Making Tracks at the Mush
By Paul Gingras

Martin Dagenais of San Sauveur des Monts, a small town in Quebec, Canada, competes in the eight-dog speed class at the Mackinaw Mush in Mackinaw City Saturday, February 2.

"Once they get going, they're on a mission," said Dawn Sova of Cheboygan, volunteer coordinator for the Mackinaw Mush, just after the first wave of sled dogs hit the trail Saturday, February 2, at Mackinaw City. Seventy five teams from throughout the United States and Canada converged for the 19th event of its kind in the village, enjoying a weekend of camaraderie and canine speed.

"It's like silent running," said volunteer Gail Blunt, explaining that the raucous barking and yipping at the starting line quickly fades as teams head into the woods. To learn more about sleddog racing, Ms. Blunt of Mount Pleasant offered her assistance this year. She was inspired by her first dog-sled ride last winter, during preparations for the 2007 Mackinaw Mush, which was canceled owing to a lack of snow.

This year, however, despite a downpour of rain only three days before the race, the trail retained sufficient snowpack for the mushers and dogs to race.

Eric Ayers of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, spends quality time with one of his purebred Siberian huskies at the Mackinaw Mush February 2. Prior to becoming professional racers, many mush enthusiasts begin their careers by owning pets that are appropriate for racing, he said.

"It was a very successful event, for sure, said organizer Karla Dann of Mackinaw City. "We had a lot of happy mushers,"

When most people think of sleddog racing, they imagine endurance racing, like the Alaskan Iditarod, where teams pass across the terrain relatively slowly for several days, said Will Bomier, 25, a musher from Raco.

The Mackinaw Mush, in contrast, is a sprint.

"Our objective is to go as fast as possible. Our goal is to maintain about 20 miles an hour," he said.

Mr. Bomier and his fiancée, Melanie Desotelle, 24, of Raco, are racing enthusiasts. Using some of the same dogs, Mr. Bomier ran in the eight-dog, eight-mile division. Miss Desotelle competed in the sixdog, six-mile division.

Will Bomier and Melanie Desotelle of Raco pose with sled-dog Skyler, just prior to the Mackinaw Mush Saturday February 2. Joining mushers from across the United States and Canada, the couple noted that the Mackinaw Mush is a family-oriented event that keeps people interested for years.

"I just love the dogs, she said. "They're natural athletes."

The sport is all about cohesive teams and the meshing of canine personalities, she said.

Originally from Minnesota, Mr. Bomier got involved with racing at age five. Coached by his father, he went to a "dog camp" every year in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, called The Dog House.

Racing is a precision sport. Winning often comes down to hundredths of a second, he said.

The Michigan sled-dog circuit is one of the most competitive, said Eric Ayers of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who arrived with a team of purebred Siberian huskies to run the Mackinaw Mush for the third time. A racer for nine years, Mr. Ayers said his interest in the sport began like most mushers. He simply had pets that happened to be suitable for racing, began racing recreationally, and then his involvement snowballed.

"The next thing you know, you're going all over the country racing," he said.

"Sled-dog racing is fun, addictive," said Larry Nelson, a musher of 15 years. Originally from Carp Lake, Mr. Nelson stood at the end of a long line of young Siberian huskies and mixed-breeds. He ran in the four-dog division this year, but he brought all of his dogs with him.

Mr. Nelson likened the sport to skydiving.

"It's called white-knuckle riding," he said. Making all the curves at high speed is a major challenge, and every trail is different.

Sometimes a race is smooth, but sometimes you have to swerve around objects and even around other teams that crash on the trail, said Beth Stewart of Petoskey.

When a team goes down, mushers plant a device called a snowhook into the ground. As the mushers get the dogs reorganized and check for injuries, the hook anchors the animals, preventing them from running in different directions after a crash, she said.

Snow hooks are extra weight, but they are required in official races, Mr. Nelson said. Mushers also have to have a bag big enough to carry their largest dog, if one quits from fatigue, sore feet, or cannot run for any reason.

Mr. Nelson has been to many races in Mackinaw City.

"Sportsmanship is my goal," and even after 15 years racing, every run is a learning experience, he said.

His was a sentiment repeated by mushers throughout the event, as they prepared and raced teams from Ontario, Quebec, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania , Ohio, Minnesota, and Illinois.

Final results are based on combined times for runs on Saturday and Sunday. A cash purse of $3,000 was distributed among five classes. The top three winners in various classes follow:

Four Dog Professional

Kati Dagenais of Quebec, Canada, took first place, with a time of 21:43.90.

In second place was Courtney Frank of Lodi, Ohio, with a time of 24:07.30.

In third place was Ryan Finch of Williamsburg with a time of 24:19.22.

Four Dog Registered Breed

Jacob Cullip of St. Ignace took first place, with a time of 27:30.09.

In second place was Susan Gilchrist of Ontario, with a time of 29:04.25.

In third place was Dale Wolfe of Delta, Ohio. He had a time of 30:17.67.

Four Dog Sport: Ron Seifert of Roscommon took first place, with a time of 28:09.11.

In second was Justin Frank of Lodi, Ohio. He had a time of 29:38.83.

In third was Brittany Menard of Cheboygan. She had a time of 32:00.68.

Six Dog Professional:

Melanie Desotelle of Raco took first place, with a time of 35:16.87.

In second place was Dawn Brown of Lowville, New York, with a time of 35:20.11.

In third place was Mark Cooper of Wisconsin, with a time of 35:56.72.

Six Dog Registered Breed:

Linda Burba of Woodstock, Illinois, took first place, with a time of 40:13.22.

In second place was Susan Gilchrist of Ontario, with a time of 41:25.71.

In third was Dale Wolfe of Delta, Ohio, with a time of 42:10.16.

Six Dog Sport:

Only two teams completed in this race.

Fred Hudson of Horton took first place, with a time of 48:40.08.

In second place was Jim Smith of Youngstown, Ohio, with a time of 01:04:48.05.

Eight Dog Professional:

Martin Dagenais of Quebec, Canada, took first place, with a time of 33:24.16.

In second place was Dawn Brown of Lowville, New York, with a time of 34:23.79.

In third place was Mike Marsch of Neillsville, Wisconsin, with a time of 36:49.65.

Three Dog Junior:

Hunter Collins of Mancelona took first place, with a time of 25:02.51.

In second place was Mandy Collins of Mancelona with a time of 25:40.04.

In third place was Forest Collins of Mancelona with a time of 28:19.67.

Two Dog Junior:

Forest Collins of Mancelona took first place, with a time of 06:39.52.

In second place was Eran Menard of Cheboygan, with a time of 08:14.65.

In third place was Emily Harris of Bellaire, with a time of 09:02.67.