2024 Kuskokwim 300 race preview

As teams make their way to Bethel, Alaska excitement mounts as some of the sports greatest descend on the highly anticipated Kuskokwim 300. The Western Alaskan race boasts a robust purse, is considered one of the best organized of any sled dog race, and consistently a favorite of mushers and fans alike. This year is no exception with the race seeing the roster full and overflowing in record time. 

This year's race is composed mostly of veterans, with only six? rookies in the mix. It boasts four Kusko champions, and two Iditarod Champions (one of which is a rookie in the race). Eight teams are "local" to the Kusko-Delta area. Three women are going to give the men a run for their money.

Alaska has finally entered the cold snap portion of our winter with the Interior dropping to temps anywhere from -40F to -60F. South Central saw temps as low as -20F. For Western Alaska (where our race will take place) the negative temperatures will be intensified by strong winds. Bethel, Alaska, had winds up to 25mph Monday. A quick look at the weekend forecast has winds between 15 and 25mph during the race. For the evening start it's a forecasted -23F but with the wind it could feel/act more like -45F. Looks like the Kusko and the Copper Basin 300 swapped temps this year.

Registration has already opened for Fantasy Mushing's K300, and how anyone will pick just seven teams for their fantasy roster is a head scratcher. There are so many heavy hitters heading out on the trail this weekend! Let's try to at least take a look at some safe bets for your fantasy team.

Who to watch

Aaron Burmeister - Burmeister sat out last season, spending time being dad at home. Aaron sent his team down the trail with Tony Browning and Eddie Burke Jr. in different races, and fans worried 2022 was the final year they'd see him on the runners. However, like a couple of other well known mushers through the years, Burmeister's hiatus was short lived and he's back racing not only the Kusko this weekend, but he'll race to Nome in the Iditarod as well. Aaron grew up on the West Coast of Alaska, look for him to have a solid run - don't expect him to be rusty. Aaron last raced the Kusko in 2022 and came 7th. Aaron has withdrawn.

Cim Smyth - We all know that with a Smyth in the race the other mushers get a crick in their neck with how often they look back to see if the Smyth boys are catching them. It's even rumored that Cim changes out his boots for running shoes when it comes down to the final stretch. In seven races on the Kusko, he's only been out of the top ten once. The last two Kuskos he's come in 9th and 6th. Cim has withdrawn.

Dave Turner - The hybrid sprint and mid distance mushing kennel is always a shoo in for fast times into a checkpoint, which bodes well for the scoring of fantasy mushing. Turner is a top placement finisher once he gets the hang of a race - and it doesn't take him long to figure it out. If Dave makes it to Bethel watch for him to challenge for a top placement. Turner has never placed outside the top 10 when he's run. Last year he came 8th.

Matthew Failor - The 2019 Kusko champion is back once again! Matt surprised a lot of folks with his win 5 years ago, but has been pretty dang consistent in challenging for the first place spot since then (we'll ignore that one 7th place finish in there). The new dad will most likely keep that tradition up in the 2024 race.

Nicolas Petit - Petit is having a rough season. Everything behind the scenes have been a little sideways and Petit has been vocal that the beef shortage and financial concerns have made him have to re-evaluate his goals during the races. That being said, Petit is a dark horse one should probably not count out. He does have a pattern, though, of placements on the Kusko (ie one year in the top five, one year in the teens) and we're on a low placement year if he sticks with his pattern. Petit announced via facebook this morning that due to forecasted weather and trail conditions he's making the difficult decision to forfeit his entry fee and will not head to Bethel this week.

Pete Kaiser - While the 2019 Iditarod title is nothing to sneeze at, for those on the Kusko it might be an even bigger deal that Pete Kaiser is also a seven time Kusko Champion. Kaiser is once again the reigning champ of the race, and there are a whole lot of people waiting for him to win it an eighth time to keep his historic hold on the race going. Since his first win back in 2015 if he isn't first, he's second. Don't expect that to change.

Ramey Smyth - We could just say "see Cim Smyth" for the whole run down (pun only slightly intended) of why one doesn't count out a musher with the last name Smyth. Ramey is the 1995 Kusko champion, has been second a couple times, and is kind all over the map with placements, but this former champion is always a good choice to have on a fantasy team - expect him to have solid, fast runs throughout.

