Tustumena 200 cancelled for 2020, future of race unknown

Hal Hanson's team charges down the trail at the start of the Tustumena 200.
Caribou Hills, January 26, 2019.

Rumors are all but officially confirmed today as reigning Tustumena 200 champion Dave Turner took to social media to share an email he received from the event organizers:

"The Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race Association Board of Directors has decided that we will not have a race in 2020. The current board will take some time to reevaluate the future of the T200. We encourage you to support all the amazing sled dog races in Alaska.

Thank you for your support, we hope to reorganize and come back with something in 2021. Our Facebook and website will stay active, please check back for additional information."

The race had its share of problems in the last few years. Poor winter conditions lead to several races being cancelled due to warm weather and lack of snow for a trail. The race saw a significant change in course to counteract the effects of global warming, with the start and finish moving from Kasilof to the Caribou Hills where snow pack stayed relatively unaffected while in the lower parts of the trail were rained on. Freddie's Roadhouse became the hub, hosting the start, finish, and half way checkpoint in last year's race, and all seemed good to go for the 2020 season.

Then things took a wonky turn when Freddie packed up and left the Hills after a heated election cycle this spring for the Caribou Hills Cabin Hoppers. Freddie felt that his family and business were not respected by those in the area and decided to close his doors. With the closure of the roadhouse, the future of the Tustumena 200 was already a concern to fans and mushers alike. 

The Tustumena 200 started in 1984 when Dean Osmar decided to create a race to help his son, Tim, acquire the required number of miles needed to qualify for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (which at that time was 500miles). Originally the "winner's purse" consisted of a case of beer. In 1994 the race was reorganized to become the race as mushers and fans know it today. It was a joint effort by Suzie Cook (Tustumena Lodge) and Evy Gebhardt (who was, at the time, married to local Iditarod musher Paul Gebhardt). 

For thirty years (several races were cancelled due to lack of trail due to weather) the Tustumena 200 was used as an Iditarod and Yukon Quest qualifier. Most mushers would claim the T200 as a great training run for the first part of the Iditarod with all of its miles in the Caribou Hills. It promised to be the hardest 200 mile race, and it rarely disappointed. Whenever it was discussed of making it a 250-300 mile race, mushers were often heard responding with "are you crazy?!"

Iditarod champions such as Jeff King and Lance Mackey were known to travel from their homes in Fairbanks/Denali to compete, and some near photo finishes happened a time or two. It was a premiere sporting event for the Kenai Peninsula for years. Fans followed the race as it changed the physical course, and mushers continued to come in record number - many years the race had a waiting list several teams deep.

The sport of mushing has had a lot of hits recently with the pressure from Animal Rights Groups waging war with the races, sponsors pulling out, and global warming concerns. There are fewer mid-distance races every year, and those that continue often have last minute cancellations when the weather turns foul (or winter never comes). With fewer qualifying races, rookie mushers are having a harder time qualifying for the 1,000 mile sled dog races. The T200 is one of the longest running qualifying races, and this is a huge blow for the mushing and race community.

Keep checking back for more info as it becomes available.


ETA: Soon after Turner took to social media with the news, the Tustumena 200 took to their facebook page to announce the cancelled 2020 race.

Mushing News Round Up (Oct 15)

Another week has passed (and then some) and I am finally done with training at work... at least until March when we do it all again (yeah, don't ask me why I thought scheduling training to start the week after I get back from Nome was a good idea). Once again, I am sure I've missed a bit on the mushing news circuit - especially since there were a lot of races to sign up for - but here are some highlights I snagged while being completely distracted with work.

The Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race - that runs from Kasilof, AK to Homer, AK and back - announced tonight that registration will open on November 1, with the random drawing on November 3. They also announced that they will be posting updated rules soon, suggesting some changes were coming to the official race rules.

