Table
of Contents
Next
The
Race
As far as mid distance (200-300 mile) dog sled races are concerned, the Copper
Basin 300 ranks as one of the most challenging. Cold temperatures (50 below
temperatures in 2005), difficult trail conditions (bottomless sugar snow), challenging
terrain (approximately 10,000 feet of vertical climbing … and descents),
and open water crossings often combine to create situations which cause even
some of the more experienced dog teams and mushers to scratch. For example,
in 2005 about 50% of the mushers who started the race didn't finish. So what
in the world was I doing... mushing in the 2006 Copper Basin 300?
Truth be told, I had never run a dog sled race before - not even a 20 mile Two
Rivers Tuneup race in our neighborhood. I started running dogs at the end of
November 2004, and while I did travel almost 1,200 miles by dog sled last season,
I still had a lot to learn. This season, I started running dogs earlier in the
fall and as a result had roughly 900 miles on the trail with them, but only
540 miles or so on a sled. I was green, by any reasonable assessment, but I
was signed up and committed to having a successful experience.