Raymond Alexie - This local musher has lit the trails of the Kusko-Delta on fire the last two seasons. Alexie has won just about every race he's entered since making waves last season in the Delta Championship Series. He's beaten several of the teams running the Kusko this weekend. This will be his rookie run on the Kusko, but don't expect him to just sit back and take in the learning experience. Raymond is THE ONE to watch in this race. 

Richie Diehl - The 2021 Kusko Champ is not running the Iditarod this year, so the Kusko 300 may be his biggest race of the season. With not having a thousand mile race to prepare for later in the season, Diehl can focus all of his attention on the Kusko. This isn't just a training run/test for his team. This is the final exam for the 2024 season. Expect the champ to contend for that top spot.

Travis Beals - The last time Beals ran the Kusko, he came 4th. That was in 2022. Travis has had a solid season thus far, and while the Iditarod is the ultimate goal don't expect this to be a camping trip for Beals. Travis is another good bet to have a top ten finish in the race.

(No, Ryan Redington wasn't forgotten... he could definitely be a major spoiler in his rookie run.) 

So now that you have at least some idea of who to add to your Fantasy team, just how will you be able to keep up with the action sitting at home warm and toasty (and not too sleep deprived)? Glad you asked.

How to follow

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. However THIS year Kale Casey WILL be LIVE at the race beginning Thursday! You'll want to keep an eye on both social media pages to make sure you don't miss any of the action.

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 (I 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. Trackers are live! 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.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, January 25
Vet Checks

Thursday, January 26
Vet Checks
5pm - Musher Meeting
7pm - Bib Draw 

​Friday, January 27
8:00pm - Kuskokwim 300 START
8:40pm - FIREWORKS

Saturday, January 28
NOON - Akiak Dash Mass Start

Monday, January 29
6pm - Musher Awards

Who do you think will cross the finish line first? Who do you expect to beat every expectation? Can Pete Kaiser win his 8th title? 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).

2024 Copper Basin 300 race preview

It's a big anniversary for the Copper Basin 300 this year as it will kick off the 35th race in Glennallen, Alaska on Saturday. The "toughest 300 miles" is a popular mid distance sled dog race by both fans and mushers. It always boasts a healthy roster even with its reputation to being positively frigid temperatures (there've been a few -50F and -60F degree races over the years). 

This year is no exception, though the roster has seen some changes and may see changes all the way up to the bib draw on Friday. A combination of musher injury and illness have kept some teams home this weekend, others having issues with logistics. 

This year mushers are banking on it being a "balmy" CB300. By balmy, the forecast has it around 0F at the time of the start with a high of 7F. That's somewhat unusual - we normally see it below zero. The mushers won't know what to do with themselves. Break out the tank tops and shorts. Snow is also forecast during the day with a 76% chance. The trails are set and groomed ahead of the race (in large part due to the Valdez Snowmachine Club) but even just an inch of new snow can change the course dramatically. Sunday sees partly sunny skies and a high of 16F, though on the river it will most likely be colder. For the finish on Monday we'll see the temps dip back down to a high of 6F. 

The Copper Basin 300 is also the opening race for Fantasy Mushers to choose teams and have a go at picking the perfect 7 teams to get them to the top of the score board. As always, we're going to try and guess who some of the teams are that will take top spot to maybe give some insight into who you'll want to put on your fantasy team.

Who to Watch

Cody Strathe & Paige Drobny - The pair from Squid Acres always head up teams that show a strong finish. Not knowing which one may have the "A-team" or if they are splitting the teams up equally leaves us to just put our bets on both of them. Never count out the squids.

Dallas Seavey - This name seems familiar somehow. Hmmm. All jokes aside, the five-time Iditarod Champion must have fallen in love with the idea of running this race after following along as a handler last year. While this is most likely being used as a training run, Dallas is very competitive - so look for a solid placement. His name on the roster will definitely make things interesting. Fans, though, may only be excited for him to run the race so they can catch a glimpse of *The Sweater*.

Jessie Holmes - Team Can't Stop - can't stop racing for the top prize. The sometime reality star, but always legit musher is always in the mix for top placement in the races he enters. Holmes exceeded just about every expectation last year when he ran just a couple of months after a near death experience when a house collapsed on him. This year he's fully recovered and no longer going to be the weak link in his team. 

Matt & Elke Hall - The former Yukon Quest Champion just merged his kennel with his new bride, going from "Smokin' Aces" Kennel to "Silver Ace Sled Dogs" combining both mushers' kennel names. Like the Squids it's possible both mushers will see their teams in top position, or one could be running the A team while the other has the "puppy team" - still, their both solid picks for your fantasy team.

