Knik 200 set for Saturday

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman sports editor

KNIK - It doesn't exactly look like winter in the more populated parts of the Mat-Su Valley. There is more brown than white in most of Palmer and Wasilla, making the idea of hosting a local long distance mushing event seem a bit difficult.

But, rumor has it, in other parts of the Valley there is some snow. Enough, in fact, for more than 40 mushers to depart Knik Lake in the Knik 200 Joe Redington, Sr. Memorial Sled Dog Race.

Bruce Braden, the Knik 200 race director, said there has been little question that the race, slated for an 11 a.m. start on Saturday at Knik Lake, will go on as planned. Unlike last year, poor weather has not caused organizers of the race to frantically re-write the Knik 200 calendar.

&#8220At Settlers Bay, eight miles out (of Wasilla), you'd think there'd be a problem,” Braden said. &#8220But once you get out to Knik Lake, it looks like winter. When you get out into the woods, it looks like winter.”

Only once did Braden wonder if there would be enough snow in the Knik area for the race to go on in its traditional spot of the first weekend of the new year. On Dec. 22 he sent an e-mail to race volunteers suggesting everyone meets to deal with a potential problem of a lack of snow. That night it snowed four inches.

&#8220Generally there are two ways to make it snow,” Braden joked. &#8220I can take the plow off my truck, or I can send that message.”

But now the conditions are good, Braden said, and there are more than 40 mushers in what is expected to be a very competitive field. Braden said that number could grow to 50 by tonight's mushers meeting.

The Knik 200 course covers the first 100 miles of the Iditarod Trail. Mushers leave Knik Lake, cross Burma Road and the Little Susitna River, before making their way up the Big Su to Yentna and Skwentna.

&#8220Obviously the trail is hard and fast,” Braden said. &#8220The race marshal has been out there. The trail boss has been out there. A bunch of local mushers have been out there. They all say the river's the best they've ever seen it.”

Braden said, the report it is, the further you get out on the trail, the more snow there is.

The only checkpoint of the race is at the Skwentna Roadhouse. There mushers will take a mandatory six-hour layover. The first mushers are expected to hit Knik Lake for the finish sometime during the midmorning on Sunday.

As of Thursday afternoon, 42 mushers had paid their entry fees. Braden said a handful of others have verbally committed to compete. There are several notable veterans of the sport in the field, including Martin Buser, winner of multiple Iditarod titles, and former Yukon Quest champion Lance Mackey.

There are a number of Valley mushers in the field including Talkeetna's Melanie Gould, Willow's Linwood Fiedler and Houston's Lynda Plettner.