2026 Copper Basin 300 race preview

Grab your fur hats and parkas, folks! The race season is finally kicking off! After last week's race getting canceled due to lack of winter, this week's race is right on track to have everything mushers and their fans want to see for a sled dog race!

Typically the Copper Basin 300 is the second major race of the race season in Alaska, but as the Knik 200 canceled its race everyone has anxiously turned their attention on the "toughest 300 miles in Alaska." The race boasted a full roster with a large waitlist soon after opening registration this fall, but with the lack of snow for most of the end of 2025 in South Central Alaska several teams withdrew due to lack of training (among other reasons).

At last check there are thirty-four teams planning to leave the starting line Saturday morning. The forecast shows that the teams should have a pleasant weekend of mushing with temps ranging from a high point of 35F at the start of the race to temps nearing zero and snowfall by the finish. As teams travel into Glennallen Thursday and Friday the weather will go from a crisp -30 and clear skies Thursday night to -7 or warmer and snow Friday with an estimated 1-3 inches of new snow acculation. The 10am start on Saturday should see clear and sunny skies. 

There is a perfect mixture of seasoned race teams as well as up-and-coming teams. Mushers who are looking to use the race as a challenging training weekend for their teams headed for bigger races like Yukon Quest Alaska and the Iditarod, and there are those teams hoping to complete the qualifications to be able to sign up for those bigger races. Some are handlers taking out the team and getting experience while they're at it. Some are in it to win, to show off their team's abilities and qualities (from breeding program to training). 

To view the whole roster, you can check out the Reitter's Block musher roster compiling links to each musher so fans can keep track of their favorites (and find new favorites) and direct links to support them! But let's take a moment and talk about the teams most likely the push for the win. (It's unclear if Fantasy Mushng will happen this year, but the roster can also be used for that should it pop up in the next day or so.)

Who to watch

Amanda Otto - Remember when she did that monster run at the end of the Yukon Quest Alaska a few years back nearly beating out the champ? Otto trained and learned from what of the best, Mr the King himself, Jeff King. Now Amanda is an "old hat" at this thing and along with her dogs that make up Team Otto one is hard pressed to think she won't at least take a stab at it if she finds herself in the mix. She's crafty and has a few tricks hidden in her parka. 

Cody Strathe - The Squids have been knocking on the door for the last few years, and they've been amazing in the Iditarod. A brief look at the race archives over the last few years show a pattern of whichever team comes in second the year before end up winning the next year. That's not a rule, though, and anything is possible... but these dogs are full of disco and can be expected to boogie on down the trail with the best of them - and maybe even disco away with a win!

Deke Naaktgeboren - It's nice to see Deke back on the runners after seeing his handler turned kennel partner Jonah Bacon race with the team.  The team lead by Bacon last year came in fifth, so it's safe to assume Deke will see similar if not better results this year. 

Jessie Holmes - The reigning Copper Basin champ is also the reining Iditarod champ. Holmes seems to still be riding high on the "perfect season" last year and it's a good bet his team is just as strong this year. Unless he's running a fully inexperienced group of dogs without any plan to be competitive expect the champ to be right up there in the mix if not leading the whole thing.

Mille Porsild - Mille is a force all her own. There's a reason why so many fans adore her: she has grit. This is the woman who ran the Iditarod while dealing with a severe bout of pancreatitis afterall. Mille has years of experience running dogs and manages to pull out some miraculous feats with her team. It should surprise no one if she manages to find herself in the lead group.

Some other names to keep an eye on as it will be interesting to see what they do are the teams of Dave Turner, Josi Shelley, and Rohn Buser. All are very competitive, but could also plan to take it easy on this first outing of the season depending on their goals for later on in the year and what their teams are capable of. Don't be surprised if one or all of them play spoiler to the top five above.

And in a last minute change of roster (as in day of race sign-in) Ryan Redington is now on the list in place of Mazzy Bailey (young musher who runs out of Ryan's kennel). It will be interesting to see if he runs a competitive race or if he takes it easy and runs closer to what Sarah Keefer's schedule looks like.

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. Just remember, if the trackers don't work or the news isn't instantaneous to just be patient. Part of the fun of a sled dog race is the unknown. (Seriously, don't make me come at you with "back in MY day".)

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. (The link goes live typically after the bib draw/starting order is finalized.)