Nicolas Petit - Nic "tried something new" in the Knik 200 and held his team to a schedule/slower pace. His "puppy team" run by Sarah Giles had to cut their race short last weekend due to the warm temps. Is it a new strategy for this season or was it a one and done? It's always hard to tell with Nic as he posts in riddles. 

Brent Sass - First he was going to CB300, then he announced around Christmas time he was enjoying running his remote trails and would be downsizing his race schedule and CB300 wasn't on his list, then Friday he posted "SURPRISE!" on Facebook announcing that he is in fact running the race this weekend. He came in second place last weekend at the Knik 200 losing to Jr. Musher Emily Robinson. This race is more Brent's style, though it is promising a little warmer than normal. Expect Brent to be in front running to the finish line.

Ryan Redington decided not to run the Copper Basin and elected to give his spot to Hunter Keefe. Hunter should have a solid finish here as well. Calvin Daugherty is running a team out of Mitch Seavey's kennel and would be a good bet for fantasy mushing teams to choose as Calvin's goal will be keeping the team together and having good runs. 

But how can you watch if you aren't right there with the action? Glad you asked...

How to Follow

Copper Basin has several areas where cars cant go and satellites can't find. There's a remote checkpoint that almost no instant communication comes out of. Still, CB300's all volunteer team keep race fans well informed. Here are the ways fans can follow the race this year.

GPS Tracker
TrackLeaders.com is once again supplying all of our GPS tracking obsession needs, you can find this year's map and teams here.

Radio Broadcast
KCAM Radio will broadcast the start beginning at 10am (or shortly before). If you're in the area you can listen to the broadcast on AM 790, or online through this link.

Kale Casey LIVE
That's right, your FAVORITE live stream of any dog mushing race will be covering the action of this year's Copper Basin 300. Kale left it up to the fans to choose if he would make the long drive over to Glennallen by holding an impromptu funds campaign and hit the goal within minutes. The mushing community LOVE Kale, and for good reason. He will certainly keep you entertained and excited to watch. Be sure to catch when he goes live by following his page on Facebook! And don't forget to buy him a coffee or two. Kale plans to go LIVE at the start an hour before the first team leaves, so tune in around 9am Alaska Time (and tell him I say hi)!

Social Media
Updates will most likely be posted on the race's Facebook page, and possibly their twitter account. There may even be live video feeds, but there's been no promise that systems will work for the whole start. If you are tweeting, instagramming, etc. the traditional hashtag is #CB300.

KCAM normally posts updates throughout the weekend on the race on Facebook as well. KTUU/Alaska's News Source is always good for a recap of the races.

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 12
10am-4pm Registration and Mandatory Vet Checks
5:30pm Mandatory Handler Meeting
6pm Mandatory Musher Meeting & Bib Draw
*Rookie Meeting follows directly after Bib Draw*

Saturday, January 13
10am - Race Start

Tuesday, January 16
6pm - Award Banquet

Will you be watching? Who are you hoping takes the win? 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).

2024 Knik 200 race preview

A full roster that saw a handful of changes nearly right up to bib draw, the Knik 200 will kick off at 10am on Saturday, January 6, 2024. It's a race that boasts a bunch of strong contenders and veterans, a couple of junior mushers, and a host of newer names fans will enjoy getting to know. The season's "opening qualifier" for the bigger races (like Iditarod and the two versions of the Yukon Quest) is always a popular one, and once again it looks to have perfect trail conditions for a race.

In the Twenty-Teens the Knik saw many postponed and canceled races due to lack of snow, this year, however, is another record breaking snow total for the area and earlier races have gone off without a hitch. The Knik 100 happened right before Christmas and was a huge success, and saw the Junior phenom Emily Robinson take the top prize. Emily is now on the roster for the 200 and the older more veteran mushers know better than to count her out. 

The race will leave from Knik Lake before traveling out to Deshka Landing (where there is not a checkpoint set up for teams to stop) before returning to Knik Lake for a six hour layover (plus time differential) before repeating the loop. The first team will leave the starting line at 10am, but teams must be at the starting chute no later than 8am as vet checks will happen at the start of the race. Each team needs to have one handler who can pick up any "return/drop dogs" at either Deshka Landing or the halfway point. They are also to assist the team coming into and leaving the midway point. 