Mushers have been excited to announce which mid-distance races they have signed up for. This is especially exciting for teams that are trying to qualify for their first long distance races. One such musher, Eric Kelly, plans to run the Iditarod in 2020, and has signed up for - what he hopes are - his final two qualifiers.


Alaska and the Yukon aren't the only places that are seeing fall training in full swing. Northern Norway has also found cooler temperatures. The Finnmarkslopet race shared this beautiful training photo on their social media pages. The race opened registration earlier this fall, and so far no teams from North America have appeared on the roster. Last year, you may recall, four-time Iditarod Champion Dallas Seavey ran the race and placed third. Seavey stated at the time that he would probably not be back to the race for several years as it was an expensive endeavor and he needed to build up the funds and team - however Seavey has yet to register for any race for next season... and he's been spending an awful lot of time in Europe.


SPKennel - home to Yukon Quest Champions Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore - is in winter prep mode. They shared a blog post a few days ago about how they prepare for freeze up... or, rather, fix the mess the dogs make during the summer months. Moore is once again signed up for the Quest, and Zirkle has signed up for the Iditarod, as well as a few other mid-distance races.

Jeff King's Husky Homestead social media crew are killing it these days with the puppy pic updates. I have to say that Zig's litter is probably the prettiest litter I've seen in a long time coming out of a very competitive Racing Kennel. Sled Dogs that race aren't typically chosen or bred for their looks, but their athleticism. It'll be a few years to see what these pups will do out on the trails, but for now they are breaking the internet.


In a somewhat surprising announcement this past week, the UP 200 race announced that they were increasing the purse winnings for the 11th-15th placed teams. The announcement gave credit to the mushers who suggested the change. Who knew there were races out there with boards willing to listen to the mushers?!


Okay, so, Jeff King doesn't have the monopoly on cute puppy picks. Ryne Olson's photo this week was a huge awwwwwww as well. Who DOESN'T want a basket full of puppies?!


And mushers continue to share photos of their training runs. Iditarod musher Misha Wiljes shared a photo of "on by" training yesterday. This is very important, not so much the head on kind that they were doing in the photo - but just passing in general. Sled Dogs need to be aggressive racers, but also polite. The last thing a musher wants is a tangle (with another team, or just within the team itself). Slower teams MUST give a faster team the right of way - unless they are in the final stretches of the race known as "No Man's Land" which begins one to two miles before the finish line. The slower team slows or even stops to let the other team pass. Typically the command the advancing team gets is "on by". That way the leaders know that they are to continue and not stop with the other team, and the team dogs know that they are to pass and not try to take a chunk out of one of the other team's dogs. This typically works with little incident, but just like with humans sometimes the dogs forget their manners. This is why training is so very important.


Lastly, Wade Marrs is jumping into the arena of winter sled dog tours. Until then he is opening his property up to kennel tours until the snow flies. Marrs is a competitive Iditarod musher who - until recently - served as the Iditarod Official Finishers' Club's (IOFC) spokesperson to the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC). This summer it was decided that the IOFC representative could not be a current racer, so Wade Marrs was forced to step aside. Marrs found himself in the middle of the Iditarod Doping Scandal last March when it was brought to his attention at the official start of the Iditarod that his dogs had tested positive for the same substance that Dallas Seavey's team had - just in smaller doses. Marrs' fiance took to social media after seeing Wade safely down the trail to call out the inappropriate communication by the ITC's Doping specialist and alleged that he threatened Marrs with outing the findings if Marrs did not stop his support of Dallas Seavey. Like Seavey, Wade Marrs has not signed up for Iditarod as of yet, and has not gone public with any plans he has for this season's biggest race.


And on that note I'm off to bed. Did I miss anything big in the mushing news scene? Let me know in the comments below.

Tustumena 200 - PreRace Set Up

Small roster so far for the Tustumena 200

Lance Mackey attended the
Iditarod BBQ in June 2016.

