We *OTTO* know better by now

In the words of Yogi Bera, it ain't over til it's over. Amanda Otto shot from seventh place when she left Two Rivers last night to now sitting in Nenana in second place. That whole "Wade and Nic racing for second" prediction was a day too soon. We *Otto* know better by now, dog races are far from predictable.

Well... mostly far from predictable. Fans noticed Nic Petit stalling several times over night, some had expected a turn like this earlier in the race. Nic likes to run at a fast clip and while that seems to work for him in the 200 and 300 mile races, it's bit him in the butt a few times and it has here. Nic posted a pic on the trail saying that they were having to camp for more rest after "making mistakes" and that now he's turning from race mode into fun trip mode. He turns a lot of races into "fun trips". Which is all well and good, but one wonders when he'll try to take a page out of Brent Sass' book and re-evaluate his [lack of] strategy and maybe coach the team differently. 

Wade Marrs also reported difficulty before leaving Two Rivers. He left three dogs behind with handlers to preserve his core team for the Iditarod, but also reported he had some dogs in heat and so the males were less than focused. Both Marrs and Petit were considerably slower on the leg from Two Rivers to Nenana neither having made it into Nenana by the time noon rolled around. 

With Marrs and Petit faltering, it gave Otto even more of a chance to really jump in the standings. The musher out of Husky Homestead took a chance and made the bold move to run the full 100 miles without camping partway through - something Brent Sass elected to do. She rolled into Nenana a little before 11:30am. She is only four hours and fifteen minutes behind Sass.

Brent Sass, of course, had Nenana all to himself for most of the morning. The Champion team made it to the checkpoint at 7:09am and left right on time after his six hour mandatory rest at 1:09pm. He will have about fifty miles until the finish mostly on the Tanana river that they ran on all night. Judging by speeds it won't be a fast run, and without knowing the current trail reports one can only wonder if the spots that slowed Sass and stalled Marrs and Petit have gotten worse.

Judging by Sass's current movement we're looking at 5 to 6 hours before a finish. Right now it looks like a 7pm ish finish, but things can change. It ain't over til it's over.

Oh, and Amanda Otto can leave at 5:26pm.

Brent Sass sitting on a giant cushion

If you've been following along with the Yukon Quest Alaska 550, you are not at all surprised to know that Brent Sass has, essentially, run away with the competition. The experienced champion has over a four and a half hour lead ahead of the chase pack, and there seems to be no slowing him down. Sass prides himself on the "trot" strategy. The dogs never lope or run, they stay at a steady trot, and that's how they make it first to the finish. 

Sass and team ran into the Two Rivers Inbound checkpoint at 11:23am on Tuesday carrying two of his dogs. There is a mandatory four hour rest and vet check in this checkpoint, and Brent elected to stay almost a half hour more in the checkpoint knowing full well that he could afford to take his time. Sass does not typically rest in checkpoints unless mandated, so to see him take his time was a tad interesting - but his social media team assures fans this was all part of the plan. Brent left the two dogs he carried into the checkpoint in his handlers' capable hands and headed for Nenana at 4pm.

Just nine minutes later, Quest Rookie Wade Marrs and team pulled in. Marrs made up a lot of time on Petit, but lost it all and then some while climbing the infamous "Rosebud". While Marrs was second into the checkpoint, Petit was hot on his heels coming in fifteen minutes behind Marrs but with a run time 43 minutes faster than Marrs. Both took their mandatory and are now back out on the trail (at time of writing this we don't have official times out nor how many dogs they have on the line).

Riley Dyche will be out next to join the chase pack and could play spoiler for second or third place though he will have to make up at least and hour and a half time on Marrs and Petit - not impossible, but a lofty goal. Dyche will be able to leave at 10:01pm. 

Current red lantern for the 550 is Howling Ridge Kennel's Shaynee Traska after Lauro Eklund was withdrawn from the race by Race Marshal Mike McCowen sighting rule 22 - competitiveness. Rule 22 states: "The Race Marshal shall at any time withdraw or disqualify a Musher they feel is not making a true attempt at running a competitive race or is in a position to not keep up with the race thus endangering themselves, their dogs and/or causing undue burden upon the Yukon Quest Alaska organization. The Race Marshal shall make this call based upon the condition of the team, trail and weather conditions, attitude and skill level of the musher and the pace at which the team and other teams are traveling. Any musher whose conduct, lack of skills and/or conditioning of their team to meet trail conditions which would expose the team or musher to personal risk in the judgment of the Race Marshal, shall also be withdrawn or disqualified."

Eklund was seven hours behind the next slowest team (Traska) when he reached the checkpoint of Central (inbound). Traska left shortly after he arrived and his team was in need of a break. When Lauro made it to Central the race social media posts praised him for his dog care and his speed saying in any other year with a bigger roster he'd be middle of the pack. By morning the decision was made to pull the team with the basic explanation that the race marshal found Eklund to be not competitive. 