Weather for this weekend looks to be just below freezing with Saturday seeing a high of 32F. Saturday afternoon is forecasted a "light snow" that will turn to heavy snow overnight and through Sunday. Along with the snow and warm temp, winds will steadily increase throughout the weekend. Sunday will see a high of 34F.

The mushers will get all of their race information, ask questions, and draw their bib numbers at the musher's meeting on Friday night at the Broken Boat Bar. This is also the host of the awards banquet on Sunday. 

The Knik 200 is a race run in Memory of longtime Knik community member and Father of the Iditarod Joe Redington Sr. The sport owes a lot to Redington for reigniting the love of dogs and the sport when it seemed mushing was going extinct thanks to the snow machine (snowmobile for you Cheechakos). He is well represented in this race both behind the scenes as well as on the trail as there are several teams of Redington dogs on the trail.

With (as of January 4 at 9pm) thirty nine teams getting ready to head down the trail, there's any number of scenarios that could happen, but let's take a stab at who may push for the top prize shall we? (We're going with an alphabetized list, this blogger isn't crazy enough to guess just who comes in what place.)

Who to Watch

Matthew Failor - The 2019 Kusko champion and new dad, Matt Failor has to be on anyone's top ten list. Matt learned from some of the sport's best and now boasts a very successful kennel full of happy dogs. Mentored by Martin Buser, you can see that influence in the way Matt is always a positive face on the trail. Look for Matt to have a strong run.
 
Brent Sass - The 2022 Iditarod Champion had a not so great end to his season last year when he was forced to scratch on the Yukon due to a dental emergency. The Quest and Iditarod Champion had signed up for several mid-distance races this season before making an announcement around Christmas that he had chosen to stay closer to home instead of traveling. Sass says the trails around his home in Eureka are prime training and so the Knik 200 is the only race not named Quest or Iditarod he plans to run this season. 

Amanda Otto - Remember when Amanda almost ran down Brent Sass on the final leg of the Yukon Quest Alaska last year? Yeah, she made a monster run look easy and gained a whole lot of respect from fans and mushers. While she's training young dogs don't expect her to not make things exciting this season. She could use the Knik as a way to stretch their legs, or she could be coming out of the gate ready to compete. Either way, you Otto count on Otto.

Wade Marrs - With no snow in the Midwest where Marrs now calls home with his wife and two kiddos and kennel of dogs, Wade traveled with Ryan Redington to Alaska this past week to run in the Knik 200. Marrs is reportedly running Redington's A-Team so that Ryan can focus on working with his puppy team. Marrs and Redington have both shared the excitement of getting to mush on a sled behind dogs and not use an ATV. Because Marrs has the reigning Iditarod Champ's A team in this race, we're looking for Marrs to have the better odds of pushing for a top finish.

Dave Turner - If you've followed this blog a while you know we can't have a race with Dave Turner on the roster and not have his name in the mix for the top dawg. Turner has a good track record in mid-distance races, and even a few wins. Turner could prove to be the spoiler once again.

Nicolas Petit - The "king of the mid-distance" will start off fast and hope he stays fast. Petit likes to let the dogs pick the pace and race schedule most of the time, which works well in the 200 and 300 mile races. The musher is well known for his quirky attitude - often aloof - as well as some of his mishaps (like his many wrong turns over the years). He calls himself dad and the dogs are his kids. Expect much the same this season.

Eddie Burke Jr. - Speaking of new dad, Eddie has a brand spankin' new daughter as of Friday morning. The reigning Knik 200 champion still plans to race this weekend saying "she gave me permission, but I have to win." No doubt he'll be riding high on the excitement of the new bundle, but that may prove a distraction. Burke has also gone from working with Aaron Burmeister's kennel to running a kennel of his own with dogs bought from several mushers. The Iditarod Rookie of the Year has won this weekend either way. 

Emily Robinson - The Junior Mushing Phenom is at it again this season already having won the Knik 100 race against some of these same teams just last month. Emily seems completely unfazed running with the big dogs, having done so several times last season along with winning junior race after junior race. This IS her "biggest race" to date, and with the tad longer trail length it could offer her a challenge. Look for Emily to once again make sure she is a force to reckon with. 

Michelle Phillips - Michelle is one of the top female mushers in the sport, she was very competitive in last year's Knik 200 and there's no indication she won't be again this year. Look for Michelle to start out strong and challenge for the front and stay there.