Ten names are on the list after the Tustumena 200 opened registration on Friday. Most names are unfamiliar, but 2017's second place team of Nicolas Petit and third place team of Dave Turner will be back, and four-time Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey looks to return to the T200. Mackey withdrew from the 2017 Iditarod due to health and family concerns, and has no plans to run the Iditarod this year.

Lance posted on facebook earlier this year that his kennel was downsizing - partially due to family needs, but also because he could not find reliable handlers - but was not leaving the sport. Throughout the summer Mackey raced cars, which has becoming his #1 passion of late, and shared glimpses into his home life (Mackey became a father to son Atigun in 2016) via social media.

Lance Mackey has run the Tustumena 200 multiple times, but has only taken the title once - in 2008. Mackey started his kennel on the Kenai Peninsula before moving further north and creating the Comeback Kennel (after battling and beating cancer). It's been nearly a decade since Mackey has raced on the Peninsula behind a dog sled.

Nicolas Petit barely lost to 2017's champion Cim Smyth, and no doubt has his sights set on taking the title this season. The bib numbers were drawn Saturday for those that registered Friday, and Petit will be first out of the chute. In a 200 miler, this can be an advantage (unlike the Quest and Iditarod where you don't want to be first but you also do not want to be last either). Petit will no doubt come out will all guns blasting.

Interestingly not on the list is Mitch Seavey. Seavey won the race in 2013 and had high praise for the race. In 2017 he came in fourth after having issues with his team out on the trail (someone *might* have forgotten the first rule of mushing: don't let go). The Tustumena 200 is a good training run for the top teams because of its hilly trail (it runs through the Caribou Hills). There's still a lot of time (and a lot of room on the roster) to sign up, so we may see Mitch Seavey on there soon.

Also off of the roster, but a little less surprising, is Paul Gebhardt. Rumors swirled early this fall when Gebhardt began selling and leasing out his kennel to other mushers - some of them top name mushers. Many believed he was retiring/getting out of mushing, but all of that talk was quashed with Gebhardt's announcement this week that he is battling cancer. His daughter started a gofundme page to help offset costs as Paul and his daughter will travel to Seattle for a stem cell bone marrow transplant in late February. Gebhardt has multiple myeloma, but is reportedly responding incredibly well to treatment. Paul is a fan favorite, and a familiar face on the T200, and will be missed, but it won't be surprising if he doesn't show up to show his fellow mushers support in January.

While the T200's roster is a tad anemic, the Tustumena 100 is already half full with five names on the roster. It could be that with the lackluster start of the Alaskan winter on the peninsula (they finally saw snow stick today) that mushers are waiting to see if there is any real chance of a race before planning to travel to the Kenai. Time will tell.




Who do you still hope to see on the roster? Who are you excited to see already listed? Comment below and let me know!

Tustumena 200 registration to begin Friday

Nicolas Petit's team placed second at
the 2017 Tustumena 200. January 29, 2017

After an exciting and fast paced finish this past January, the Tustumena 200 is looking ahead to what is hopefully another star studded event full of excitement. One of the last races to open registration, the race will begin taking musher applications on Friday. The T200 will be held the last weekend in January 2018 barring any unforeseen circumstances like bad weather. The 2014, 2015, and 2016 races were all cancelled due to lack of snow and unfrozen rivers making trails impassable.

While "only" a 200 mile race, the Tustumena 200 is known as one of the hardest mid-distance races in Alaska. Run mostly in the caribou hills, mushers often mention how thankful they are that it's only 200 miles. Top teams often sign up for the race to get in some mountain trail training in before the Yukon Quest and Iditarod races. Others are less experienced, but are working on qualifying for the 1,000 mile races.

Most mid-distance races cap their roster at 40 teams, and the T200 follows that guideline. Wait-lists can be long, however one of the advantages of holding registration so late is teams who couldn't get into other races - like the Northern Lights 300 which takes place the same weekend - are more likely to sign up. The T200 is also the only major race run on the Kenai Peninsula, and so a lot of the "Peninsula Mushers" plan on running on their "home turf" each year. Teams like Osmar, Zappa, and Seavey are almost always on the roster.