Official Website
If you want to see official in and out times, the official website is the best place to find the updated timesheets. Remember, this is all done by volunteer and communication and connection can be sketchy, but if you want the latest greatest numbers use patience and follow along on the CB300 website. (The site has had a make over this year and it's fantastic! Streamlined and user friendly. It has a few new pages with quick and easy info to follow the race!)

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.

Live Stream
The CB300 plans to go LIVE on Facebook at 9:30am on Saturday, a half hour before the first GO! According to the CB300 website our buddy Kale Casey will also go live to share "behind the scenes" coverage as well as videos from the checkpoints. CB300 posted on Facebook that due to "unforseen circumstances" Kale will not be at the race this year.

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 9
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 10
10am - Race Start

Tuesday, January 13
6pm - Award Banquet

Who do YOU think are the teams to watch? The team to beat? The team to take it all? Comment below with your thoughts about this weekend's race!

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

Canada's Yukon Quest releases statement on Facebook

In a post on Facebook Thursday morning, Canada's Yukon Quest broke its silence on the news yesterday that there would not be a race in 2026. The brief message lined out the biggest issues the organization faced. As with all of their posts in the last few months, the organization limited comments on the post, but that didn't stop a multitude of fans and mushers from sharing the post far and wide on social media.

"As you may have gathered from the flurry of CBC activity," the organization wrote, "there is presently no Yukon Quest sled dog race organized for 2026.

The reasons are quite long in the making, but the volunteer Board that formed in June 2025 inherited a debt of over $30,000 from the previous Board and Race Organization. The debt issue overshadowed everything the new Board tried e.g. one is not allowed to have a raffle license in the Yukon if the proceeds are to pay off debt; and of course divisions arose about the route, although the Rangers wouldn't prep a route on the Yukon River because of the dangers of thin ice...and so the Board became inactive one by one.

The Board could have accessed the funds from YG, except there are strict requirements to access such money, involving marketing plans, detailed budgets and detailed monthly cash flow projections - somewhat beyond most volunteer Board members - to access the money a professional was required to complete the paperwork in order to access the money ... that was needed to pay the professional...Catch 22, the money's there, but money is first needed to pay someone to complete the paperwork, and the Board was sitting on $30k of inherited debt.

If you wish to follow mushing in the Yukon, the sport and people who love and work with their dogs, we suggest you look up these sites:  Yukon Odyssey ,  Yukon Dog Mushers Association  (YDMA),  Dog Powered Sports Association of the Yukon (DPSAY). 

The Quest simply became a business that lost contact with, and failed to nurture, its base: the sport, culture, people and dogs of mushing.

Happy Trails!"

The Yukon Quest in Canada was scheduled to be a 100mile race starting from Whitehorse on January 31, 2026. Alaska's Yukon Quest is still set to start on February 7 in Fairbanks, Alaska, and will travel in a loop of 750miles back to Fairbanks.

What are your thoughts on the Yukon Quest's statement? Do you think it can be saved? Should it? Comment with your ideas below!

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

Two more races cancel 2026 events

While the Copper Basin 300 is set to be an exciting race in Alaska this weekend, two races announced they would not run in 2026. As Alaska sees record cold temps and record snow accumulation (thinking of you, Juneau!) the Lower 48 is still waiting for winter weather causing races to continue to cancel or postpone in hopes of better conditions. And another beloved race is looking at an uncertain future with a cancelation fans did not see coming.

Late Wednesday Morning (Pacific Time) the Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race announced that the race scheduled for January 22 is canceled. Citing lack of snow to be able to put in safe trails, the race took to Facebook to deliver the news. "We held off making this decision for a few days because of the current storm cycle approaching the area," the race wrote.

"I spoke with a forecaster at the National Weather Service yesterday to get a better idea as to the storm track and timing," the missive continued. "It turns out the forecast was pretty accurate and the storm has tracked well north of us leaving us with rain and a very light dusting of snow. This morning saw lots of blue sky in Wallowa County. Going into next week, we are seeing a warming trend with no additional significant moisture."

The Eagle Cap is the only Iditarod and Quest Qualifier run in Oregon and while the rosters are smaller than what Canadian and Alaska races see, it's a healthy one with many loyal kennels. Comments from mushers and fans alike flooded the Facebook announcement Wednesday with most being grateful for the early announcement so they could make arrangements to run other races outside of Oregon. Others asked if for future years an optional second site for the race could be chosen. 

