Race news roundup

Gin Gin 200

The Gin Gin 200 wrapped up today at Wolverine Lodge on Lake Louise; Michelle Phillips of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory placed first in the women's division, with Abbie West placing second an hour and sixteen minutes later, and Maren Bradley placing third. In the men's division, Fairbanks musher Lance Mackey was first, Brent Sass second, and Josh Cadzow third. There were reports of areas of deep overflow, up to the mushers' knees in places, which caused some difficulty as the mushers had to stop, dry their gear and rest their teams.

Knik 200

Although this year's race has been dampened by the death last week of Bruce Braden, the man who organized the race for the past several years with help from his wife, Kit Braden, the Knik 200 is on for this weekend. The race will start Saturday morning at Knik Lake, at mile 13 of the Knik Goose Bay Road, south of Wasilla. Held each year on the first weekend in January and officially known as the Knik 200 Joe Redington Sr. Memorial Sled Dog Race, it was founded by Sally Welch of Eagle River. The Knik 200 is known as a valuable training race for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in March, because it follows almost 100 miles of the Iditarod Trail.

There is a slideshow of last year's race showing dogteams travelling the original Iditarod Trail through the old townsite of Knik, and past the two old buildings which are all that remain of the historic townsite: the old Knik pool hall, now the Knik Museum and Dog Musher's Hall of Fame, and the Bjorn log cabin.

Copper Basin 300

This year's Copper Basin 300 race, billed as "the toughest 300 miles in Alaska," starts at 10 am, Saturday, Jan. 9 in front of KCAM radio station in Glennallen. The 2010 race will run clockwise around the regular race route from Glennallen, finishing at Tolsona Lake Lodge. The Copper Basin 300 is noted for traversing difficult terrain and usually sub-zero temperatures, making it a great Iditarod and Yukon Quest training race.

Just for Fun

The four-minute animated short, "Susitna Story: An Alaskan Sled Dog Saga," accompanied by narration that is reminiscent of Robert Service meets The Charlie Daniels Band, tell the tale of a plucky musher who must defend her soul and Alaska's pride when she is challenged to a sled dog race by the Devil himself. Directed by Peter Dunlap-Shohl, "Susitna Story" was selected for inclusion in Snowdance, the 2008 Anchorage International Film Festival.

"When the moon casts crazy shadows
through the twisted, tilting spruce,
through the darkened, drunken forest
roamed demons on the loose.
Through tangled, winding willow-hells,
o'er ice-bound mountain streams
is where you'll find the Devil, training his dogteam."