still Emily Ford running with the Shameless Huskies kennel. The team is currently running in 13th place. 

Tomorrow may be the day for fans to nap, we seem to be headed into the 24 hour resting period for the race. It's all up in the air, but at somepoint teams will run out of trail where it makes sense to take the "reset" rest.

2025 Kuskokwim 300 race preview

 

Someone cue up the chorus from Andy Williams' "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", because that's exactly where we are in the mushing season. The Kuskokwim 300 is upon us! 

After having to postpone the race by a couple of weeks due to the insanely warm weather Alaska suffered for most of December and January destroying trail, the Kusko is ready to go. The cold snap that settled on Alaska at the end of January helped stabalize several areas along the river route for the promise of a safe, yet tough, trail.

With much of Alaska still without snow (from Willow to Anchorage and points in between there's ice but very little of the white stuff), the West Coast has finally seen a little bit of snow along with the more normal winter temperatures.

Currently, Accuweather forecasts 20F at the start of the Kusko on Friday with wind gusts of up to 20mph. A tad warmer than last year's frigid Kusko, but the Coastal Winds of Alaska are no joke. For most of the race, teams will run on or along the river before hitting a portage of sorts that is known to be a difficult stretch as the terrain is reminiscent of the Iditarod's "burn" section with exposed tussoks for miles. With all of the river trail, there is always the threat of overflow for the teams (several years ago we saw the finish slow significantly as winds brought warm air and rain that turned the end of the race into an absolute slog). 

The Kusko saw quite a few teams withdraw in the last few days. Some withdrew after the race was postponed because they had other races lined up already for February. Some withdrew as late as Tuesday. With all of the unknowns both with the weather as well as not being able to get all of the training in with lack of trails close to home, it's any wonder the seventeen teams still signed up are still ready to go!

Teams have already made their way to Anchorage to fly out to Bethel with most arrivals scheduled for Wednesday. The Kusko knows how to put on a dog race and it's a full on celebration that rivals the Beargrease and the Scandinavian Races as far as the excitement surrounding it. It's rock concert level. Bethel hosts the start and finish of the Kusko and acts as a major hub for the region. The entire community takes part in the festivities and cheering on the mushers, each team is hosted by a family who offer up their yard for the dogs and their home for the handlers. 

The Kusko is also one of the races that you can create a Fantasy Mushing team (for free) to help bring another element of excitement for armchair mushers as they follow along. So let's take a look at some of the mushers that have a good chance of scoring high for your team. (This year we're doing a top ten because, reasons.)

Who to Watch

Cody Strathe - Did you watch the Copper Basin? You should have. Cody gave eventual winner Jessie Holmes a run for his money. Cody is a late entry to the Kusko roster, and it's a very good guess that it's in large part due to how the team did in the Copper. This team will also be going to the Iditarod in March (a very late addition) with Cody's wife Paige. This could mean that Cody runs a more conservative race, but.... either way he's a great choice for Fantasy Mushing.

Emily Robinson - Originally, Emily was going to be an honorable mention, but as the list of who to watch grew, she made it on the list because we were so close to having a top ten. This teenage phenom is on everyone's "to watch" list. Robinson has proven last year was not a fluke when she took down Iditarod champions in several "grown up races" when she repeated her wins this season. Robinson chose the Kusko over the WillowJr 100 which is also set for this weekend. This will be her first 300 mile race. Last year Robinson made comments stating 300 milers seemed daunting. She's a confident and smart musher (and she's a steal of a deal for Fantasy Mushing). Expect her to run a smart race, but if she's near the front, don't be surprised if she lets loose. (And did we mention that she's the only junior musher running?)

Hunter Keefe - It'd probably be a good guess that Hunter is using this as a training run for Iditarod, but Hunter also tries to keep from being back of the pack. He runs a very strong team out of Raymie Redington's kennel, and they've proven themselves time and again that they can be in the mix. Hunter would be a solid bet for your Fantasy Team, and we're just here to see Hunter have a fantastic Kusko experience!