Wednesday afternoon saw the second cancelation announcement, this one coming from Canada. From an article on the CBC website, the mushing community learned that there will not be a Yukon Quest run in Canada in 2026. The race was scheduled to run on January 31, but little had been released about the race. The Quest in 2025 chose to lock its Facepook posts down not allowing anyone to comment on what they shared. It had many side-eying the race and wondering just what was going on with the beloved event.

While the official reason for the race seems to be something of "volunteer burnout" with the board of directors, there seems to be a little more to it. In the CBC article former board members chimed in with their thoughts and disappointments on the organization. Citing challenges like climate change, trail changes, and community support - it seems the race has no shortage of excuses for why things couldn't come together in 2026.

Pointedly one musher who was a former board member made note that the way the organization handled this year's race information was "disrespectful to mushers." 

This year's race was planned to only be a one hundred mile race, about 350 miles shorter than last year's Quest, and 900miles shorter than its original structure of a cross border race into Alaska. The 1000mile race ended in 2022 when the two boards that ran the International race decided to divorce each other over organizational disagreements (the most public one being about rest schedules and how to track rest). Some also argue that the dwindling roster numbers made it continually difficult to run a successful race with a purse participants came to expect from the race.

This year the Alaskan version of the Quest is set to take place February 7 and has a 750mile loop trail starting and ending in Fairbanks planned with a decent number of mushers signed up to run.

Are you surprised by today's cancelations? Thoughts on the Yukon Quest issues? Comment below with your thoughts!

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

2026 Copper Basin 300 musher roster

After a canceled race delayed the start of the race season in Alaska (at least for Qualifying Mid-Distance races), we're now focused on a race known for not canceling no matter the weather. The Copper Basin 300, known as the toughest 300 miles in Alaska (and really the coldest), is set to take off January 10 in Glennallen, Alaska. Currently there are thirty-four teams on the roster after having a sold out registration when they opened this fall. Lots of reasons for cancelation one of the big ones is the weather in South Central Alaska that kept many teams from training on snow. However, the roster is just six spaces shy of having a full/closed roster, proving once again just how important the CB300 is to mushing.

Thirty-four teams are looking at taking on a race notorious for its deep cold. Races have been run in temperatures of -40 and lower. It's the perfect reminder that not only are sled dogs bred differently to many dog breeds when it comes to what they can accomplish (and what they think is fun weather to play in), but so too are the mushers. Are mushers human or alien? It's hard to say, but insanity is a word that often comes to mind when one sees the historic temps of the race and then gaze at a nearly full roster.

In other words: y'all are nuts.

All jokes aside, this is shaping up to be another exciting Copper Basin that has several teams poised to contend for the win. As always the roster will be updated with bib numbers and organized by starting order once bibs are drawn and published on Friday.

Edited at 8:15pm on January 9, 2026 to note that several teams dropped/swapped mushers and the official starting list with bib numbers is now updated with a final tally of thirty-three teams starting Saturday.

Bib	Musher	Kennel	Link	Link	Link
1	Talia Martens	Martens Mushing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
2	Sam McLain	Skookum Expeditions	Website	Facebook	Instagram
3	Joey Sabin	VOA Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
4	Adam Lindenmuth	Sojourn Kennels		Facebook	Instagram
5	Leni Stolz	Squid Acres		Facebook
6	Coty Coleman	The Cure Racing Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
7	Deke Naaktgeboren	Nautique Sky Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
8	Alexander Pai	Dew Claw Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
9	Erika Loebrich	Star Gazer Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
10	Willoe Maynard	VOA Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
11	David Turner	Racing Chaos		Facebook	Instagram
12	Rohn Buser	Susitna Sled Dog Adventures	Website	Facebook	Instagram
13	Haleigh Bonk	Otter River Sled Dog Training Center	Website	Facebook
14	Jeremiah Ovard	Snowhook Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
15	Grayson Bruton	The Cure Racing Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
16	Josi Shelley	There & Back Again Sled Dogs	Website	Facebook	Instagram
17	Amanda Otto	Team Otto	Website	Facebook	Instagram
18	Isaac Redington	Redington Racing		Facebook
19	Jessie Holmes	Can't Stop Racing Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
20	Jaye Foucher	Sibersong Sleddogs	Website	Facebook	Instagram
21	Robert Redington	Dogsled Alaska	Website	Facebook	Instagram
22	Michaela O’Connor	Dream Big Kennel	Website	Facebook
23	Tim Pappas	17th Dog / Alaskan Husky Adventures	Website	Facebook
24	Virag Racz	Mille & Co	Website	Facebook	Instagram
25	Ryan Redington	Redington Mushing	Website	Facebook
26	Jacob Witkop	Piledriver Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
27	Mille Porsild	Mille & Co	Website	Facebook	Instagram
28	Justin Olnes	ReRun Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
29	Sydnie Bahl	Dream a Dream Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
30	Samuel Martin	17th Dog / Alaskan Husky Adventures	Website	Facebook
31	Cody Strathe	Squid Acres	Website	Facebook	Instagram
32	Sarah Keefer	Redington Mushing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
33	Shane Blumentritt	Cold Start Kennel		Facebook	Instagram