Fans and mushers alike have shared their displeasure since the decision. Requests for further explanation were met with the press statement of rule 22. 

Sass is currently 53 miles from the Nenana checkpoint. From there he will have a six hour mandatory layover before another 55 or so miles to the finish line. Yukon Quest personnel expect a "late afternoon" finish on Wednesday for the champion.

Matt Hall takes Yukon Quest Alaska 300 title

From start to finish, Matt Hall's team from Smokin' Aces Kennel dominated the trail. The musher from Eagle, Alaska, took the lead early Saturday and never truly relinquished it.

Fans of the race quickly lamented that Hall's team was looking so strong that they should have run the 550. Hall had planned originally to run the longer race, but due to a trail change announcement in January due to poor trail conditions, the trail for the 550 would now pass by the Smokin' Aces kennel three times and Hall did not want to confuse his team with that many drivebys. Opting to run the 300 made Matt the odds on favorite from the onset.

Hall and team finished their race at 4:17pm as the sun was setting over Central, Alaska. His frosty faced team of nine dogs were still tight on the line and eager for their snacks. 

Though Matt Hall had a clear lead, there were some exciting moments watching Isaac Teaford, running a team from Dallas Seavey's racing kennel, eat up some miles on the champion team. Teaford came into the finish with his team (and a very icy beard) 55 minutes behind Hall.

For the 550, Brent Sass has a comfortable lead and is the only one in and out of Central on the way back. He rested at least four hours on the trail before the checkpoint as is his norm (he would rather rest on the trail than in a checkpoint). Nicolas Petit is working on challenging the reigning champion, but his strategy of resting in the checkpoints has kept him with a significant disadvantage timing wise. At present Sass has at least a four hour lead on Petit.

The 300 teams will continue to finish throughout the night, and we're still at least a couple days from a finish for the 550.

2023 Yukon Quest Alaska night two

Teams are approaching the northern most checkpoint of Circle tonight for both the 550 and 300 races. Brent Sass in the 550 and Matt Hall for the 300 are currently leading their respective races, but the race is far from over for Sass, and Hall has a team close on his tail. 

This is one of the most difficult legs of the race, and teams will have to go back through this on their way to the next checkpoint (550) and finish (300). This section of trail includes what's known as the switchbacks which often sees slow speeds as the trail follows a very windy river bed that often sees massive overflow.

Most of the teams choosing not to rest long in the checkpoint of Central stopped just shy of the start of the Switchback for a good rest before continuing through the "slogfest". With no teams yet into Circle it will be a while yet before we will have accurate trail conditions, still teams seem to be going one to two miles per hour slower than on previous sections of trail. This is to be expected.

The 550 teams will no doubt take a break once they reach Circle, though it is not a checkpoint that has a set number of mandatory rest hours. The 300 must all take six hours plus their differential in Circle. We could see a finish as early as Monday evening for the three hundred.

For Matt Hall, this has been his race, but he hasn't been alone. He's played leapfrog several times with Isaac Teaford. Teaford is running a team from Dallas Seavey's kennel which has a few pups on their first race. Teaford is doing exceedingly well with the team and sticking right in there with Hall. With both teams just needing their 6 hours, it looks like Matt will leave with quite the cushion as he has a four mile lead on the second team.

For the 550, Brent Sass has about a 24 mile lead on the next musher (who appears to be Nicolas Petit at this time though the trackers for the 550 are not pinging consistently in the Switchbacks to have an accurate measurement). Petit has banked at least three hours more in the checkpoints than Sass has, however, and that may come into play later as they make sure to hit their mandatory level of rest. Brent prefers to rest out of checkpoints, though, so his team still has plenty left in the tank for the return trip. 

From Circle mushers will head back down through the Switchbacks to Central - for the 300 this is where their race will end, for the 550 they will return to Central, Mile 101, and Two Rivers before heading to Nenana and finally the finish line in Fairbanks. 

It's a slow go tonight. Expect Brent to come into Circle within the hour and the others to trickle in throughout the night and morning.

Yukon Quest Alaska night one update

After a flawless start to the Yukon Quest Alaska races, teams made their way to the first checkpoint of Pleasant Valley near Two Rivers, Alaska. Trail reports said that the trail was "slow going", yet the leading teams of the 550 made it into the checkpoint roughly fifteen minutes ahead of predicted times by the race's social media. 

The 550 took off from Fairbanks at 11am, and Brent Sass was first into Two Rivers at 2:44pm leaving one minute later to head back onto the trail. Riley Dyche came into the checkpoint just six minutes behind the Yukon Quest and Iditarod Champion.