Jeff King - Is Jeff still the winningest musher in history? Even if King no longer holds that title, he's no slouch. He may be retired from the Iditarod, he's not retired from racing. King also currently holds the most wins on the Kusko with nine championships. Perhaps that has motivated his return to the Kusko, his title is in danger of being tied this year, and perhaps he feels he has a chance to win just that one more. There are few mushers in this race as seasoned as Mr. The King, and it's always a joy to see him and his team of Husky Homesteaders on the trail.

Matthew Failor - He won in 2019, he knows how to run this race, but his focus is most likely on the Iditarod, so if the race proves to be very challenging - physically or mentally - for the dogs he could end up using this as a training run. However, Failor has worked hard to take the title again the last few races, so don't be surprised if he's one of the ones battling the reigning champion to stop him from repeating yet again. 

Nicolas Petit - This is one of the few 300s in Alaska that Nicolas has not won. This is also the first race we've seen Petit run this season. The musher posted to his social media earlier this season that he was "taking a break" from the mid-distance scene this year, except for the Kusko. Everyone loves the Kusko! Petit typically enjoys speed over following a schedule, though he has tried recently to change it up and use strategy. This will be our first real view of Petit's team ahead of Iditarod, one thing to expect is it's going to be anything but predictable with Nic.

Pete Kaiser - The current King of the Kusko, Pete is looking to tie for the most wins this year. The Bethel local who won the Iditarod in 2019 won his 8th Kusko title last year. Kaiser is not signed up for the Iditarod this year, so the Kusko is his big race of 2025. These are his home trails, he has a lot of knowledge of the area, his team is used to the weather and wind. He has the advantage in so many ways, but as we've seen before - anything can happen. (Plus he is a nice guy and gives his competition information on the trails and tips.)

Riley Dyche - Riley's really starting to climb the ranks this season in the mid-distance races. His team is really gelling (though some say it's due to having bought quite a few of Brent Sass's top dogs). This is Dyche's SECOND Kusko (he signed up for the 2022 race but withdrew) his rookie year he ended up in the top ten which for this race can be quite the accomplishment as the roster is typically stacked with the best of the best and is highly competitive. (Many thanks to those that pointed out that he ran last year, an earlier version of this post had Riley listed as a rookie by mistake.)

Ryan Redington - The 2023 Iditarod Champion, multiple time Beargrease champion. If Ryan's in a race, he's most likely running to win (though he blew that out of the water earlier this season during the Knik when he took the puppy team and let one of his handlers run the main team!). There's no sharing with other handlers/team members so expect Ryan to be in this for more than just a training run (though Iditarod is his main focus, no doubt). Ryan, like Petit, likes to run fast right out of the gate and try to get a large gap between him and the rest of the field and hope the gap is enough that no one catches him towards the end.

Wade Marrs - Okay, so Redington isn't "sharing" a team with a handler, but he IS sharing a few (four) dogs with Wade. Marrs is running mainly with dogs from his Stump Jumpin' Kennel, but did post to social media Tuesday night that he would be taking four dogs from Ryan's kennel that he bonded with over the summer doing tours on the Panhandle. Wade would be considered an outside chance for a win, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. We haven't seen much of Wade this season as he's been doing the family thing in the lower 48 waiting for the weather to cooperate for races closer to home.

Now that we know who has the biggest chance of winning the thing, how can we make sure to follow along with the race?

How to Watch

While many of the other mid distance races rely on fan videos and Kale Casey LIVE to cover their races, the Kusko is unique in that the local grade school runs a program where they film the start and finish of the races. They go live on Facebook with race coverage done mainly by the students. It's fantastic and well worth a watch. Last year the students were unable to film due to tech difficulties, so the official facebook page and the radio station took over the duties.

Official Website

The Kusko's website is pretty slick. You can follow all of the races, fundraising and news from their site. It's easy to navigate and they have great musher bios. And this is where you will find those ever important in and out times from the checkpoints. Be sure to check it out.

GPS Tracker

Real time updates will come through the trackers as always. With the cold there may be more glitches than we'd like (blame the aliens!) but there's not much we can do. Cold and technology don't get along. The link for trackleaders hasn't gone live yet, so this will get edited once it does. Once it goes live you should be able to view them here.