*Roster as of January 9 @ 8:10pm AKST.

Who are you surprised to see on the roster? Who are you cheering for? Comment with your thoughts on the roster below! (And if you see a mistake or a musher's kennel has changed please let me know.)

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.  

2025 Photographic Retrospective

 As the clock ticks down to the final moments of 2025, I just want to take a moment and thank all of you for reading. I started this blog 20 years ago or so (if we're counting GreatestJournal and LiveJournal days) and it's been an evolution to get to what it is now. This blog has always been just a place where I can ramble on about one interest or another for me, but that I have so many following along now is mindblowing. I'm humbled. It also gives me a huge bout of impostor syndrome most days, but your encouragement keeps me from pulling the plug! (Well, that, and I just can't help but continue to ramble about the sport of dog mushing.)

I always have great intentions for this space on the web but life keeps getting in the way. Maybe someday I can make it into what I envision. In 2026 I hope to be able to hit all of the race rosters on time with previews and of course the daily Iditarod updates. We'll see what I am able to accomplish.

With that, let's take a look at a few photos from 2025 to close out this very strange year.

2025 started out so magically hopeful with the Aurora dancing over much of Alaska. Being able to slide down my driveway to catch a couple of shots of it over my house with the Christmas lights on made for a couple of lovely shots. It was cold and I was dealing with a lot of traffic coming and going so I couldn't get the angles I wanted - plus I was bone tired - so I didn't quite as many as I'd hoped. Still, the lights gave us all hope and wonder to enter the new year, and I think it lulled us into a false sense of we've got this.

2026 Knik 200 postponed due to trail conditions

It's deja vu for the South Central Alaska mushing community. There's very little snow in the MatSu Valley to start the race season. While the snow came on time this past October, November saw nothing but rain and ice. December temps dropped to well below the average for this time of year, and with those temps came hurricane force winds. Each weekend another windstorm blowing what little snow Knik and Wasilla still had completely away.

Teams once again have to travel away from their home trails in search of snow. Most are finding trails in and around Denali and Fairbanks, but with their feet of snow has also come extreme cold temperatures (that even prompted the Alaska State Troopers to warn residents to stay indoors until things warm up - mushers didn't listen). 

The Knik 100 was canceled due to weather as well as just not having any trails. Mushers were understanding and even thankful the race didn't try to make it work, but worry soon grew that the Knik 200 would soon suffer the same fate. There were rumors that the race would move to where there was snow for trails, but the board announced that they would decide and let mushers know on December 29.

So Alaska waited and hoped the wind would blow in some snow clouds. It didn't.

Well, there was that one day that had snow for about two hours, but it all blew away as fast as it fell.

And now, the Knik 200 board has announced that the race is not canceled, but postponed to the end of January. "We know that not all of you will be able to join that date," the board wrote in a simple facebook post Monday, "but hope that some of you still can!" With the new dates of January 24-25, the race will run at the same time of the very popular Kuskokwim 300 in Bethel. Several teams are signed up for both races, and it will be interesting to see what race they stay entered in. 

Many things will come into play as the deciding factor of where teams end up - mainly training hours. If South Central does not see snow soon mushers will be forced to spend a lot of time and money on the road traveling to trails that are runnable. That could force some to back out of the Kusko and stick with the Knik. Teams have until January 17 to drop out of the Knik 200 to receive their full refund.

