It's sled dog racing season!

The races are on, and the excitement is building for sled dog racing fans with a race almost every weekend now until the days lengthen into spring! Only a week ago the Copper Basin 300, which cuts a wide semicircle north from Glennallen, saw Jeff King edge out three-time champion Allen Moore by only a few minutes. This past weekend the Kuskokwim 300, which follows the frozen Kuskokwim River through Alaska's bush country, saw a surprise upset when Kotzebue musher John Baker outraced both Martin Buser and Lance Mackey, who came in second and third respectively.

Races on the near horizon include the Kenai Peninsula's Tustumena 200 which starts in Kasilof on Jan. 23, and the Don Bowers 200/300 Memorial Race which begins in Willow on Jan. 29 and runs north along the Susitna River.

On Feb. 6 the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest starts in Fairbanks and follows the famed gold rush and mail trails over the frozen Yukon River, ending nine or 10 days later in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

Jeff King's new Denali Doubles 300 starts from Cantwell on Feb. 11, with teams of various configurations, including tandem sleds and those driven with the aid of a gee pole, following the closed Paxon Highway to the Richardson Highway and returning to Cantwell. The Klondike 300 runs along a part of the old Iditarod Trail starting Feb. 12 from near Knik.

Then on March 6 the granddaddy of them all, the famous Iditarod, begins with great fanfare in Anchorage, where each team carries a special "Idita-rider" on a ceremonial 12 mile run through the city.

The actual race gets underway -- with very different cargos loaded on the mushers' sleds -- the following day, March 7, from Willow. The Iditarod will end a week and a half later in Nome, on the coast of the Bering Sea, after crossing many major rivers and mountain ranges.

Last, on April 8, in a sort of last hurrah before spring, the Kobuk 440 leaves Kotzebue for a 440 mile run north of the Arctic Circle, up the Kobuk River to the race's namesake village, and return.

Alaska's mid- and long-distance sled dog races are colorful, exciting events, and watching them -- whether in person or via the frequently updated race sites -- is only part of the fun. Get to know the mushers who run these races by visiting their Web sites and blogs; most are directly linked from the race sites. Get to know the mushers' dogs and cheer on your favorites -- many individual sled dogs even have their own fan clubs! Learn about the geography of Alaska as you follow the trail maps. Learn about the history and the peoples of different areas of our great state as the races progress from villages to towns to the big cities.

Bring your camera, bring a thermos, bring friends, and bring your best cheering voice to help the teams on their way. You'll find plenty of fun, excitement, and friendship at this season's sled dog races!

Northern Light Media photos

DeeDee Jonrowe signs autographs for fans at the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Dee Dee Jonrowe leads her team to the Iditarod start.