Radio Broadcast

KYUK Radio will broadcast the start which begins at 8:00pm (start listening at 7:30pm for pre-race info). You can listen to the broadcast online through this link.

Social Media

Updates will most likely be posted on the race's Facebook page, and possibly their twitter account. Photo updates should come from Instagram. They typically try to have a Facebook live feed. If you are tweeting, instagramming, etc. the traditional hashtag is #K300.

KYUK is also plans to post updates on their Facebook page, including Facebook interviews with the mushers from the last week or so.

Most mushers have facebook these days, and many of them have someone monitoring and posting to those pages during the race. To find and follow all mushers in this year's race, check out the 2025 Kusko 300 musher roster on this blog where all socials are linked.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, February 5
Vet Checks

Thursday, February 6
Vet Checks
5pm - Musher Meeting
7pm - Bib Draw 

​Friday, February 7
8:00pm 1:00pm - Kuskokwim 300 START*
8:40pm 7:30pm- FIREWORKS*

Saturday, February 8
NOON - Akiak Dash Mass Start

Monday, February 9
6pm - Musher Awards

*Schedule changed due to forecasted warm up on Sunday.

Who do you think will cross the finish line first? Who do you expect to beat every expectation? Can Pete Kaiser win his 9th title? How about that Emily Robinson? Comment below with your thoughts!

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Iditarod 52 top "ten"

Let's face it, this blog will never have a true top ten. With a smaller roster and more competitive teams than ever it's more than impossible to narrow it down. Too many variables. Too many changes to roster last minute that could shake things up. Too many, too many, too many!

With the news last week of first Eddie Burke Jr. being DQed from the race last Tuesday (only to be reinstated Friday, then announced Monday he's withdrawing) and Brent Sass DQed on Thursday, predictions blew apart for everyone. It will be interesting to see how the drama will effect not just the teams involved, but the race in general. If this race goes off like other "over dramatc" years, it may all be forgotten for the two weeks of Iditarod as everyone gathers to celebrate. Often the pomp and circumstance of the Ceremonial and Re-Start have a way of helping fans and the mushing community move on - especially if the starts are a success.

With a roster of thirty-nine teams the roster is a who's who of competitive long distance teams. Three Iditarod Champions are on the roster, two teams are back after a short hiatus, and perennial favorites. It's a roster that seems very familiar, and yet new at the same time.

But who takes top prize is anyone's guess. Let's take a look at some solid bets for your Fantasy Team.

Aaron Burmeister - One of the mushers that has tried and failed to stay away. Burmeister took the 2023 race off as a hiatus to spend more time with the family. Burmeister has found himself consistently in the top ten over the last decade with just a couple of dips out of it. He came close to winning the whole thing in 2021 when he almost caught Dallas in the final hours of the Gold Loop Trail. Burmeister's been quiet this season, choosing not to run the Kusko 300 as he'd originally planned citing concerns over the weather and trail conditions. Could the year off be what Aaron needed to finally bring his first win in his home town?

Dallas Seavey - The other musher who chose to take last year off and then surprised many when he showed up in June to sign up for the 52nd running of Iditarod. The five-time champion spent last year's race on the back of an iron dog to - he said - share the experience with his kiddo... but was he also studying his future competition? One thing is for certain, Dallas' quest for six is back on and it may be a bumpy one. Fans will remember that one of Dallas' handlers was running a team on the Denali Highway when it was struck by a snow machine. Several dogs were injured and killed - some that may have made Dallas's team for Iditarod otherwise. Dallas' operation is big enough that he should still have a strong team to challenge for another title, and it never hurts to run with a chip on your shoulder. The real question is - will we see The Sweater?

Jessie Holmes - Six Iditarods. Six finishes. Four top ten finishes. It looks like Team Can't Stop lives up to their name. Jessie Holmes is the "reality star" though he's more than capable of long distance mushing. He's had a short race season this year, but he very nearly ran down Brent Sass in the Copper Basin 300. Holmes has the goal and drive to win Iditarod, but as we all know it's a whole lot easier on paper than it is to actually do. Jessie is an interior musher who lives a subsistence lifestyle. His dogs are used to colder temperatures so this crazy winter weather Alaska's had recently could play a huge factor on how his team responds to the race. Look for Jessie to run a very aggressive race unless things warm up.