Travis Beals - The third "new dad" on the list is also running on trails he's recently moved to (within the last year) so they are quickly becoming "home trails". He'll most likely use this as a training run, but if everything is working well he could easily contend for a top spot.

**Not ignoring Ryan Redington, but with his plan being to train the puppy team, it's safe to assume he won't be pushing for the win - look for Wade Marrs with Ryan's A team to try to pull the win off.

Be sure to check out the full roster and follow all of the teams along the way.

How to Watch

For those of us who cannot watch in person, there will be a lot of refreshing of internet pages, here's a run down on how you can follow along with this weekend's race.

Official Website
The race had to restructure their organization a couple of years ago and is now under the direction of the Knik Iditarod Trail Blazers, so they have just a page on their site for the race, but it has the rules and basic information. They also have a way to follow the times in and out LIVE via a spreadsheet (I know there's a group of my readers who LOVE a good spreadsheet).

GPS Tracker
What would we do without these little trackers that drive us crazy when they go haywire (I will always blame the aliens), trackleaders.com will once again keep us obsessively refreshing our screen with their wonderful GPS map. The 2024 map and trackers can be found here.

Social Media
The race is most active on Facebook. The race has not been active on Twitter in years. There's also no Instagram. 

For live feeds I'm told the hope is Kale Casey will be on Knik Lake - though he was due to fly to Alaska Friday. If he is there he'll go live on Facebook!

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 5, 2024
4:00pm-6:00pm Musher's Dinner and Bib Draw

Saturday, January 6, 2024
8:00am Mandatory Vet Check
10:00am Start
**Teams will start on Knik Lake**

Sunday, January 7, 2024
6:00pm Award Banquet

And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.  

Mushing Radio Kobuk 440 race preview

Join hosts Robert Forto and Toni Reitter as they are back on
the air to preview the Kobuk 440!

LISTEN HERE

2023 Kobuk 440 musher roster & race preview

Did you think the mushing season was over because Ryan Redington won the Iditarod (and then my blog unplanned just "went dark")? Well, you were wrong. The Iditarod kept Iditarod-ing, and now we have the final "big race" of the season with the Kobuk 440 taking place this weekend on the Northwest Coast of Alaska! As the snow is quickly melting in South-Central Alaska, they still have plenty further North, and we'll no doubt see another fantastic race.

While the cap for the race was 20 teams, they didn't quite make that number. Twelve solid teams will be leaving in the mass start on Thursday, so let's get right to it and meet the teams. As always I've compiled the list via the race's official list on their website. The list will be in alphabetical order until the Bib Draw is announced Wednesday (hopefully). So let's meet the mushers! I have their kennel names listed as well as links for their websites/socials.

Musher Roster

1 Jessi Downey (Aimaagvik Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
2 Richie Diehl (Real Diehl Racing) - Facebook
3 Michelle Phillips (Tagish Lake Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
4 Bailey Vitello (Team Baily) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram 
5 Hugh Neff (Northern Whites Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram 
6 Jeff Deeter (Black Spruce Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
7 Jessie Holmes (Team Can't Stop) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
8 Jim Bourquin (Orion Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
9 Kevin Hansen (Hansen Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
10 Lauro Eklund (Skookum Expeditions) - Website / Facebook / Facebook 2 / Instagram / Instagram 2
11 Martin Early (Husky Homestead Kennel) - Facebook / Kennel Facebook / Instagram
12 Dempsey Woods (Miss Haley Kennels) - Facebook 

This is a great field of competitive teams and up and comers. It will be interesting to see how Holmes, Diehl, Phillips, Deeter, and Neff do. Neff, of course, is the reigning champ with a chip on his shoulder as more races decline his entry so look for him to push hard the whole way. Deeter's wife took the A-team to Nome and said that they would have placed much higher than 16th if Jeff had been driving. That may have been Katti not giving herself enough credit, but unless Jeff's bringing a puppy team to the Kobuk he should be right in the mix. Of course Michelle Phillips is the reigning Yukon Quest 450 champion and she sat out Iditarod so her team should be more than ready to go. Richie Diehl came third in Iditarod and barely lost the Kobuk last year, he should be a force here.

