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Monday, January 21, 2013

Funny's Last Race


Few people have ever heard the details of the closest finish in K300 race history.

Stories from the early years of the Kuskokwim 300 are often shared at social gatherings, but few ever make it into print.  One such tale, the 1983 finish, needs to be recorded while some of the participants can still recall the details.  I was one of the participants,  and it’s a story I have rarely told.  
The 1983 race boasted a field of mushing stars, but none more famous than George Attla, the Huslia  Hustler.  A movie of his life, “Sprit of the Wind” had won many awards and played to a packed house at Swanson’s Theatre,  now a relic of Bethel history.  Attla flew to Bethel to help open the new Alaska Commercial Company store, and was a legitimate hero, mainly because  of his many championships in sprint racing.  But he was also a distance musher, having finished the first Iditarod, and the 1982 K-300, in second place.

So when he came back in 1983, there was no question he came to win. The first half of the race was typical, with teams running and resting on their own schedules.  My team looked good on the way up river, and the highlight to that point in the race was passing  defending champion Jerry Austin on the way into Aniak. I ran a veteran team, with a 10 year old leader named Funny, my ace in the hole for the home stretch. Funny had been injured much of the fall, and only  made the team in the last week after having several weeks off with a sore shoulder.  He spent much of that time inside our house, and the night before the race woke me up at about 2 am  sitting on the end of the bed looking at me, as if to remind me that he was ready. He had been loose in the yard during his recovery, and only stopped limping the week of the race. He had two short training runs between Dec 1st and the race.

funnyblue
Funny had one blue eye, one brown eye, and a big head.
Funny rode in the sled to Tuluksak because of his age, injury, and lack of speed.  His head stuck out of the bag, and he watched the many trucks pass us with  little interest.  When I put him in the team, he managed a few barks and jumps, despite his age. I was using a few borrowed dogs as well, including a couple from John Riley.
After Aniak the trail looped back around Whitefish Lake before turning back onto the Kuskokwim River at Kalskag. The trail was not perfect, and most of the front runners had to park for a few hours in the dark near Whitefish because blowing snow had covered the trail making it it difficult to follow the sparse markers. I spent the down time parked near young Ron Kaiser, and up - and- coming Bethel racer.
When the crowd of teams left the camp on the open tundra near Whitefish, I  still had Funny back in the team, but shortly before Kalskag  I needed to move him into lead. I had hoped to wait longer to use him there, but I was actually short of reliable leaders so I moved him to lead where he stayed for the remaining 100 miles of racing. Immediately I noticed an improvement. The old guy knew where he was and his nose was pointed home. I quickly moved into a group of teams leading the pack. They included Attla, Joe Garnie, and Clarence Towarek.  In those days, the pace was less frantic than now, and  most of the teams took a good break in Kalskag.  Heading down river, Garnie, Towarek and myself were  behind Attla, and that continued as we passed through Tuluksak.  I recall he had about a 15 or 20 minute lead out of Tuluksak,  Towarek was in second, and Garnie and I were about even for third.  I pulled away from Garnie as we left  Tuluksak,  and the team was looking strong on the home stretch.  I was closer to  both teams  ahead of me at Akiak, and starting to sense that I could catch them.
I never did see Towarek’s team again. He lost the trail somewhere between Akiak and Kwethluk, and ended up behind me at the finish line.  I was moving well when I came upon Attla stopped in Kuskokuak  Slough, unable to move forward untiI I passed  him.   His team followed me into  Kwethluk, and I saw no tracks in front of me.  That was confirmed when we checked into Kwethluk, as I left in first place.  Fifteen miles to Bethel at about 4 am, and it was getting interesting.  

That year we used the  back trail from Kwethluk, which I had  never used. The trail wound through swamps and trees a few miles off the river. There were many forks, and Attla and I exchanged the lead several times as  one or the other would get off  the trail momentarily on the confusing forks.  Through it all it was obvious to me I had the slightly stronger team, mainly because of that old leader, who by now was limping on a sore shoulder but obviously determined to get home as fast as possible. He was running single lead, and   it was a sight I have never forgotten.  We would drop behind a ways because we took the wrong fork , but when the trails merged that old warrior would close the gap in short order and we would pass when the other team took the wrong fork. As I write this, I can recall the strength in the gait of that old  leader. He was trotting, and his gait was very smooth and steady. Funny was a heavily built dog, with a broad back and a big head. He looked like a bull dozer in front of the team.