Jessie Royer - One of the few mushers to finish "in the money" with the full team of dogs (and when it was still sixteen dogs at that!), Jessie Royer is a constant in the top ten. The Musher who divides her time between Montana and Alaska (and also divides her time between mushing and mounted shooting) is a fan favorite. She's one of the quiet ones, the steady ones, she's always in the mix but she isn't getting much of the attention. She isn't flashy, she isn't showing off in anyway. She just does it. She rarely complains, she rarely gets excitable. She takes care of her dogs, they head down the trail, and they do well. She calculated and strategic. A good combination for a team. Look for Royer to hang back for the first third of the race before she picks off the teams in front of her.

Matthew Failor - The "17th dog" dog team and musher, Failor is coming off another second place finish in the highly competitive Kuskokwim 300 narrowly missing the chance to run down Pete Kaiser. Failor told the local media that he is "really, really good" at finishing second. Failor finally cracked the top ten last year finishing 8th in the Iditarod. Matthew's won the Most Improved musher several times in Iditarod, and won Most Inspirational for having to dispatch several moose on the trail sacrificing his race as he had to dress each one. He prides himself on having won several humanitarian (ie best cared for dogs) in other races. The new dad should have a good run to Nome.

Matt Hall - This newly wed combined kennels with his bride and is now one half of the mushing team of Silver Aces kennel. Hall is a former Yukon Quest Champion (back in the day of thousand mile races). Matt pulled off a fourth place finish in the Iditarod and in 2021 won most inspirational musher. He's been mushing the majority of his life, starting his own kennel at age 16. Matt's finished in the top ten twice in his five Iditarods - his rookie year he barely missed the top ten coming in 11th place. Hall had a strong finish in the Copper Basin 300 this year placing fifth. If all goes right he should see another top ten finish in this year's Iditarod.

Paige Drobny  - Squid Acres is the place to be! Dog mushin' is the life for.... sorry, got carried away. If you aren't aware of Paige Drobny you haven't been paying attention. Drobny and her Squids are often near or on top of the podium at any race, and while she hasn't always cracked the top ten at Iditarod she's poised to jump back into that ranking with the Squids not being divided by two teams this year. Paige came in fourth place in the Copper Basin and her husband Cody Strathe came in third. Combining the best of both teams into one mega team just may be the key to Drobny meeting or beating her best placement (two 7th place finishes). 

Pete Kaiser - The 2019 Iditarod Champion just won his eighth Kukso 300 with a full compliment of 12 dogs at the finish. Kaiser owns his hometown race, focusing much of his energy in competiting for top prize. The last couple of years for Iditarod fans were left wondering if Kaiser had plans to sign up, the champion choosing to wait and sign up later than what most do. Pete gave last year's champion a major run for his money, seeming to catch up to him in the final leg and be poised to overtake him, but the Bethel musher chose to hang back and give his dogs more rest - reading their needs over his need for a win. Second place is nothing to sniff at, and Pete gave quite the show for fans (he also got high praise from Dallas Seavey in the impromptu Insider feeds). Could it be Kaiser's turn to repeat in Iditarod this year?

Ryan Redington - Speaking of last year's champion. He did it. A Redington is finally champion (and for this year reigning) of Joe Redington Sr's race. As most champions will tell you, repeating is crazy hard. Few have won it a second time much less consecutively. Many of the ones that have in modern race history were generational mushers. Ryan is a generational musher. Redington had to change all of his mushing plans this year as his winter training grounds in the Lower 48 never had winter, so he pivoted and traveled to Alaska to hit up all of the races he normally misses. The reigning champ has a new found swagger of confidence which could help him navigate his defending championship run. 