Weather conditions for the start (Thursday afternoon) will be in the negative temps (what else is new, right?) that will continue to drop as the race progresses throughout the weekend. The Kobuk is known for its storms that pop out seemingly out of nowhere. Forecasts are calling for cold and a typical wind, but so far no big storms are on the horizon.

The race starts in a mass start, no two minute intervals, which means there's no time differential to make up. There is a mandatory 20 hours of rest each team must take, and they can break that up however they see fit in the different checkpoints. 

How to Watch

Unlike what we just had with Iditarod (if you paid for Insider), the Kobuk like most of the mid-distance races relies more on social media posts and radio updates than they do video. Depending on weather and internet connection there may be live video of the start and finish, but with temps hitting below zero plus wind chill bringing temps even lower we could see a frozen feed (pun not truly intended). Still, there are ways to keep up with the race happenings, so let's make sure we have all of the links you need.

Official Website - You can find the rules, links to all ways of following the race, and the history of the Kobuk 440 here. Musher bios are also available. The official website may have links to live feeds, so also keep a look out for that. Click here for the link.

GPS Tracker - We're all attached to this bit of technology. If you wonder where the term "tracky boi" came from, you can thank the Kobuk 440. Their social media team were the first to coin the phrase... the phrase that sets some fans' teeth on edge, but it's becoming more endearing each year. Once again, you can follow the race thanks to TrackLeaders (link is not yet live). Beep-boop-beep.

Radio Broadcast - Race updates throughout the weekend will be broadcast over on KOTZ-AM. They have a livestream. They may broadcast the start, but it's unclear. Click here to listen in.

Social Media - This is where it's at. The most entertaining race has to be the Kobuk 440 for their amazing social media team. The volunteers know how to get and keep your attention. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter where they are most active as well as Instagram. KOTZ-AM also has a Facebook page that should share some race info throughout the weekend.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, April 5
10:00am - Radio interviews
6:30pm - Musher Meeting/Bib Draw

Thursday, April 6
12:30pm - Race Start

Monday, April 11
5pm - Musher Meeting
6pm - Awards Ceremony

Got any predictions? Who are you cheering for? Comment below!

*Edited April 6, 2023 to include links and bib number.

As always, 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).

2023 Race to the Sky musher roster and race preview

The last race of the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown, the Race to the Sky is one of those races you hear often listed under accomplishments of lower 48 mushers coming to race the Iditarod. Montana, of course, has similar trail and weather to that of Alaska and it's just an overall really well run organization. 

This year the 300 has a very small roster of just four mushers. The 100 boasts far more entries but still seems rather small. It's that point of the year where some are heading to Alaska and Canada to run the other big races, plus new short distance races were added this year that are hitting around the same time. Busy year for mushers and trying to figure out just where they want to race.

Race to the Sky has produced names like Doug Swingley, Brent Bruggemann, and of course Jessie Royer (produced probably isn't the best choice of words... boasted?) over the years. Only Jessie remains active in the sport (Swingley got out of dogs many years ago, Brent was forced to just two years ago due to a heart condition). Speaking of Jessie she has FOUR TEAMS between the two classes of race this year. Today I learned she has a large group of race ready dogs.

How to watch
The Race to the Sky has a fairly decent online presence. You will for sure want to checkout their website that has mini musher bios, the schedule of events, etc. Their Facebook page will also have race communication posted. And they will most likely have a trackleaders link up and running tomorrow. To follow the trackers, trackleaders.com once again has us covered.

So you've got the basics on how to follow along, let's make sure you know who's running. Bib draw should be today but honestly I'm not sure I'll make it back to edit this any time soon. Y'all I'm running on empty! Anyway, the rosters:

300 Roster

Charmayne Morrison (Morrison Racing Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
Clayton Perry (TSA Kennel) - Facebook 
Erik Oline (The J Team) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Jessie Royer (The J Team) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

100 Roster

Adrian Lopez (The J Team) - Website 
Aidan Torres (Whiteout Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Bucky Hasty (Morrison Racing Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
Chris Adkins (Mo Betta Sled Dog Racing) - Facebook 
Christina Gibson (Whiteout Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Hunter Hale (The J Team) - Website
Jesika Reimer (Reimer Pack) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Kevin Daugherty (??) - Facebook / Instagram 
Maddie Longpre-Harrer (TSA Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
Nicole Lombardi (??) - Cannot find her online
Shane Pearson​​​​​ (??) - Facebook
Thomas Blackham (??) - Facebook
​Wade Donaldson (??) - Facebook

