Weather prompts route changes for dog sled race

WASILLA — Mother Nature is making enough mush this season to bog down even the hardiest dog sled racers.

Three Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race mid-distance qualifying races have already been canceled this season, and another — this weekend’s Northern Lights 300 — has changed its route to accommodate poor trail conditions. Along with a lack of snow, mushers also must consider the potential for their dogs to overheat in warm winter temperatures, said Sue Allen, race organizer for the Northern Lights 300.

“It’s all of the above,” she said. “We’ve had some snow, but we had such a lack of snow before, then we had snow, then we had rain, then we had ice. We’re just now getting snowpack again.”

Race volunteer Helen Hegener said organizers want to get the word out about the route change so snowmachiners this weekend will be prepared for company on the trials.

“We’re nervous about our dog teams as we’ve had to change trails due to the warm weather, and now we’ll be on the same trails with the machines, which we usually try to avoid at all costs,” Hegener said.

An email announcing the change says organizers are making every effort to make mushers and teams as visible as possible to others using the trial.

“Please be aware that you may encounter dog teams and be especially vigilant on the tight trails between Skwentna and Finger Lake,” the release says.

While the trails are beginning to recover, they won’t in time for today’s start of the Northern Lights 300, she said. That’s why the start of the race has been moved from Big Lake to 10 a.m. at Deshka Landing. From there, mushers will follow the trail left around the Willow Swamp to the Old Hunter Trail and Big Swamp Trail and out to the Big Su River. Mushers will follow the river up to the Yentna Station, which will be a mandatory four-hour layover for racers.

Once out of the core area of the Valley, the trails aren’t too bad, said Allen, herself an Iditarod veteran. Besides, dealing with less-than-optimal conditions is part of what attracts mushers to the sport.

“That’s what mushing’s all about — problem solving,” she said. “Every bit of it. And trail conditions are no different than any other problem.”

Now in its third year, the Northern Lights 300 is also an Iditarod qualifier, and running this weekend is important training for Iditarod veterans and for hopeful rookies, she said. That’s partly because the race runs through the first three Iditarod checkpoints, and also because it comes on the heels of weather-related cancelations of other qualifying races, the Knik 200, Don Bowers 200 and 300, and Sheep Mountain 150.

Asked if the weather could threaten the Iditarod restart in Willow as well, Allen said she doesn’t think so.

“That has only happened one other time in the history of the Iditarod,” she said. “In 2003, they couldn’t start here because the rivers were open. So, they moved the start to Fairbanks. I’m thinking the Iditarod will run out of Willow this year because the rivers aren’t open. But, they may have to re-route some to get to the good trail.”

Although some races have been canceled, there has still be opportunity for training in the Valley, said musher Nicolas Petit, who will run this weekend’s Northern Lights 300.

“They’ve been OK,” he said of conditions. “I got out to Point MacKenzie a lot and I go out to Alexander Creek; Yentna, Skwentna and back. For Thanksgiving I went to Lake Louise.”

Petit said he’s had to travel a lot to find good conditions.

“For the Copper Basin, I left 10 days early and ran in Glennallen because there was no snow there,” he said Thursday. “There is less snow and a different course because of less snow. But the trail is in good shape. I went out on parts of it last night and it looked good.”

Laura Allaway, another musher, said she’s had to be creative to get training in.

“It was real slow to get some snow, so we were training with the four-wheeler pretty late in the season,” she said. “Then we got snow, but it got cold, so we were dealing with that. But once we got snow it’s been pretty good.”

Those wanting to watch the mushers start at Deshka Landing are welcome, Allen said. There’s free parking, and some familiar names to sled dog racing fans.

Leading the list of 32 entrants is Iditarod veteran and last year’s Northern Lights 300 runner-up Ray Redington. He’s joined by perennial fan favorite DeeDee Jonrowe, Jason Mackey, and Mat-Su Borough assemblyman and Iditarod veteran Vern Halter.

“I’m thrilled it’s been really well received,” Allen said. “It’s been a great qualifier for the newcomers and a great training for the veteran mushers. We’ve gotten good feedback that it’s a good race and the mushers all get what they need.

“The neat thing about this race is it really goes through the first three checkpoints of the Iditarod. It makes it a challenge, because every checkpoint is remote. Mushers are on their own out there. You have to finish what you start.”

Along with giving racers a chance to run through some of the Iditarod checkpoints, Allen said young mushers also get invaluable advice from a mushing legend, former Iditarod champion Martin Buser.

“The big thing is Martin Buser has helped mentor this race and he goes up the trail ever race to help mentor the younger mushers,” she said. “He takes his role as a veteran musher very seriously to pass down his knowledge to new mushers. He’s a true ambassador for the sport.”

Because of the route changes, the overall distance of the race this year will be about 250 miles, Allen said. And while the Big Lake start has been moved, the race is still expected to finish there at Happy Trails Kennels.

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.