Copper Basin 300 start moved from Glennallen to Gakona Lodge

WASILLA — Unseasonable weather continues to take its toll on mushing in Southcentral Alaska.

On the heels of a season that included the drastic move of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race north from Willow to Fairbanks, the new mushing year has already featured multiple changes to the race calendar. In December, organizers of the Knik 200 Joe Redington Sr Memorial Sled Dog Race wrote on its Facebook page, that the 2016 race will be scratched.

Earlier this week, Copper Basin 300 officials announced a tweak to its 2016 run.

But fortunately for mushers, the race will go on.

The annual mid-distance sled dog race will start Saturday, as planned, but the starting chute will be moved 20 miles up the road, from its traditional home of Glennallen, to Gakona Lodge.

“After five days of above-freezing temperatures and intermittent rain in Glennallen, the race route along the Glenn Highway corridor from the town west about six miles significantly deteriorated, creating very ice and rutted conditions,” race officials said in a press release issued Jan. 4. “In addition, ice conditions on the Gulkana and Gakona rivers will not currently allow safe crossing by mushers and dog teams, and it’s unlikely those conditions will improve by Saturday.”

The remainder of the route will stay the same, with mushers traveling a counterclockwise loop from Gakona Lodge to the finish in Glennallen. After departing Gakona Lodge, teams head north 40 miles to Red Eagle Lodge, east 73 miles to Meiers Lake, South 43 miles to Sourdough Creek, west 85 miles through the Lake Louise area to Menndeltina Creek Lodge, and a final 59 miles back to Glennallen.

The 48-team field includes three-time defending champion Allen Moore, of Two Rivers. Moore, who has six Copper Basin 300 titles overall, finished his 2015 run in 50 hours, 43 minutes. Ray Redington Jr, of Knik, was the 2015 runner-up, and is also in the 2016 field.

The race start is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Gakona Lodge.