When we busted out of the woods and onto the wide expanse of the Kuskokwim, there were a number of fans cheering us on.  One guy hollered there was overflow ahead. I was leading, and my team was used to overflow so I was not concerned. Attla, who trained on trails designed for sprinting, chose to skirt the overflow which seemed to be the long way around. I went right into the water but it soon got deep enough that I turned the team to the left and got out of the water behind Attla. We quickly caught up, but now Attla was driving his dogs and mine seemed content to ride along right behind.    We had about 3 miles to the finish.
I needed to pass if I was going to win.  Before the race,  Bob Sept had delivered to me a  signal whip, which I had never used but had heard about from other racers. It was suggested that by cracking the whip, a musher could get extra speed from his team. I tried it  then as the lights of Bethel came into view. I  was unable to make it crack,  so then I tried slapping the ice with the whip.  There was no reaction, and Funny was still comfortably tucked in behind Attla’s sled as we approached town. I packed the whip away after about two minutes.
That year the finish line was located on Bethel’s Front Street, in front of what is now Swanson’s  Marina.  The trail left the river near a big boat moored in the ice at what is now the downriver end of the city dock. There was a narrow chute between the boat and the bank, and that chute was full of overflow. The water went from the boat to the bank, about  6-8 feet across and  about  2 feet deep in the middle.  Both teams tried to turn into Brown Slough, but managed to make it to the boat and start up the bank.  Attla was still right ahead of Funny, and when his dogs reached the deepest overflow, they stopped. Funny didn’t mind a little water, and was determined to get up the bank.I had run the trail to the finish a few days before the race. He tried to pass in the water.  Funny was about  10 feet past Attla’s sled when one of his dogs leaped over my  team trying to get out of the water.    That stopped my team , about half way past Attla’s team.  Attla was quick to respond.  “Untangle them!” he hollered.  He was thinking quickly, knowing that if I untangled the dogs, I would be off my sled when they were free, allowing Attla a chance to bolt for the finish. 

There were at least two eyewitnesses to the incident in the water, Bob Nelson, a local builder at the time, and Doug Dorland, an attorney from my office.  They were perched on the boat right above the teams.  They watched  as I splashed ahead in the water. I also had a plan.  I grabbed Attla’s dog and pitched it over the line, at the same moment as I urged Funny ahead.  He was standing in chest deep water, and needed little encouragement.  Funny was  off like a shot.  I grabbed the sled as it flew by.  When I emerged from the water, a moment later, I glanced back and Attla was still stalled.

We hit the street, and that old beast motored to the large crowd assembled at the finish line.  I crossed the line just 18 seconds ahead of Attla, the closest finish in  K300 history, and second closest ever in long distance racing. As I gave Funny a hug, Attla stormed up and said I cheated. He stated, “Boy, I think you broke every rule in the book.”  My mother-in-law pointed at his face and said, “you’re just a sore loser.”  Because I had helped write the race rules, I could think of no rule that was violated.  Race marshal Ernie Baumgartner agreed.  George complained about the use of the whip, which was not  even mentioned in our rules at the time and had no bearing on the outcome.

Attla skipped the awards ceremony and was fined by race officials for  doing so. He hired a lawyer to protest the fine, but the lawyer gave up after writing one letter. I remember clearly the argument raised in the letter.  It was suggested Attla’s fine should be returned because the rules didn’t state that  racers had to follow all  of the rules.  The controversy at the finish took a lot of the fun out of winning  that race for me. But as years go by, the controversy has faded and the classic finish  has emerged as one of  my most cherished memories.  I often travel that same stretch of river by dog team  or snow machine. When I do, I  never fail to recall that night, and that leader. When that happens, no matter how cold it is, I always feel a little warmer.   Funny never finished another race. He was retired to roam the yard, and spent part of his time inside. He later lost a tooth, which I put on a chain and wore around my neck when racing. He is buried under our house.
funnybow
Funny resting in the house, with his Christmas bow slightly askew.
As for Attla, he never raced another  long distance race, but continued to race and win sprints for a few more years. Later that year, he raced the Fur Rondy which was televised from Anchorage.  As he came down fourth avenue to the finish line, the camera showed a close up image of him cracking a long whip over his team.  No one complained.