The 300 took off from Fairbanks at 11:30am and the first teams were into Two Rivers by 4pm. First in was Isaac Teaford (running a team of dogs out of Dallas Seavey's kennel) at 3:53pm. Keaton Loebrich came in seven minutes behind Teaford, followed a minute later by 2017 Quest champion Matt Hall. Loebrich elected to stay in the checkpoint as Hall spent just minutes in the checkpoint before continuing down the trail with a plan to camp between Two Rivers and the next checkpoint (Mile 101).

For the Yukon Quest it is hardly uncommon to see teams camp inbetween checkpoints. While the Iditarod is run so quickly with checkpoints close together making camping on the trail a thing of the past, the Quest is a little slower trail (thanks to the difficult terrain) plus there can be close to 100 miles between checkpoints. This style of mushing fits that of teams like Brent Sass and Cody Strathe, and we're already seeing teams hunker down tonight.

As the trackers sit not moving, expect teams to rest for a minimum of four hours in their camping spot. While some teams are on the move after short rests in Two Rivers, do not expect a lot of action until (at earliest) 10pm Alaska time. 

Skies were mostly clear throughout the day on the trail, so it will no doubt be a gorgeous night under the Snow Moon for the teams. The daytime temps ranged from five to ten above, but as the sun went down so did the mercury and according to accuweather temps on the trail are at about -5. Perfect weather conditions for a night on the Yukon Quest.

The Yukon Quest 80 "Fun Run" has most of its teams into the halfway point of Pleasant Valley. Without knowing the rules about rest, there's no way to tell when teams will make their return to the finish - but expect a late night early morning finish for that race.

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 Live Feed

 A newbie to Alaska (and looks like a fan of the sled dogs) has a live feed of the start (seems the race facebook page is down).  Take a look!

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 Yukon Quest 550 & 300 rosters

The time has come! It's officially February, and February belongs to the Yukon Quest. Of course, this year that means two separates Quests as the two boards could not come together and work to bring back the thousand mile race. So we get two Quests over two weekends and the first one up is the Alaska side. They're holding three classes, the 550mile race, the 300 mile race (both can be qualifiers for Iditarod), and an 80 mile "fun run".

Since this blog is mainly about Iditarod and its qualifiers, we're going to stick with the two races that count towards that musher report card. Bibs will be drawn Thursday evening, so expect the roster to be edited Friday to reflect bib numbers. For now, we'll just go alphabetically.

YQ 550 Roster

1 Brent Sass (Wild & Free) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
2 Riley Dyche (Dark Horse Sled Dogs) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
3 Wade Marrs (Stump Jumpin' Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
4 Cody Strathe (Squid Acres) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
5 Nicolas Petit (Team Petit) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
6 Deke Naaktgeboren (Nautique Sky Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
7 Amanda Otto (Husky Homestead) - Facebook / Kennel Facebook / Instagram
8 Shaynee Traska (Howling Ridge) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
9 Lauro Eklund (Skookum Expeditions) - Website / Facebook / Facebook 2 / Instagram / Instagram 2

YQ 300 Roster

1 Jeff Reid (Frozen Trident Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
2 Keaton Loebrich - can't find them online anywhere!
3 Ashley Dove (Crooked Creek) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
4 Samantha Lalonde (Ryno Kennel) - Facebook / Kennel Facebook / Instagram
5 Ron Stiffler Jr (Fast & the Furry) - Facebook
6 Isaac Teaford (Dallas Seavey Racing) - Facebook
7 Jennifer LaBar (Rocking Ridge Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
8 Matt Hall (Smokin' Aces) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
9 Vickie Justice (Awl Alaskan Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram

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).

Kaiser holds off Failor to win Kusko 300

Sunday afternoon brought on a finish "in the light" for the first time in years as Peter Kaiser's team crossed the finish line for a 7th championship for the kennel. Kaiser's race time was the slowest time for a winner in over fifteen years. The hometown hero, who won the Iditarod in 2019, battled "mashed potato" like trails in sometimes pouring rain while fighting back several top teams to take the top prize.

The race was all set to be its normal cold windy self when Mother Nature decided to throw a curve ball. The week of the race, warm winds blew in and the snow storm turned into rain and ice. There was water on top of the trail, and open water on the rivers. This was going to be more of a KuskoSWIM on the Kuskokwim Delta. Still, the trail was passable, and everyone was excited.

This was the first race since 2020 that fans were able to mingle with the teams and that race headquarters was stationed at the Longhouse Hotel where mushers, fans, and officials all gathered. With Covid making social distancing a must in 2021 and 2022, things felt more normal this year. The only hiccup race planners had were the fireworks traditionally set of after the last team takes to the trail. They'd not applied for the permit in time and were pretty sure they weren't happening this year, but thanks to a call into US Representative Mary Peltola they were able to get an expedited permit and just two days before the race the fireworks were back on.

