The top 10 teams are all out of the final checkpoint with the next two teams (Strathe and Dave Turner) coming in within the next hour.
The finishes will be broadcast live as the race is able over on their facebook page.
Monday, January 12, 2026
Holmes repeats at Copper Basin 300 champion
Holmes leads with Strathe & Turner give chase
Close behind are the teams of Cody Strathe and Dave Turner. Strathe and Turner are about three miles behind the leader, but trackers are coming through a sketchy area where updates are random.
Deke Naaktgeboren is somewhere close to the final checkpoint, his tracker hasn't updated in a long while.
With 40ish miles go go teams have 7-9 hours of mushing left depending on trail conditions.
Thursday, January 8, 2026
2026 Copper Basin 300 race preview
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
"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.
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Two more races cancel 2026 events
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.
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
2026 Copper Basin 300 musher roster
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.
*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.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
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.
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