- Myron Angstman

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Sunday Morning Analysis by Myron Angstman


So where has the race analysis been for this race?    Well,  it has been busy. Old Friendly Dog Farm  had a team in the  Bogus and the Dash, and  that’s a handful. In addition,  Ryan Air sponsored the basketball  tourney, and Andy has been heavily involved in that as a player and as one of the organizers.  Six from that tourney stayed at our house. You get the idea.

So what has happened so far?  No surprises in the Bogus and Dash.  Both winners are teams that are hard to beat.  Louis Pavilla races a fast team of dogs that is capable of winning  any race he enters.  He has threatened to enter the K300 but never has.  It is time for him to take that next step. 

The Nose team is even faster, and no one can catch them in the Dash it seems.  Even with rookie driver Randy Nose in charge, the team won by half an hour in the 65 mile race.  Perhaps with a little study we can learn if that is the biggest winning margin ever, but I am guessing it is.  As with Pavilla and the 300, the Nose team needs to move up to the Bogus and give it a try.

There used to be a rule that the winner of one of our shorter races was not eligible to compete in that race the next year, as a means of developing more local K300 teams, but that rule was not popular with some racers who didn’t want to move into the longer races. In fact, we even provided free entry into the next higher race for the winners. If you think we should still have that rule, let the race committee know and it will be considered.

Now for the 300. I suppose it can be called a surprise when a team like King’s can come back after not racing since 2009, and not winning since 2006, and win easily, but of course for an 8 time champion, it really is not a surprise.  King has a line of dogs that is obviously ideal for this race, and even though this batch of dogs has not raced here before,  their breed line has won enough times to qualify as contenders anytime they take part.  And of course King himself has the race pretty well figured out.  As for his age, that is not nearly as big a factor in dog racing as in most other competitive  events, because performing while sleep deprived is a trait that is often easier for  folks with more experience doing it.  Of course, new easy rider sleds make it more comfortable for  older racers to compete.  In this race, because of no hills, the dogs can do most of the work and an seasoned driver just has to work in the checkpoints.

What happened to last year’s champion Rohn Buser?  A blistering pace headed up river put him in a good position to win, but keeping up that kind of pace is tough.  After a layover in Kalskag, the dogs usually depart with a slower pace. With about 200 miles to go, that Saturday pace is the key to victory here.  Its not which team is the fastest that wins these kind of races, it’s the team  that slows down to the fastest pace.  In other words, you need to be faster when you are going slow.  The team I used to race in the 300 was a notoriously slow starting bunch, but they held that pace for a long time, often catching and passing teams that has passed us earlier. 

It is fun to see Tony Browning  running with the leaders.  Tony was a regular at this race for many years, but hasn’t raced here since 2000.  This promises to be his best finish ever.  Expect a finish for King between 11  and noon today. 

Team Racing Beringia at Kuskokwim 300

My name is Mille Porsild, I am sitting at the K300 Head Quarters in the midst of the incredible excitement unfolding on the trail. This is racing! My job is to make updates online at RacingBeringia.tumblr.com throughout the race, to get everyone fired up about what is ahead for our team:

I am here with my racers Mikhail Telpin of Chukotka, Russia and Joar Leifseth Ulsom of Mo I Rana, Norway -- right now Joar is in the 5-man chase group trying to catch Jeff King leading the race, while Mikhail is on the trail from Aniak where he rested his team of native Chukchi dogs as planned.

For both Mikhail and Joar this is a (very exciting) training race for the Iditarod start in a little more than one month from now -- when our education program goes live for the 2013 school year on February 25th at RacingBeringia.com

Mikhail, Joar and their specialized forces, the amazing sled dogs, are on the trail in our adventure learning program "Racing Beringia,"  exploring and sharing their experiences of the region of Beringia: As they travel across tundra, up rivers, on the sea ice and across mountain ranges and into remote native communities, they are racing indeed, but most importantly they are fueling excitement and curiosity of thousands of classrooms across the US and in 30+ countries around the world.