Teams took off Friday night under rainy skies, they made their way to the Gweek River and to the first checkpoint in mostly normal fashion. There were spots of open water on the Gweek, and race officials marked them with lighted trail markers so teams knew where not to go. From the first checkpoint the teams began to hit bad trail. The "mashed potato" snow made for slow going, especially for those further back in the race. Eddie Burke and Isaac Underwood would lead the way for much of the night, with Peter Kaiser hot on their heels. 

By Saturday afternoon, Peter Kaiser had taken the lead and was first into Aniak which marks the unofficial halfway point of the race (which this year, due to trail route it's actually just a little more than halfway). Kaiser would not relinquish his lead for the rest of the race. On the return trip from Aniak back to the same trail to the finish, the front runners would report that the trail had set up thanks to cooling temps and the rain holding off. By the time the chase pack and back of the pack would run the trail they could not report the same. Teams would report "it got worse" to each others social media posts after the race. 

Though Kaiser never lost his lead, he was far from safely in first. By the time he reached the final checkpoint, Matthew Failor (the 2019 Kusko champ) was a mere eight minutes behind him. It would become a battle on the final leg between the two champions, but that 8 minute lead grew to a 10 minute lead and Kaiser held on to the win. Kaiser would tell the media at the finish that these trails were Pete's trails and there was "no way to beat Pete if he is out ahead of you." For their efforts, Pete won $25,500, and Matt came away with $17,500. Huge take-aways for a race of this size. 

 Even with the trail being difficult, there were only two scratches. Twyla Elhardt called it quits for her team in Aniak. There was no real report as to why, other than to say they were happily headed home. With trail conditions being what they were, and Twyla being at the back of the pack, it would not be surprising that she decided to end her race early to remain on a positive note for the team. The other scratch was last year's rookie of the year, Jason Pavila. Jason took a fall on his sled out on the trail and injured his shoulder, unable to properly hang onto the sled or take care of his team he was forced to end his race early.

The awards banquet was open to the public and was in person this year for the first time since the Covid-19 Pandemic. It was a great turn out that appeared to be close to standing room only. While mushers for the Akiak Dash and Bogus Creek 150 were not all in attendance due to the increasingly unstable river conditions making travel unsafe, there were still many locals in attendance to celebrate the mushers. 

Each musher from each race was given the opportunity to speak, and most did. Those for the Kusko 300 all made sure to not just thank their sponsors and families back home but their host families in Bethel. Some shared stories, others just said thank you and took their seats as with many mushers speaking in public isn't really why they got into the sport.

Jeff Deeter, who came in 7th place after having passed Dave Turner in the last mile (known as "No Man's Land") of the race, was awarded the Humanitarian Award given to the team that showed exemplary dog care. Deeter said he was shocked by the award, and that the thanks and credit go to the dogs and also to his wife KattiJo.

Sixth place finisher Will Rhodes spoke at length about the history of the race and his family's part in it. Rhodes is married to Brenda Mackey (who he credited as his heart and soul) whose father is the 1982 Iditarod Champion, Rick Mackey. Rhodes pointed out that Rick won the Kusko twice, in 1985 and again in 1987. He spoke with a lot of emotion as he also noted that the last year has been hard for his family as they said goodbye to Uncle Lance [Mackey] this past summer. He noted just two weeks after Lance's celebration of life his father in law Rick was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. He choked up as he said he's thought a lot about Rick while running this year's Kusko.

Rookie of the year went to fourth place finisher Jacob Witkop who spoke about how great it was to come to Bethel where he didn't have much in the way of cell service so "work couldn't get ahold" of him. He also spoke at length at the kindness and generosity of the locals. He also noted that his host family kept him so well fed he wasn't ready to go home.

Eddie Burke Jr maybe the most improved musher this year as he found himself finishing in a strong third place. Burke is a relative newcomer as he's only been serious about mushing at a high level for the last three years. He gave credit to his mentors Aaron Burmeister, though he said Aaron's been busy being a family man this year and not spending time on the runners, but gave most of the credit to mentor Tony Browning. 

Matthew Failor shared stories of dreaming of Richie Diehl's mom's pizza (it's "awesome") and when he ran into her during the race he let her know just how much he thinks about her pizza. He caught a nap and woke up to fresh, hot pizza slices waiting for him. I mean, I think pizza would be the highlight of my race, too. He also praised the "new bathroom facilities" in Aniak, though he got to see a little too much of a couple of his fellow mushers (the stalls don't have doors).

Then it was Pete Kaiser's turn at the mic. He of course praised the race, thanked his sponsors, and gave a shoutout to all of those that travel from outside of the Kusko-Delta, "we love sharing our trails with everyone." The seven time champion said the only story he had to share was how technology has improved the race in so many ways, and how it's leaps and bounds what it was just a few years ago. As he was coming off the Gweek to head back to the finish he noticed some fans in the distance and he decided he needed to "take a leak" before getting any closer. As he was doing his business he heard a weird sound coming from above him, looked up and caught site of a drone! He spoke out to the crowd to "whoever has that footage, you'll need to do some editing... or don't." Mushers and bathroom humor, it's a thing. Trust me.

