Racing to the Sky
What are your plans for this weekend? Watching the Olympics? Buying ice cream to make up for the fact that you forgot Friday is Valentines Day? Do your plans involve racing 350 miles through snowy Montana wilderness, enduring freezing conditions with little sleep? Seem crazy? For the past 29 years, participants in Montana’s Race to the Sky have done just that. The 350 mile long dogsled race is one of Montana’s oldest and (as an Iditarod qualifying race) most prestigious dogsledding events. This year, a total of twenty mushers and dog teams will take part in the event’s three grueling races.
Eight teams are signed up for the premier event—the 350 mile Iditarod qualifier. The race runs from Camp Rimini, outside of Helena, to Elk Park, a few miles outside of Butte. The race restarts in Lincoln for a 200 mile loop from Lincoln to Seeley Lake and back to Lincoln. Eleven mushers plan to compete in the 100 mile adult race which runs from Lincoln to Seeley. Only one musher, 16 year old Spencer Bruggeman from Great Falls, will compete in the 100 mile Junior Race. Six racers are Montana natives, the rest come from as far away as Pennsylvania to compete in the race.
We’re no Alaska, but Montana has an interesting dogsledding history. During World War II, Camp Rimini—the official start of the race—played host to 900 dogs and about 125 mushers. The dogs and mushers were training to take part in a planned invasion of Norway. The invasion never happened, instead, the teams went to Alaska, Canada and Greenland where they helped rescue downed aircraft and airmen. Race to the Sky was created, in part, to honor the soldiers and dogs of Camp Rimini. This year, during race festivities, the organization will be fundraising for U.S. War Dogs Chapter 1. This is a nonprofit which advocates on behalf of dogs serving with the U.S. military in warzones.
Even if you, like me, have no intention of ever running a 350 mile dog race in the dead of winter, you can still enjoy the race. Festivities start Friday with a Vet Check at the Fairgrounds in Helena. That evening, there is a meet and greet and spaghetti feed at the Fairgrounds. Meanwhile, Lincoln is hosting something called the “Delectable Delights Contest” and a family friendly dance, which could make for a good last minute Valentine’s Day date, should you be in need of such a thing. The 350 mile race starts at 10:00am on Saturday. The restart is at 2:00pm in Lincoln on Sunday, and the 100 mile races start at 3:00pm on Sunday. The 350 mile awards ceremony takes place on Wednesday the 19, in Helena.
Visit racetothesky.org for a full schedule, race map and musher bios.
View our video of the Race to the Sky from a previous year!