Travis Beals - Though the last couple of years he's not made it to the top ten, Travis seems to be in a very good headspace with a strong team to make it back in and challenge for a top spot. Beals is a new dad who is now training out of Knik, home of many wonderful trails - including the Iditarod trail he's planning to head down this weekend. Travis finished third in the Kusko 300, a huge achievement. Travis writes in his Iditarod Bio that he feels he's starting to get to the point where the things in his life outside of mushing are in order to make his goal of winning Iditarod possible. Travis with partner Sarah Stokey welcomed their first child, Elias, this past year.

But, what about...?! you say. Of course we aren't going to stop at ten. When has this blog ever stopped at ten? We have a few honorable mentions/wildcards. 

Let's not forget Amanda Otto who nearly ran down Brent Sass last year in the Yukon Quest Alaska with a crazy amazing run in the last leg after banking a ton of rest to push her team on a monster leg. It was incredible and showed her tenacity and her ability to read her team and know how far she could ask them to go. She runs a team out of Jeff King's Husky Homestead so you know it's a good one.

Let's also not forget Hunter Keefe, the happiest musher the world has ever seen. Okay, that's a made up on the spot declaration on this blog's part, but seriously - HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE HUNTER? Keefe runs dogs out of Raymie and Barb Redington's kennel... the parents of the reigning Iditarod Champion. Hunter narrowly missed out on winning Rookie of the Year, and he's had a fantastic season this year as well. Hunter came in fourth at the Kusko 300 in his rookie race. Keefe's positive attitude through any number of trials on the trail keeps his head on straight and he just goes. He even beat Ryan Redington this year! Honestly he probably SHOULD be in the top ten.

We'll put Mille Porsild in here as well, though Mille reported early in the season she's in a sort of rebuilding year with a very young team. Mille's also been sick recently and has had to rely on help of others to keep the training miles up while she recovers (she says she is now on the mend.) Still, Mille is a force on the trail (and off) so if the chips fall into place expect her to blow the top ten wide open.

Last but not least Nicolas Petit needs a mention. Why he isn't in the top ten this year is mainly due to his very lackluster season. While he hasn't bombed completely the musher has been very open about his struggles this year. Not able to get the right food his team enjoys (quality beef), stressing about finances, and just a series of unfortunate setbacks. Petit decided to scale back and focus on the Iditarod - but he kept up appearances by commenting on each race he missed (and some he attended as a spectator - like Fur Rondy this past weekend) via social media. He weighed in on the Idita-drama, and genuinely enthralled his fans with his haiku like posts. It's anyone's guess how Nic's Iditarod plays out this time.

One last musher that needs a mention - Anna Berington. For the first time in *counts on fingers but gives up* a long time, the Beringtons are not running the Iditarod together. Due to rising costs of running a successful racing kennel, the reinstating of the 16-dog team, and Kristy wanting to start a family with her husband, the Seeing Double Racing Kennel decided to take the next step and create one very competitive team. This could be another wildcard, and Anna may very well end up with the award for most improved musher. Anna placed 22nd in last year's Iditarod, so depending on where she ends up finishing she could have the biggest jump in placement.

As with every Iditarod, the certain is never truly certain. So many factors come into play, and just one wrong hair can be enough to derail a top team's plan. But, these names are almost certain to keep you in the running in the Fantasy Mushing realm. (That being said this blogger has yet to crack the top 100 much less the top 10 in Fantasy Mushing.)

So, who are your top ten? Who do you hope takes the top prize? Comment below with your thoughts on this top ten (and then some).

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Twenty teams already signed up for 45th Kusko

In just 48 hours of opening registration, the Kuskokwim 300's roster is 2/3 full. This is the 45th year for the beloved Kusko race, and it seems it's a not to miss event again this year. With registrations coming in quickly, the race took to their Facebook page to announce that mushers still contemplating entering better hurry as there were only ten spots left. The race traditionally limits the roster to 30 teams so as not to overwhelm the communities involved in the race. Unlike many of the mid-distance races, the Kusko is not "on the road system" and so villages rely on local volunteers to keep the race going.

With the smaller roster, it always makes for an incredibly competitive and coveted race. So far for the 2024 Kusko there are three former Kusko champions in the mix as well as two Iditarod champions. There are two women currently signed up, and six rookies line the roster. Several local mushers are in it, including the champion of the newly formed Delta Championship Series (which, don't worry fans, it will return this season). 