Overall, the Kusko once again lived up to the hype. This is definitely one for the record books.

How'd your favorite place? Did you come across a favorite story from the trail? Share your thoughts below!

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).

Failor chasing down Kaiser in final leg of the Kusko

In a race that saw Eddie Burke and Peter Kaiser play leap frog in the first 3/4s of the race, it's now coming down to just a handful of minutes between two Kusko Champs: Kaiser and Matthew Failor. Matthew Failor "held back" for much of the race, contentedly staying in the chase pack, but last night he passed by many teams to come into the final checkpoint and mandatory four hour layover just eight minutes behind Peter Kaiser.

Both teams left right on time after their rest and charged down the trail on the return route to Bethel. They ran this trail Friday night, and in Kaiser's case these are the trails he trains on. Failor's team hasn't had to "break trail" for anyone and hasn't played the rabbit, but they aren't as familiar with the route - other than what they just did this weekend.

The chase pack is being led by Eddie Burke who, after leading for most of the first twenty four hours and playing leap frog with Kaiser, is having a fantastic race season running the "A-team" out of Wildstyle Racing kennel. The improvement between his first year of races (just three years ago) to now is incredible and a top five placement in this very competitive race is something he can be proud of. Burke can't rest on the runners, though, he's battling with Jacob Wiktop for third. A quick look at the trackers shows that Eddie is three miles back from Failor (give or take, can never 100% trust the trackers as they don't all ping at the same time). 

The race should see its first finish around Noon Alaska Time. Will it be Failor, Kaiser or will Burke somehow manage a huge upset? We'll find out in about two hours.

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).

2023 Kuskokwim 300 race preview

One of the most exciting races of the season kicks off Friday in Bethel, Alaska. That's right, it's time for the Kuskokwim 300 to finally take off across the Delta to crown a champion! The Kusko is one of the premier races in Alaska, with many of the top teams vying for a coveted spot on the roster. This year saw quite a few early sign ups, but for one reason or another there were several last minute withdrawals, but that does not at all diminish the highly competitive field here this weekend.

The Kusko is known for its storms, as with most coastal Alaskan races - it's always windy. This year teams may also deal with freezing rain and the lovely overflow they've come to know in the past few years. This year the race will start with a winter weather advisory. They are predicting 3-5 inches of snow in Bethel beginning noon on Friday and ending around midnight. They also expect freezing rain south of Bethel. Teams could be looking at a very slippery time out on the trail mixed with wet snow. 

While the start will have snow, the finish could end up with ice as an ice storm is set to hit on Sunday. We're also looking at very warm temperatures, above freezing!, for most of the race which is not the norm. It will be interesting to see how it all combines and what that means for the teams. Western Alaskan teams often are heavier coated dogs that don't do well in above zero temps, and this is their backyard so it will make for a complex strategy for everyone.

There are twenty one teams ready to take off tomorrow night and, as I've said many times, this roster is one of the most (if not THE MOST) competitive fields for the entire season. There are so many options on how things will play out, and even with Nicolas Petit choosing to run the Willow 300 instead, there are still many who can challenge for that top spot. So let's look at the top names, shall we?

Who to watch

Brent Sass - The last time Brent ran the Kusko and placed was in 2017 when he came in second. The reigning Iditarod Champion has grown a lot since then, and his kennel is solid. He's come up second in the Knik 200 and Copper Basin 300 this year, both times within minutes of the winner. Look for him to again challenge for first.

Cim Smyth - Never count out a Smyth. Cim was king of the Tustumena 200 in its day, and ask any musher they'll tell you they are always nervous to find Cim (or his brother Ramey) behind them. They're known to carry running shoes for the last push to the finish. Cim comes from a mushing dynasty, he has 40+ years of mushing experience. Look for him to be a contender.

Dave Turner - Turner has had to withdraw from the other races he entered this season, but he IS in Bethel and will run the Kusko. Turner is a quick study of any trail he's run, and come back in a very short time to win them. He is a Tustumena 200 champion as well as champion of the Yukon Quest 300. Dave's got a speedy bunch of dogs, and is race savvy.

Eddie Burke - I made the mistake of counting Eddie out in my preview of the Knik 200, do not make that mistake again! Eddie is running Aaron Burmeister's dogs, sure, but he's worked with them for three years. His race plan is his along with the mentorship of Aaron Burmeister and his kennel partner Tony Browning, but they don't have a strict rule that they follow their suggestions. He is very much his own musher and he has a fantastic team trained up. They had a slight "stutterstep" Wednesday when the musher made it to town but the dogs didn't, however they've since reunited and he's stretched out their legs and they look strong.