Returning this year is the shorter Tustumena 100 which traditionally starts before the 200 mile race and finishes the same day, in 2018 it will start after the T200. Teams run to Freddie's Roadhouse and back, with a mandatory layover in the one check point on the race. In more recent runnings, the roster has been light, and last year they did not run the shorter race. Bringing it back this year seems to be a trial run to see if it's worth the planning and preparation. The roster will be capped at 10 names. Junior mushers will be allowed to run at the request of the musher and approval by the board.

A glance at the incomplete list of the Northern Lights 300 does not show any top names in the sport as participating - however the list is unofficial and does not appear on the race's website. We'll know more about participation in the Tusumena 100 and 200 on Friday. Registration fills up within hours.

Registration opens at 8:00am AKST Friday, November 4, 2017. The race begins Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 11:00am AKST in Kasilof, Alaska.





Who do you hope to see on the race's roster? Tell me in the comments below!

Snowy finish of the Tustumena 200

A snow storm blew in as the leaders headed out of the Hills and towards the finish line. By the time Cim Smyth pulled in to win, the snow was coming down hard - and got even heavier by the time Nicolas Petit came in a few minutes later. Crazy stuff, made for some great photos, though!

More under the cut!

What a T200 Checkpoint looks like

Okay, I might as well just post the rest of the photos while I'm on my blog, right? These are just highlights. I took far more photos than I want to post here (because I just don't want to bog down the bandwidth). You can view all of them (and then some) on my galleries page ( click here ).

Freddie's Roadhouse is located in the heart of the Caribou Hills (outside of Ninilchik, Alaska). The hills are where the snowmachine (snowmobile for you outsiders) enthusiasts congregate all winter long. The Roadhouse feeds and houses many of these folks. It's central in the trail systems. This includes the mushing trails, and so it's the first and last checkpoint during the race. Good food, warm hospitality, just a great place to meet up and watch the dogs come in.

Mt Redoubt was huge and very visible from Freddies.

Iliamna was also very visible.

More under the cut!

More T200 photos

I apologize to the few readers of this blog who thought I'd have more content by this point in the year. I thought I would, too. I just can't seem to have enough brain power left after an 8 hour work day to sit down and focus on writing blog posts. SO much has happened in different races across the state, and I had all of these plans to at least comment with my own view of happenings. It just hasn't materialized. I was excited about the Quest and then I ended up sick, so I didn't blog (or do anything) last week.

To make up for it, I'm going to share a few more of my photos from the Tustumena 200 run back in January. I shared photos of the Vet Check last time, so this time let's go with the start of the race, shall we? I spent a lot of time photographing the dogs this time around. And, yes, there's once again a LOT of Seavey photos. I can't help myself.

More under the cut!

Tustumena 200 photos

There are so many hours in a day, so the editing has been slow going, but here are a few from the Vet Check for the Tustumena 200 on Friday, January 27, 2017. More are coming... hopefully before Iditarod!

Some of Mitch Seavey's dogs waiting to be looked over by the veterinarians. 

More of Mitch Seavey's dogs.

Someone wasn't too keen on a cold stethoscope.

Cim Smyth's team.

Dave Turner's team.

Another dog from Mitch Seavey's team.

Cim Smyth's dog named Spruce.

Favorite Photos from past Tustumena 200 races

I've only gotten to shoot two T200s since 2012, not because I couldn't make it out there - but because weather caused the race to be cancelled the last three years. Not this year, though, the race is on! We're two weeks away from the Start and I am already planning to shoot both photo and video (hoping to do some live broadcast of the start and finish on my periscope account, so look for that). I'm hoping to take a half day off from work to catch the Vet Check on that Friday as well. Yup. 'Tis the season!

