Sheep Mountain 150 canceled

WASILLA — As snowfall returned to the Mat-Su Valley in wet, heavy chunks Tuesday, Zack Steer sat at his lodge in Sheep Mountain and made a decision — there will be no Sheep Mountain 150 Sled Dog Race this year.

“I’m looking at some blue sky right now,” Steer said by phone from the lodge Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Steer sent out emails and made phone calls to mushers, volunteers and the media informing them of his decision.

“We didn’t get any snow,” he said.

As of Tuesday, there was still just a foot of snow around the lodge, located in the Talkeetna Mountains midway between Palmer and Glennallen. That’s just not enough to control a 12-dog team, Steer said — and certainly not enough to accommodate the 50 teams signed up for the race.

“It would not be safe to send 600 dogs and 50 mushers over the trail in it’s current condition,” Steer wrote in an email sent out late Tuesday morning.

Steer said he waited as long as possible for a fresh dump of snow, but had no choice but to call things off with the race just four days away.

“I had to make a decision now because of all the volunteers and just the logistics of it,” he said.

The race had been scheduled to begin Saturday over a course out to Eureka, then on to the Little Nelchina River, back again to Eureka and then home to Steer’s Lodge. Last year, Fairbanks’ Lance Mackey used the race as an early season tune-up on his way to unprecedented wins in both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod. Mackey was scheduled to return this year to defend his title, but he’ll now have to wait until next year.

Steer said he’s definitely planning on holding the event again next year, and noted that while there isn’t any snow for mushing at Sheep Mountain right now, there’s still enough snow to get out and enjoy the winter.

“The cross country skiing is great right now.”

For more information on the race, visit www.sheepmountain.com

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com