Official Hotel of Iditarod returns to Downtown Anchorage

Anchorage's First Friday event December 5 saw the official unveiling of The Mushing District Arch. The project that started 12 years ago by mushers and historians alike has come to fruition. 4th Avenue from A to G street is officially known as The Mushing District. Mushing enthusiasts, fans, and officials alike gathered downtown Friday to celebrate the momentous occasion and celebrate the history and future of Alaska's official Sport. On Monday, Iditarod made an announcement that it would return its Race HQ to The Mushing District in 2026.

Fans, volunteers, and mushers alike were surprised with an announcement Monday morning from The Iditarod's official Facebook Page that the Iditarod Race HQ would be moving from its long time home of The Lakefront Anchorage (a Millenium Hotels property) to the renovated and newly named Wildbirch Hotel (a JdV by Hyatt property). The Iditarod has been without an official Hotel Sponsor for over ten years after The Lakefront was forced to drop its partnership with the race due to pressure at the corporate office from animal rights "activists". The Lakefront not only hosted the race headquarters, they sponsored the feast given to the musher who was first to the halfway point of the race. The hotel continued to work with the Iditarod as its guest "conference/event" though not in an official capacity after dropping its sponsorship of the race. 

"Anchoring the heart of the Anchorage Mushing District and overlooking the ceremonial start on 4th Avenue," the race wrote on Facebook, "the city’s newest lifestyle boutique hotel is stepping in as an official sponsor of the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race®."

The Wildbirch Hotel opened in the summer of 2025 after the property was bought by Hyatt and completely renovated. The old Aviator Hotel in Downtown Anchorage was well known by Iditarod fans with its prime location overlooking the Ceremonial Start, however it was rundown in recent years, and had many half done renos. In more recent times it was used to house the city's unhoused community members. Now, however, the building has been reborn into a hotel that claims to "forge a connection between you and the adventures just outside our door. From the moment you arrive, The Wildbirch Hotel becomes a waypoint for your journey."

The Wildbirch houses 252 modern and "design-forward" guest rooms and suites that "incorporate local heritage and the utilitarian charm of camp." It also has a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They also have a coffee shop and will soon open a small batch brewery partnering with the Midnight Sun Brewing Company (their website says both fall of 2025 and early 2026 for the opening). It also boasts the perfect viewing location for the Rondy and Iditarod races.

“We are honored to announce this formal partnership with the Iditarod® and our sponsorship of the 2026 race,” said Patrick Faas, general manager of The Wildbirch Hotel stated in a joint press release with The Iditarod. “This is an iconic event steeped in rich Alaska history; it’s part of the very fabric of our neighborhood, and we are pleased to support the effort in keeping this special occasion true to its traditions.” 

In that same press release, Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach shared his thoughts on the new partnership, "The Wildbirch Hotel brings a modern, authentic, and distinctly Alaskan feel. Their vision to elevate Anchorage’s visitor experience aligns seamlessly with the Iditarod’s legacy and future goals. This partnership supercharges the Iditarod experience for Alaska and the world.”

While much of the Iditarod's race logistics will be moved to the smaller, swankier Wildbirch, the returned dogs will still be brought to the Lakefront to be cared for before they can be transported to their home kennels. 

A quick look at the room ratess for race weekend have rates around $440 a night, it's a tad cheaper if you are a Hyatt Member. They do have an Alaska rate, however a when looking up that rate for Rondy/Iditarod there appears to be no rooms available, a good indicator that the rate is not eligible for peak seasons. It is unknown if there will be a special Iditarod rate for volunters, ITC members, or mushers.

Iditarod has seen many changes in the recent past, and this one has recieved mixed responses as change and Iditarod fans and mushers don't always go hand in hand (paw in paw?) however this will make it easier for many to be downtown without needing transportation for the start. There are many eateries within walking distance of the hotel, and the Fur Rondy events too! It's breathed a bit of life and excitement for those working the race which is always a plus.

The Wildbirch Hotel has already put "official hotel for the Iditarod" on its website and references the race as one of the perks of their location and stay.

Do you have thoughts on the news of a new HQ location? Do you remember when the race HQ was downtown before it moved to the Lakefront? Do you remember when there was an Iditarod Store downtown? Have you seen the new arch? Comment below!

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.