Jason Pavila - Last year's rookie of the year will be looking to improve on his eighth place finish. He finished 6th in the Bogus Creek 150 a couple weeks ago, running against several teams running this weekend. Pavila may not challenge for first, but he's a solid choice for your Fantasy Team, and at a decent "price".

Matt Failor - Failor surprised everyone when he won in 2019, and he's challenged to regain that title several times since. The 2022 Kusko second place finisher seems to have a knack from running this race and it would not be a surprise any longer should he find himself first across the finishline again. 

Pete Kaiser - The six time Kusko champion (and let's not forget the 2019 Iditarod Champion) has been first or second in this race since 2015. No one has won this race more, and it wouldn't be a stretch to see him win another. Pete's come in second (or close to it) in just about every race he's entered this season, and it's no doubt high on his mind that it's about time he come in first. These trails are in his backyard, and this is his race. 

Richie Diehl - Another musher who has grown up on the Kusko trails, Richie stopped Pete from continually winning the Kusko back in 2021. He's good friends with the repeat champion, but he's hungry for more wins in his part of Alaska. He's another solid pick for your Fantasy Team and could very well be first across that finish line.

Will Rhodes - The other half of Mackey's Alaskan Distance Dogs operation. While not a Mackey he is married to one, but he is an experienced musher in his own right. He's a consistent top ten finisher in this race, and could play spoiler if given the opportunity. He's a solid choice for your fantasy mushing, if you play that sort of thing, and expect a strong, healthy team at the finish.

Now that that's all out of the way, how can one follow along if you couldn't afford to hang out in Bethel for a week? Let's take a look...

How to watch
While many of the other mid distance races rely on fan videos and Kale Casey LIVE to cover their races, the Kusko is unique in that the local grade school runs a program where they film the start and finish of the races. They go live on Facebook with race coverage done mainly by the students. It's fantastic and well worth a watch.

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. You can follow the trackers here, but they won't go live until closer to go time on Friday.

Radio Broadcast

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

Social Media

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

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

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, January 25
Vet Checks

Thursday, January 26
Vet Checks
5pm - Musher Meeting
7pm - Bib Draw (KYUK to livestream)

​Friday, January 27
6:30pm - 2020 Kuskokwim 300 START

Saturday, January 28
NOON - Akiak Dash Mass Start

Monday, January 29
5pm - Musher Awards

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).

2023 Kuskokwim 300 musher roster

I'm not ashamed to admit that I find this race's roster to be THE roster of the year. It's the strongest group of teams for the entire season, that includes the Quest and Iditarod rosters. Yes, I've said it all year on all platforms: THE KUSKO KNOWS HOW TO PUT ON A DOG RACE, and I feel that EVERY race organization INCLUDING the Iditarod need to start taking classes from the Kusko 300 organization. Everything from the purse, to the PR, to the roster is just FIRE. I am a huge fan.

Now that that is out of my system, let's talk musher roster. We have twenty-one (one very last minute entry happened Wednesday) teams ready to take off down the trail this weekend and they are a who's who of the mushing community both at large and the very healthy Kusko-Delta mushing community. It's a strong mixture of both "road system" and local teams, and even with the late withdrawals of some strong contenders (including Nicolas Petit) it's still anyone's guess who will come out on top.

As always the roster isn't finalized until the bib draw, and so we're going with alphabetical order until we get bib numbers. The blog will be updated once those changes are known. Until then the roster is as follows.

Updated January 27 to reflect bib numbers/starting position.

1 Jessica Klejka (Tailwind Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
2 Pete Kaiser (Kaiser Racing Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
3 Isaac Underwood (Underwood Kennel) - can't find any online presence.
4 Brent Sass (Wild and Free Mushing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
5 John Snyder (Snyder Kennel) - can't find any online presence.
6 Cim Smyth (Perserverance Springs Farm) - Facebook
7 Reese Madden (Amagupiaq) - Facebook / Instagram
8 Matthew Failor (17th Dog/Alaskan Husky Adventures) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
9 Eddie Burke (Alaskan Wildstyle Racing) - Facebook / Instagram
10 Will Rhodes (Mackey's Distance Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
11 Paige Drobny (Squid Acres) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
12 Josh McNeal (Crooked Creek) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
13 Jeffrey Deeter (Black Spruce Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
14 Dave Turner (Racing Chaos) - Facebook
15 Jason Pavila (Bad River Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
16 Richie Diehl (Real Diehl Racing) - Facebook
17 Lev Shvarts (Team Ollie) - Website / Facebook 
18 Jacob Witkop (Happy Feet Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
19 Jackie Larson (Jackie's Racing Kennel) - Facebook
20 Nate DeHaan (Old Friendly Real Diehl Kaiser Dog Farm) - Facebook / Instagram
21 Twyla Elhardt (Old Friendly Dog Farm) - Facebook

So there you have it. Twenty teams ready for the Kusko! Who are you cheering for? Let me know in the comment section below!