But I want to look back on the two races I was able to capture. Looking back was a nice stroll down memory lane (though the 2013 photos were lacking mainly due to my harddrive crashing before I could edit them all! boooo!). Here are some of my favorites:

One of DeeDee Jonrowe's dogs waits to get hooked up at the start of the 2012 race.

One of my favorite photos I've ever taken - Jeff King and his icy mustache before the race even began in 2012.

Cim Smyth coming in to win the 2012 race. He whistles to his dogs when they hit the home stretch
to let them know they're headed home. Told my dad that they pick up the pace when he does that.

Jeff King was fast on Cim's heels in 2012, but couldn't quite pull off the win, he pulled back as he came to us
and asked if Cim was still ahead of him. 

My friend Bob Parsons at the Vet Check in 2013. Big fan of mushers, and dogs. Gonna miss him this year.

The classic dog in a dog box photo.

Can't lie to me and tell me there isn't a special bond between mushers and their dogs.

In 2013 I was Team Seavey's "paid stalker" (thanks Conway for that title). Mitch won the T200 and then the Iditarod that year.

Mitch Seavey coming in to win the 2013 race. It was Superbowl Sunday and I hadn't been paying attention to the race. The T200 was going to be a "training run" for Team Seavey, he wasn't planning on racing to win. Then his team became the power house it was and he thought "what the heck, let's win this thing". I had to rush from my house to the finish line. My team was playing the big game. I was torn, but the Niners were sucking so I went. And I missed the second half of the game. What I do for these mushers and their dogs. Geez.

I just think this is a really good shot of Mitch.

Family picture at the finish of the T200 in 2013, Conway won the 100 and Mitch the 200. All in the family.

Dates and links for the 2015-2016 Mushing Season

Dallas Seavey's team during Iditarod 43's ceremonial start in Anchorage, AK.

I've chosen to just link up to the "main races" in Alaska... I feel like I've missed one or two, so if you catch one I've missed please comment below and I will fix that problem!

Solstice 50
December 19, 2015
Website / Facebook

Knik 200
January 2, 2016
Website / Twitter / Facebook
 
Copper Basin 300
January 9, 2016
Website / Twitter / Facebook
 
Kuskokwim 300
January 15, 2016
Website / Twitter / Facebook
 
Gin Gin 200
January 22, 2016
Website / Facebook
 
Tustumena 200
January 30, 2016
Website / Twitter / Facebook

Denali Doubles
February 4, 2016
Website / Facebook
 
Yukon Quest
February 6, 2016
Website / Twitter / Facebook
 
Yukon 300
February 6, 2016
Website / Twitter / Facebook
 
Iditarod 44
March 5, 2016
Website / Twitter / Facebook
 
Kobuk 440
April 7, 2016
Website / Facebook

I don't know if I will have time to blog about the races this year or not, hope to. Iditarod, at least, will get my attention. Also the T200 - should the snow we have now grows/stays... no more cancellations! We need a real race season!

I'm dreaming of a white Iditarod

Dan Seavey with grandson Conway
at the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 38.

...just like the ones I used to know. Where rivers are frozen, sleds aren't always broken, and the trail is covered with fresh snow!

I'm dreaming of a white Iditarod... with every day that passes by!

Okay, just be thankful that you didn't have to hear me sing that. Today South Central woke up to some rather happy snow accumulation - and it's still coming down!

This is exciting, but a little snow is just the start of what is needed to see some positive changes for the races of South Central. The Knik 200 posted on their website Wednesday that they would be moving the start of the race off of the lake and onto the Deshka airstrip. No doubt the snow is a welcome bonus as now trails will be covered for next week's start - as long as weather holds.

Things are still bleak down on the Kenai where the Tustumena 200 anxiously awaits the freezing temps that will hopefully solidify the trails over the waterways and they can use the snow to put in a decent trail. Until the snow accumulation started yesterday there was next to no snow on any part of the trail that starts in Kasilof and makes its way down to Homer and back. The race is set to kick off on Feb 21 - after rescheduling from the original date of Feb 7 - but without a firmly set trail there's no way that they will safely pull it off. Race officials will not make the decision to cancel until closer to race time - but they are keeping teams on the roster well informed of how things are going and what they are planning.