Schedule of events

Friday, February 10
1pm-3pm Vet Check
6pm Musher Dinner

Saturday, February 11
2pm START (300 first, followed by 100)

Sunday, February 12
Finishes for 100 throughout the morning

Tuesday, February 14
1pm Award Ceremony

2023 Goose Bay 150 musher roster and preview

Once known as the Tug Bar 150, the Goose Bay is a musher favorite race in the Wasilla area. It's an out and back where the teams will run out to Talvista Lodge (using portions of the Iditarod trail) before returning to the bar for the finish. There is a mandatory six hour rest and this is where the time differential will take place. This race is quite popular with the mushers and was the MOST REQUESTED addition to my race schedule this year (which I thought sure it was already on there, but nope, so good catch everyone!) 

How to Watch 
Unlike many of the races, the Goose Bay relies on Facebook only and even then the information is not easy to find as far as rules (there's a picture of the rules on the Facebook page, which was the same way they distributed the race entry application). They will have trackers, you can follow them here. For now you can see the trail map provided by the race on their Facebook page. 

Tonight they will meet and chat about the trail as well as draw for their starting order, until then - as always - we will have the roster in alphabetical order, so let's get to it shall we?

Musher Roster
Anna Berington (Seeing Double Kennel) - Website / Instagram
Anna Nordine (Shameless Huskies Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
Annette Llanes (??) - Facebook
Ellen Redington (Jr Musher) - kennel not online
Emily Ford (Shameless Huskies Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
Gabe Dunham (Evermore Adventures) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Hunter Keefe (Redington Mush Alaska) - Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Isaac Redington (Jr Musher) - kennel not online
Jessi Downey (Aimaagvik Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Josh Armstrong (?) - Facebook
Juliah DeLoach (Oil Well Kennel) - Facebook
Kristy Berington (Seeing Double Kennel) - Website / Instagram
Louise Mason (Tailwind Kennel?) - Facebook 
Michaela O'Connor (Dream Big Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Mike Parker (Northern Whites Kennel) - Facebook 
Ryan Redington (Redington Mushing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Sidney Bahl (Dream a Dream Kennel) - Website / Facebook 
Travis Vanderhoof (Dream Team Kennels) - Facebook / Instagram

Schedule of Events

Friday, February 10
Noon-4/5pm Vet Checks
6pm Musher Meeting and Bib Draw

Saturday, February 11
NOON Start

Sunday, February 12
Finishes throughout the day
6pm Finishers Dinner

2023 Yukon Quest Canada musher roster and preview

With the Yukon Quest Alaska winding down, there's no real time to catch a breath as Yukon Quest Canada begins this weekend. Deep breath! This one is a tad shorter, and fewer teams, so hopefully we can make it through this... and the other races running this weekend. I know, I know, I'm starting to lose my mind a bit, too. 

This year the Canadian side are hosting three different races based on mileage, a 100, 250, and 450. Each class has just a handful of teams, but they should still be an exciting trio of races to follow. So let's get a run down, shall we?

As always, the roster is in alphabetical order and will be edited with bib numbers as soon as they are released.

450 Mile Roster

1 Aaron Peck (Elevation Dogs Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
2 Connor McMahon (Feral Racing Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
3 Michelle Phillips (Tagish Lake Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
4 Mille Porsild  (Running Sled Dogs) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
5 Mayla Hill (Elevation Dogs Kennel) - Facebook / Kennel Facebook 
6 Louve Tweddell (Echoes Kennel) - Website / Facebook 

250 Mile Roster

21 Craig Houghton (Craig & Sean Racing Dogs) - Facebook
22 Ilana Kingsley (StinkyPup Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
23 Michael Burtnick (Keystone Sled Dogs) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
24 Aiyana O'Shaughnessy (Tagish Lake Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram 
25 Jess Sears (Dog Song Rising) - Facebook / Instagram

100 Mile Roster

40 Jonathan Lucas (Snowpigs) - Facebook
41 Luc Tweddell (Echoes Kennel) - Website / Facebook 
42 Debbie Knight (Skywolf K9 Adventures) - Facebook
43 Janna-Lee Cushing (Indian Lake Seppala Siberians) - Facebook
44 Nate Metzen (Northern Sharks Working Dogs) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

How to watch

The race is on! Well, almost. For those confused because we just followed a Quest race all last week, this is the Canadian side. You may remember that last year the two boards got into a tiff and decided to split. That divorce saw Alaska having to create a new online presence, where as the Canadian side got the Website, social media platforms, and most of the fans. 