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).

Willow 300 begins with confusion

All teams for the Willow 300 and 150 are on the trail, but it didn't go off without a hitch. Teams were scheduled to leave the starting line at 9am for the 300 mile race when at around 8:45am they were given word by officials that the start had been moved back an hour to 10am. This was after it was announced at the mushers meeting just the day before that the start was not 10 but 9.

While to some this seems like a small change that shouldn't matter much, it does. There is a rhythm and schedule to these types of things. We're talking dogs who cannot understand the concept of "go time is now an hour later" and mushers are now thrown off their schedules (should they write those up). At the time teams were finding out of the time change, most had their dogs out of their dog boxes, bootied, and some were even lined out. That meant that they now had to unbooty the dogs and put them back in the truck... dogs would be incredibly confused as they are supposed to GO after booties and line out, not just get back in the truck and not run.

To make matters even more confusing, it was announced around 8:30am that the trackers never made it to Willow so there would be no GPS tracking for fans. Not a huge deal from a musher perspective, but it was a bummer to fans. Then as they were announcing the time change for the start, the tracker link went live and it was "the trackers are on their way!" Ah, there's the reason for the start delay.

While I'm not complaining that we get to track the teams, I'm not sure waiting on the trackers is enough to delay a race. I'm sure some mushers were thinking the same thing.

Still, as the close struck 10am, the first team was off the starting line and across the lake. 

Oh, yeah, that was the other big change - no mass start. With the weather turning so warm, overflow is a major concern and it was not safe to park all the teams, personnel, and dog trucks on the lake, so they started at the Willow Community Center (like they do for the Iditarod ReStart) and left at two minute intervals. They will make up their time differential at the mandatory four hour stop at Sheep Creek checkpoint. 

So, armchair mushers, I hope you enjoyed this bit of whiplash as much as this blogger did. We have a lot of mushing to follow in the next 5 days or so (really longer once Beargrease starts) so don't let go of the sled, stick with us for all the news and action! 

2023 Willow 300 race preview

It's time to kick off one of the busiest race weekends of the season with the early start of the Willow 300 which takes off of Willow Lake at 10am Wednesday. This is the first of two 300 mile races that will take place between now and Sunday, the Kuskokwim 300 kicks off later this week.

The Willow 300 is joined by their little brother the Willow 150 and both races will take off together and run much of the same trail. Both are used as qualifiers for the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest and the 150 decided to allow junior mushers (ages 14-17) the chance to run. 

During today's mandatory vet checks, the mushers reported the temperature getting as high as 41 degrees. That's crazy warm for this time of year, and the forecast shows much of the same for the remainder of the week. There should also be rain mixed with snow on both Wednesday and Thursday into Friday. This will make the race a slog fest as in those temps and conditions the set trail is most likely to be slush on top of the packed trail. The lakes and rivers will no doubt have overflow like conditions. It will be warm, dogs will need to rest, booties will need to be changed more often, this race will be slower than normal. How much slower remains to be seen. 

There are 24 teams signed up for the 300 mile race, and 9 signed up for the 150. While they follow the traditional no bib number one in respect for the honorary musher, bib number 13 is also being left vacant, that's due to Lance Mackey being the honorary musher. Mackey won his first of four Iditarods with lucky number bib 13, the same number his brother Rick and father Dick won their Iditarods with. While it wasn't his bib number every year, it's a number many think of as Lance's, and it seemed only fitting they should remember him that way. Lance is honorary musher for both the 150 and the 300.

Even though there will not be a Fantasy Mushing competition this year for the Willow 300, we should still take a look at some of the top teams that are entered in the 2023 running.

Who to watch

Dan Kaduce - It should come as no surprise that Dan is on this list. The team of Dew Claw Kennel made sure people paid attention during the 2021 Iditarod and Dan hasn't looked back. Dan is one of the few mushers (one of only two) to be able to say they finished in the top 10 with all of their dogs in the Iditarod. He is one of the ultimate dog men, he cares for his dogs and they are time and again amongst the top teams in mid-distance and now long distance races. Expect Dan to be right up there in the top finishes in Willow.

Jason Mackey - Mackey may have the goods, but it's unclear if this is his year yet. He's been out of the running for several years, and this may end up being a rebuilding year for Jason. There's been a lot of upheaval for Jason with the passing of his brother and other personal issues, but you can't count a Mackey out. He had a decent showing in the Knik 200, and he'll look to build on that. It's possible he's running a lot on his name, but it's a good name to run with.

Nicolas Petit - Hey, remember when he posted after the Knik 200 that it was a "good run of winning" but now that was "over" and then he went to win the Copper Basin 300 like I warned? Yeah, at this point just ignore everything he posts about his race "strategy". Nic will be Nic every Nic-ing time. Expect him to get out in front and stay there. I'll keep saying it, he is the KING of the mid-distance race. He was supposed to run the Kusko, but chose last minute to stick closer to home. 