With 43 days until the Iditarod, the restart is still the biggest question - where will they host it? Tradition has always been South Central/MatSu - with one exception in 2003 when Chinook winds made a restart in Wasilla or Willow impossible and the race was run from Fairbanks. Officials are still talking of that being the posibility for Iditarod this year as well, but won't make that decision for at least another month.

There are also rumors that there isn't enough snow in the area to truck in for a Ceremonial Start in Anchorage - but if this weekend's snow sticks around those rumors should be easily laid to rest. It's 11 miles through Anchorage, I'm sure they can manage with little to no snow in spots.

So keep up the snow dances, prayers, sacrifices, whatever else you're doing folks. We've got a lot of winter left before race day!

Alaska's winter weather causing problems farther North

The "other thousand mile sled dog race" known as The Yukon Quest issued a press release today giving a trail update and possible alternate route for part of the race next month. With three weeks until the start, Quest trail officials have reported that the river is unfrozen near Whitehorse.

This winter has seen unseasonably warm temperatures in most of Alaska - causing problems for many of the sport's big races. The Tustumena 200 has postponed their race to Feb 21 in hopes that the Kenai Peninsula would see freezing temps and snow. So far all the Kenai's seen in a dusting of snow and lots of freezing rain. Trails are non existent at this point with many Peninsula mushers heading north for training when not running along the beaches with their four wheelers as a sled.

The Copper Basin 300 ran without a hitch, and no big changes to the route were reportedly made. The Kusko 300 ran mainly on river ice and asked spectators not to park on the river as they'd done in years past. Again, no problems were had by the teams, and Pete Kaiser brought the win back home to Bethel. The Northern Lights 300 is planning to kick off this weekend - with reports of overflow and open water.

With three weeks till show time the Quest is not making any plans to change course at this time. Stating in their press release: "There are still three weeks until the start of the race, and a lot can change. Trail crews are out on both sides of the border and we will have a more comprehensive trail report available next week." Crews are working on alternate routes should conditions worsen.

There are 26 teams ready and waiting for the race, four of which are champions.



And while I'm on the subject of sled dog races and the Northern Lights 300 - GOOD LUCK JODI BAILEY and Dew Claw Kennel! She's an amazing musher and person. I just love her!

Jodi Bailey at the finish of the 2012 Tustumena 200.

Are we sure it's still January?

There should have been sled dog events happening in the state of Alaska this weekend. There should have been a more wintery feel to the Peninsula WINTER games this weekend. There should, at the very least, be pristine white snow lining the roads, ditches, and mountains of South Central Alaska.

But none of that happened. Are we sure it's January?

Now, before I hear the "global warming" mantra, let's remember that while it's not a regular occurance Chinook winds and warm weather do happen. With the Lower 48 seeing record low temperatures, it's actually understandable that we're in the mid to upper 40s every day (and night) in Alaska. Yes, the Globe is Warm. No, there's really no need to panic.

There is a need to worry, however. The Iditarod Sled Dog Race, set to start on March 1, could see a drastic change in trail. The only other time this happened was in 2003 when the Anchorage and Willow trails were non existent due to lack of snow. If the start moves further North it will most likely happen from Fairbanks. They've run it from there before (again, 2003). It gives a new audience for the start, but it shortens the race. But, it works in a pinch.

That is, if there's snow and trail to be had come March in the Interior of Alaska.

The Tustumena 200 made the announcement Monday that there would be no race this year. The race was set to go on February 2, but with the warm weather trail reports were dismal. Ice and flooding caused the directors to call off the race. This was to be the 40th running of the T200, and it boasted an impressive roster for both the 200 and 100 mile races. The purse was at an all time high. This was going to be the best race yet.

And, now, like most of Alaska's winter, it's washed away.