Social Media
Best way to follow along is going to be through the Yukon Quest Facebook page - like with all divorces, one side gets all the goods and the Canadian side got everything when the two boards split and created two races. You can find the Yukon Quest page up and running and very Canadian these days. Make sure to follow the page as they are promising live feeds and lots of commentary. Don't forget Twitter and Instagram. They got those in the divorce, too.

They plan to do live streams on their Facebook, and Sebastian Schnuelle will no doubt write up a few reports throughout the race.

Trackers
And of course the beloved trackers will be LIVE once again to follow this race. Check back when the link goes live we'll add to this post.

It's another big race with a small roster, but the roster for the 450 is fierce. Should be a good watch. Comment below with how you'll be watching and who you are rooting for! 

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).

2023 Yukon Quest Alaska preview

 Hello Readers!

Thank you so much for all of the support this year so far. You're blowing me away with your comments, messages, and slices of pizza. All so very much appreciated and I hope you know that.

As many of you know I'm also now co-hosting full time Mushing Radio with Robert Forto over at First Paw Media. I'm really enjoying it and appreciate everyone tuning in. That being said between the podcast, my work schedule, and just every day life I'm starting to fall behind on some of the blog. 

Since we're recording pre-race episodes for most of the races I also feature on the blog, from time to time I'm just not going to get a preview blog post up. I hope you understand! For those times I'll just link or embed the podcast episode here. I still hope to blog during races as time allows, but I am still learning how to juggle all the new responsibilities with the old ones. 

All that to say, I obviously did not get a preview post done for the YQA - but Robert and I talked about it last night on Mushing Radio so give it a listen! Thank you for your understanding and your support. 

Click here to listen.

2023 John Beargrease roster and race preview

Not so fast, race fans! We've got another race taking off this weekend. Sunday marks the start of the John Beargrease Marathon in Minnesota and as the first of the BIG races in the US, this is one you'll want to follow. Lots of familiar names will be on this roster that fans will most definitely be cheering for.

As always, the roster will be listed in alphabetical order until I get the bib numbers and then the post will be edited. Due to concerns with trail conditions the race capped entries early in December, but the roster is still very strong.

As of Saturday morning there are eighteen teams ready to start on Sunday.

Andy Heerschap (Paws on Patrol Mushing) - Facebook
Colleen Wallin (Silver Creek Sled Dogs) - Instagram 
Daniel Klein (Redington Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Ero Wallin (Silver Creek Sled Dogs) - Facebook / Instagram 
Jennifer Freking (Manitou Crossing Kennels) - Website / Facebook / Instagram  
Jesse Terry (On the Land) - Facebook / Instagram
Katherine Langlais (Akkada Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Keith Aili (Miles Ahead Racing Kennel) - Website / Facebook
Kristen McCarty (Hauling Dogs) - Website 
Laura Neese (Nature's Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Martin Massicotte (Chenil des Patriotes) - Facebook
Mary Manning (Doodledog Kennel) - Facebook / Twitter
Matthew Karl Schmidt (Sawtooth Mountain Racing) - Facebook
Nick Vigilante (Nathan Schroeder Mushing) - Facebook
Peter McClelland (White Wilderness Kennel) - Website / Facebook 
Ryan Anderson (AnderTier Racing) - Facebook
Sarah Keefer (Redington Mushing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

How to Follow

The John Beargrease has a wonderful media team for the race, and you'll no doubt want for nothing for the live feed of the start and finish. Both local media outlet WDIO and Mushing Midwest plan to livestream the start Sunday morning, and they've also streamed the finish in the past. 

Official Site
One of the best ways to keep track with the race is to use the Beargrease's website. It has loads of information on the race and links to the tracker, live feeds, musher bios, and time sheets.

GPS Tracker

Trackleaders.com once again comes through with the fan favorite spot trackers. You won't miss the action following those cute little beep boops.

Social Media

As with most sled dog races, the Beargrease is fairly active on their facebook page and they do have a twitter account though it isn't very active. And for a few pics check them out on Instagram. 

Schedule of Events

Saturday, January 29

8am - Vet Checks
3pm - Opening Ceremony

Sunday, January 30

8am - Meet the Mushers
10am - Race Start

Comment below with any thoughts about who you think are favored to win. 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).