Here's the list of names as of October 12, 2023 at 9pm:

Travis Beals
Pete Kaiser*
Brent Sass*
Ebbe Winstrup
Joe Taylor
John Snyder
Dave Turner
Josh McNeal
Raymond Alexie
Gabe Dunham
Lev Shvarts
Richie Diehl
Jessica Klejka
Riley Dyche
Matthew Failor
KattiJo Deeter
Cim Smyth
Jessie Holmes
Hunter Keefe
Isaac Underwood

Bold signifies Kusko Champion
*Asterisk signifes Iditarod Champion
Italics signifies Kusko Rookie 

Mushers have until December 31 to register at the $400 fee, after which it will be $800 to register (if there are spots available). The race begins Friday, January 26, 2023 at 6:30pm in Bethel. Be sure to like/follow them on Facebook to keep up with all the race announcements as well as announcements on the Delta Championship Series.

Who are you most excited to see sign up? Who are you hoping joins the roster? Any early predictions on who takes home the prize? Will Kaiser Re-PETE for an eighth time? Comment below with your thoughts.

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2021 Kuskokwim 300 Race Preview

Mushers and teams arrived today in Bethel, Alaska ahead of the 2021 Kuskokwim 300. The race always boasts an impressive roster of competitive teams, and even in this year of Covid it's no exception. While normally run in January, with rising Covid numbers happening early in the New Year, the race organizers chose to push back the race date to February hoping that Alaska would get the numbers under control (and a vaccine). The Kusko has one of the most intensive Covid-19 mitigation plan of all of the mid-distance races. Being off the road system, the race wants to take every precaution to protect the peoples of Western Alaska. 

Even with all of the changes to make sure they keep the communities along the trail safe, the Kusko still plans to make this a party for the ages. The fireworks are still planned for Friday night after the teams take off, and there will be a pre-recorded virtual awards ceremony on Sunday after everyone completes their race. As always, Bethel knows how to throw a dog race.

With a roster of 16 teams (as of February 7), the race is a balance of top names most everyone recognizes and some local heroes all running their first Kusko. It's promising to be another stellar race and the only bummer is it has to share the weekend with the Summit Quest (the new name of the Alaskan Yukon Quest 300).

So, let's do as we always do and take a look at the teams that are a safe bet to be near the top...

Dave Turner - The 2019 Tustumena 200 champ made Rookie of the Year in last year's Kusko. Turner has already withdrawn from one race this season, and his social media has been quiet since Christmas. I'm unsure if he's actually gone to Bethel, but I look for that info to update by morning one way or the other. Still, if Turner starts on Friday, but sure that he'll once again challenge for a lead spot. 

Jeff King - the 9-time Kusko Champion (and 4 time Iditarod champion among countless other races won) has been busy behind the scenes of this year's race season. He hosted the Denali Doubles at the start of the season, and he's created a new mid-distance qualifier race to take place in March (called the Ididn'trod, because of COURSE he did). But Jeff is now ready to get on the back of a sled and no double cause some trouble for the young guns currently dominating the racing scene. I don't know that I will ever keep him off the "to be watched" lists. (I mean, he DID come in 4th last year. Not too shabby for the "old dawg".)

Matthew Failor - the 2019 Kusko champ came in second sandwiched between two homegrown heroes in last year's race, proving that his win two years ago wasn't an anomaly. Failor has also had an easier season - choosing to send his dogs off with other mushers, but I expect that he'll be ready to go for another title this weekend.

Nicolas Petit - Let's just dub him the King of the Mid-Distance race, okay? One of the few he hasn't won, however, is the Kusko. He should probably be considered an underdog for this race, but he's been hot (as always) in his earlier races. Expect him to start fast early and try to jump to the front and stay there.

Pete Kaiser - the 5-time and reigning champion (and 2019 Iditarod Champion) dominates his home-town race. The homegrown musher is the odds on favorite to make it a 6-Pete, but he'll have his work cut out for him. This is Pete's backyard and he owns it. Do not expect him to be far from first.

