Though members of the Siskiyou Sled Dog Association were worried last week that there my might not be enough snow for this year’s races, those concerns are gone as snow storms continue to pummel the Mt. Shasta area.
“It looks like the course will be in great shape,” said assistant director Lisa Wright, who has been busy preparing for the event, which is scheduled to begin this Friday, Jan. 22, and run through the weekend.
Though the 220 mile Iditarod qualifying race has been cancelled, Wright said all of the other races and demonstrations are on.
“There are a good number of entries this year and more are coming in every day,” said Wright.
The event will kick off at the Weed Mercantile on Friday from noon to 3 p.m. with the mandatory veterinarian check for the 50 mile race. Also at the Mercantile on Friday will be an information booth and non-profit concessions.
The Mercantile will be hosting the awards ceremony at the end of the weekend, which includes dinner for $10.
“We want our event to be to Weed what the Fourth of July is to Mt. Shasta,” said Wright.
In addition to the sled dog races, the town of Weed is hosting this year’s Friends of the Avalanche Center Snowball on Saturday night. “Weed is happening this weekend,” said Wright.
The schedule in brief
Races will be held at the Deer Mountain/Chuck Best Memorial Snowmobile Park, located 16.8 miles out Highway 97 from Weed, starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning with the start of the 8-16 dog 50 mile race.
Races will also start at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Demonstrations by renowned mushers Liz Parish and Barb Shaefer are scheduled to be held at 1 p.m.
Liz Parrish, known as “Iditarod’s Littlest Musher,” finished the 2008 Iditarod in celebration of her 50th birthday. Barb Schaefer has been raising, training and running competitively with her Siberian Huskies for over 22 years. She raised and trained Maya in the Disney movie, Eight Below.
The races will resume at 2 p.m. with the 5 mile six dog sprint, which will be followed at 2:30 by the 5 mile Skijor race, an event that features one dog or two pulling someone on skis instead of a sled.)
Sunday’s schedule has identical start times for all of the races and also includes the 1 p.m. presentation by Parish and Shaefer.
More information can be found as siskiyousleddogs.com
(see this week's paper for the full article)