Things could turn around. There's a lot of "winter months" left on the calendar for the season. While the rest of the USA "freezes", we're contemplating breaking out our tanks and shorts. It's amusing, and sad, all at the same time.

I would update

but I'm exhausted. the event has been a blast but it is FREEZING. They keep saying tomorrow should be warmer... yeah, right.

anyway, for those posting on my blog asking about DeeDee - she lost her dog about six miles into the race and she scratched to go and look for Ophiela. Thankfully just a few hours ago the dog was recovered! Follow the race on http://www.tustumenta200.com and on their facebook!

Four drop out of T200, slots open for last minute registration.

Organizers for the T200 posted via facebook yesterday that four teams had withdrawn from the race. Since the checkpoints had already been set up to handle twenty teams, they have openned registration for last minute mushers to take the - now unused - spots. Registration remains as a $200 fee and closes Friday when the mandatory vet check and musher's meeting is set to begin.

Teams that withdrew are Jessie Hendricks, Zoya Denure - citing health issues, but she also posted on facebook that they were having vehicle trouble, and the Clarkes - who hit a moose earlier this week, totalling their dog truck! General registration closed on Monday with a final entry by Colleen Robertia a local Kasilof musher and veteran of the race (as well as the Quest and Iditarod).

Vet Check begins tomorrow at noon at the Aspen Hotel in Soldotna, with a musher's meeting to follow. The race takes off at 9 am on Saturday with the Junior T followed at 11am by the main event. The race begins at Mile 112 of the Sterling Hwy.


**Please note that while I am going to be shooting as the volunteer photographer for the event nothing I post is an official communication with the race. Follow them via their website, facebook and twitter for official updates during the race. I will tweet and post photos as internet and time allows over the weekend. The organizers will try to post my photos of the start as soon as I get them to them.**

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.

Jeff King joins T200 Roster

http://www.tustumena200.com

Four-time Iditarod Champion and newly unretired Jeff King has joined the small T200 roster. King will be the 12th musher out of the gate on January 28 for a 200 mile sled dog race.

The T200 is a well known race located on the Kenai Peninsula. For the first time in years the race will take a route to a check point in Homer before returning to the starting point. The race was very close to being cancelled this year due to lack of funding, but with help from local support and a bit of restructuring the race is still on.

Changes to the race are simple, a different check point (in Homer) as well as the lack of the Tustamena 100. Both the 200 and Jr. races are set to go the last weekend of January. So far not many junior mushers (youth) are signed up, most noticably absent is last year's winner, Conway Seavey.

So far, thirteen teams have signed up for the T200.


*Another exciting addition (well, exciting to some) is the addition of ME! I will be volunteering as the race's official photographer. Tons of photos coming your way at the end of the month! So excited (how's that for totally changing from an official sounding article to a fangirl blog?)

T200 smaller in roster, bigger in heart



Zoya Denure, at the start of Iditarod 39, is one
of the top contenders for this year's T200.

Like many winter sports, dog mushing is struggling to find its place in the downward spiralling economy. Larger races like the Iditarod and Yukon Quest as well as the Fur Rondy World Championship Sprints have established sponsorship capable of supporting the expenses incurred by putting on a race.

The T200 has been dealing with the loss of funds all year, and this year are only working on the Junior T and the T200. The shorter T100 will not be held this year, with the hope that it will return next season. 
The race will take place January 28th, and is a race that is used as a rookie qualifier for races like the Iditarod. So far ten teams have signed up with Paul Gebhardt - a previous TChampion - and Zoya Denure as the "headliners." Gebhardt is a local musher, and DeNure is favored by mushing fans for her treatment of her dogs as well as her sled dog rescue work.

The race will be longer with a new stop in Homer planned. The purse is a substantial 10,000 that the Kasilof community voted to give the race from a state grant. This race is an institution, one worth saving. Volunteers are welcome to sign up to help see the race through.

http://www.tustumena200.com