Richie Diehl - the other hometown hero, while he's yet to win the Kusko, he did just win the Bogus Creek 150. Do not count him out. His team came in third in last year's race. It would be a huge deal to see Richie and Pete charge to the finish in a 1-2 order. And it's kinda what I'm rooting for. 

How to Follow

Unlike the bigger races like the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, there is very little promise of any video coverage. With the temps dropping so low, even the facebook live feeds we've grown accustomed to cannot be guaranteed. Cold air zaps batteries faster than lighting, and who has the time or ability to keep their fingers exposed long enough to even press "start"?! That being said, the Kusko crew do their best to give us a looksee into the start, fireworks, and finish. So, how can race fans follow along when a race doesn't have Iditarod Insider like coverage?

Official Website

The Kusko's website is pretty slick. You can follow all of the races, fundraising and news from their site. It's easy to navigate and they have great musher bios. Be sure to check it out.

GPS Tracker

Real time updates will come through the trackers as always. With the cold there may be more glitches than we'd like (I blame the aliens!) but there's not much we can do. Cold and technology don't get along. You can follow the trackers here, but they won't go live until closer to go time on Friday.

Radio Broadcast

KYUK Radio will broadcast the start which begins at 6:30pm (start listening at 6pm for pre-race info). You can listen to the broadcast online through this link.

Social Media

Updates will most likely be posted on the race's facebook page, and possibly their twitter account. Photo updates should come from Instagram. They typically try to have a facebook live feed. If you are tweeting, instagramming, etc. the traditional hashtag is #K300.

KYUK is also plans to post updates on their facebook page, including facebook interviews with the mushers from the last week or so.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, February 10
2pm - Covid Tests for Mushers

Thursday, February 11
11am - Food Drops
2pm - Covid Testing
6pm - Musher Meeting (Bib Draw?) 

​Friday, February 12
6:30pm - 2020 Kuskokwim 300 START
8pm - "The Lead Dog Light Show" presented by First National Bank Alaska

Saturday, February 13
2pm - Akiak Dash Mass Start

Monday, February 14
7pm - Virtual Awards Ceremony via Facebook

Which teams are you cheering for? Comment with your thoughts and questions below.

Weekly Mushing News Round Up (July 13)

Happy Friday the Thirteenth! It's been a quiet week online for mushing news, but there are a few tidbits worth sharing, so let's get right to it, shall we?

Retired Iditarod Musher, Karen Ramstead was in the news in Calgary talking of her newest passion - border collies - the article details her life as a musher and how she went from recreational musher to Iditarod musher and back. Karen still has a kennel with a few Siberians and is still active in the mushing community having been a race official for Iditarod several times now.

Newly retired Iditarod musher Scott Janssen - aka the Mushin' Mortician - was awarded by the State of Alaska yesterday for his act of bravery during this year's race. You may remember that Janssen came accross fellow musher Jim Lanier in the infamous "Blow Hole" very close to the finish. Lanier and team were forced down and stuck due to high winds. Both Lanier and Janssen flirted with hypothermia, but Scott refused to leave his fellow musher. He ended his race to get help for his friend.

Mushing Legend and Alaskan hero, Leonhard Seppala's house has been a mainstay in Nome for decades. Seppala, of course, is long gone having moved to the lower 48 after many year's in the "frozen North" before passing away in 1967. The house has become run down and was set to be demolished until a group of mushing enthusiasts and historians came together to try and save the building. Headed by Jon Van Zyle - artist and former Iditarod musher - the house has been saved and the restoration is underway. The house will become a historic building housing a museum of mushing and the history of the serum run that Seppala and his famed dog Togo ran to save Nome from the Diptheria outbreak of 1925








There are still only 29 mushers signed up for Iditarod 2019. Iditarod officials and fans are all hopeful at least once Seavey will add their name to the list soon.

Like I said, it was a light news week... though I am sure I missed something - if there's some news I missed or you feel I should have included, please send me a note! Chances are I just didn't see it.

Disclaimer: all of my blog posts are my own opinion and do not reflect anyone else's viewpoints unless I share a direct quote. I am in no way related to, or employed by, any musher or member of their family/crew.