Dog Sled Races Will Begin Sat.
Mackinaw Mush
By Paul Gingras

Minutes after the Canadian and American national anthems fade into the frozen, February air, two dog sled teams will launch, side by side, from Shepler's parking lot in Mackinaw City, beginning the 2008 Mackinaw Mush Sled Dog Race, a competition that has become a winter feature at the tip of the Lower Peninsula.

This year's mush takes place in two phases. Races begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, February 2, and Sunday, February 3. Depending on the number of teams, they continue until 3 p.m. or 4 p.m.

"The trail looks wonderful," said race organizer Karla Dann Wednesday, January 23.

Abit more snow would be nice, she added, but the snowpack is sufficient to accommodate the 80 to 100 teams expected to run. The forecast is frigid.

"Actually, this is perfect weather," she told The St. Ignace News. "The colder the weather, the better they run."

The event is free for spectators. It begins at Shepler's parking lot, on the west side of I-75. Many mushers are Canadian, so both the American and Canadian national anthems will be sung at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, dual races begin.

"It is like a drag race," Mrs. Dann said. "It is very exciting for the racers."

Two sled dog teams begin at once. Then, every two minutes, two more teams head for the trail.

Sunday, dog teams will begin the race one at a time.

Races begin and end at Shepler's parking lot, making it an ideal place to watch the action. Spectators who wish to see the teams out on the trail can watch from Trails End Road near Trails End Kennels, about one mile from the starting point.

A special feature of the weekend is the Kiddie Mush Saturday, from noon to 1 p.m.

For a $1 donation, mush organizers will hook up two dogs to take children on runs of 50 to 100 yards. The Kiddie Much is open to children ages three to 12. There will be snow berms on both sides of the track, and someone to help at the end, Mrs. Dann said. Donations will be used to help promote the Mackinaw Mush.

There are a variety of race classes and divisions, which include mushers as young as 12 years of age.

The largest class is the eightdog professional, in which mushers compete for a cash purse. In the six-dog professional, mushers also compete for cash prizes.

The Mackinaw Mush includes a six-dog sport class, in which racers compete for trophies, and a six-dog registered-breed class, in which competitors race pure-bred dogs for a cash purse.

The second division includes a four-dog professional class, a four-dog sport class, and a fourdog registered-breed class.

The final divisions of the Mackinaw Mush include threedog and two-dog junior classes, involving less experienced mushers. Although no age limit applies, most are 12 years old and younger, Mrs. Dann noted. Only the two-dog junior class will not be seen from Trails End Road.

Eight-dogs teams run 7.2 miles. Six-dog teams run six miles. Four-dogs teams run four miles. Three-dog teams run four miles, and two-dog teams run one mile.

Mush organizers had sufficient volunteers by January 23, but anyone interested in taking part as a volunteer can inquire at the sound trailer at Shepler's lot.

For more information about the Mackinaw Mush, visit www.mackinawmush.com.

If weather forces a cancellation, it will be posted at the site by 9 p.m. Wednesday, January 30.