Ramey Smyth - The only name that seems to strike fear in a musher's heart when they find out that musher's behind them is Ramey Smyth. While most talk about Redingtons, Mackeys, and Seaveys, we should also be talking about the Smyth mushers. Their dad was another founding member of the Iditarod TrailBreakers and they KNOW. THEIR. STUFF. Chances are it's Ramey (or brother Cim) who wins the Safety to Nome fastest time award. Why? These guys pack running shoes in their sled, they are known for kicking up speed on the home stretch and they can pick off a ton of teams on their way to the finish. The only time I've ever heard/seen a Seavey get worried about a shake up in Iditarod standings is in 2012 when Ramey started charging up the coast and jumped over 10 places, he gained a lot of time and miles on Dallas. We know how that ends of course, but it sure made Danny Seavey sweat doing the math to see just how much of a threat he was. Ramey chose to run the 150 instead.

Travis Beals - Another team that was supposed to be at the Kusko this weekend, Travis decided road system would work better for his team. Expect him to use this as a trial run for his run at Iditarod. Being in South Central Alaska he'll no doubt have his team ready to deal with the somewhat warmer temps and slushy conditions, but he'll also be preserving his team for Iditarod so don't expect him to do anything wild and crazy. Beals is one of those teams that sticks to a plan.

Now that you've got an idea of who the front runners should be, what about watching the race sitting there at home (like I am, not judging at all. Armchair mushers unite!) I've got you covered with all of the ways to keep in tune with the race!

How to watch

Unlike the other races that have established media sources and big sponsorships that garner attention from outside media, the Willow 300 runs mainly by its volunteer staff to keep fans updated. Here are the links you need to know to be able to follow the race.

Official Website

A couple of years ago the Willow 300 went big league and got their own website, and it's a decent one! Lots of good information on the race as well as all the links on the front page to help you follow the race in real time, as best as possible. It's definitely worth a look. 

GPS Tracker

Beep, boop! That's right, we have trackers. Can't have races without trackers, right? No worries, trackleaders.com has us covered once again. Don't forget to jump on Wednesday morning to follow along! TRACKERS DID NOT COME IN IN TIME, THERE WILL BE NO TRACKERS FOR THIS RACE! Nevermind, they delayed the start to get the trackers.

Social Media

For the Willow 300, Social Media is the race's life blood. They post mainly to their Facebook Page, and they are sometimes active on their Twitter account at race time. They also share a few photos and posts on their Instagram Page. The official hashtag is, simply, #Willow300. Expect a live feed for the start and finish on their facebook page, and videos throughout the day.

Kale Casey is in Willow covering the race on his facebook page. Make sure to follow his page Kale Casey LIVE so that you don't miss whenever he goes live.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, January 24
9am-3pm Vet Checks
3:30pm Musher Meeting

Wednesday, January 25
10am Mass Start Changed to 2min interval start

Saturday, January 28
6pm Finisher Banquet & Auction

Who are you hoping to see finish first? Thoughts on the race? Comment below!

Comment below with any thoughts about the roster, or any corrections. 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 Willow 150 musher roster

There are two races happening at once in Willow! Along with the 300 mile race, we also have a 150 mile race that also counts as a qualifier, and BONUS they now allow junior mushers to enter the 150! This is very exciting as there are fewer long races for junior mushers, so to have them be able to run a mid-distance race ahead of the Junior Iditarod is a huge boost to their mushing education. Not all of the teams are juniors, of course, but it's nice to see them young 'uns in the mix! (And watch out for the Emily Robinson! Don't let her age fool ya!)

There are a few recognizable names, but some many probably will not recognize, so this will be a fun one to learn about some of the up and coming teams in the next few years. Make sure to give them a follow on social media and cheer them on this week!

2 Emily Robinson (Robinson Racing Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

3 Walter Robinson (Robinson Racing Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

4 Kelly Ridley (Lost Creek Mushing) - Facebook

5 Dries Jacobs (??) - Facebook

6 Brianna Blomgren (Team Bailey?) - Facebook

7 Samantha Lalonde (Ryno Kennel) - Facebook / Kennel Facebook / Instagram

8 Artyom Krutikov (Team Petit?) - Facebook / Instagram

9 Ramey Smyth (Smyth Racing) - Facebook

The race starts same place and time as the 300. Look for a preview of the 300 later today (hopefully it's a slow day in the office so I can sneak some blogging in). Thank you to all who follow the blog, and request changes/extras. I do this for myself, but I'm also doing it for fellow fans!

*Edited to reflect the FINAL final roster. Added Smyth and took off two other teams. Sorry for the confusion.

Comment below with any thoughts about the roster, or any corrections. 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).