Beringia is the ancient Arctic region spanning from Chukotka (Russia) on the eastern side of the Bering Strait to Alaska (US) and the Yukon (Canada) on the western side of the Bering Strait.  During the last ice age the water of the Bering Strait was frozen in glaciers and the water level was so low that the entire region was a huge grass steppe connecting the two continents of Asia and North America. Over time mammoth, sable tigers and eventually people following their prey, made way from what is now Chukotka to Alaska. In this way the people on each side of the continent, their way of life, language and culture is still connected today.

Sled dogs and dogsledding is an important part of this connection. The oldest remain of sled dogs, some +7000 years old, have been found in Chukotka and the Chukchi sled dog native to this region over time migrated to Alaska with people; Then in 1907 - 08 teams of Chukchi sled dogs were brought to Alaska from Chukotka to win the All Alaska Sweepstake Race in Nome (setting a record that still stands today!). These Chukchi dogs eventually became Seppala's dogs and with the Chukchi dogs he bred and raced Seppala (who came to Alaska from Norway) proceeded to win most of the racing titles in Alaska and became world famous in 1925 as a result of their heroic efforts to get the badly needed diphtheria serum to Nome. Yep, Balto was a Chukchi dog indeed!

In that way, Joar's team of small fast Alaskan Huskies that he brought with him from Norway is connected to Mikhail's sturdy Chukchi dogs -- just like the people, culture and nature is connected across the Beringia region, a connection that in turn is connecting learners online.

The online education program involves a natural and social science curriculum for teachers in classrooms and the programming is free to all participating classrooms. Whether you are inside our outside the classroom -- join the team today at RacingBeringia.com!

Racing Beringia is made possible though generous contributions from our sponsors and support by the Shared Beringian Heritage Program.


Saturday, January 19, 2013

Settling in for a night at headquarters...

The headquarters night shift is trickling in. We're ready for a night of keeping you all posted on the progress of our K300 mushers as they make their way down the river towards Bethel.  With the Akiak Dash and the Bogus Creek 150 wrapped up and in the books, all eyes are on the Kusko. Our volunteers will be maintaining contact with Kalskag and Tuluksak checkpoints for official times throughout the night, updating facebook with unofficial info from the tracker, logging raffle tickets for the big drawing tomorrow night, projecting finish times, eating pizza, drinking coffee, drinking coffee, drinking coffee...

At this point, all K300 mushers have taken their six hour layovers, we've adjusted for start times, and we have a pretty good idea of who is where and how people are moving.  The weather in Kalskag is reported to be good, the trails are fast, and the night is young.  Anything could happen.  Stay up with us and stay tuned to K300 race coverage through the night...




Headquarters Update and LKSD Media Coverage

Things are busy at headquarters, with lots of locals stopping by, enjoying the food, and watching the numbers change on the leaderboard.  The coffee will be on all night, so stop by!  We are fortunate to have so many ways of following the events in Bethel and up the Kuskokwim this weekend.  LKSD has brought in some high school students interested in media and publishing, and they have been making and posting videos.  Link to their work through:


They will be posting more stuff throughout the weekend... ENJOY!  
For all you Facebook holdouts out there, here are  few updates that haven't yet appeared on this blog: the Bogus Creek 150 is over. I know, feels like it only started yesterday, doesn't it? Congratulations to Lewis Pavila and Bad River Kennels out of Kwethluk for their 2013 victory. The Akiak Dash started this afternoon and is dashing into Akiak around now, according to the updates on the radio by KYUK's Shane Iverson. Randy Nose of Akiachak is currently leading the pack. Good to have Shane back on trail coverage. It has officially warmed up considerably out on the trail, but the wind has picked up and some snow has been falling. Much of the region is under a blizzard warning. Mushers out on the trail may encounter whiteouts and snowdrifts on the trail, though the snow seems to have abated for now.

The K-300 leaders are out of Aniak into the Whitefish Lake loop with Rohn Buser and Jeff King leading the pack. Local musher Pete Kaiser has been moving up and is currently around 5th or 6th place, not far in front of other local favorites Mike Williams, Jr. and Richie Diehl. Kaiser's website, www.kaiserracing.com, has been providing some phenomenal race coverage. Make sure you check it out.    --Ben Kuntz

Headquarters still busy with tasks all night but few visitors after 1 am.  Unofficial  Bogus Creek K300 check in shows Rohn Buser, Mike Williams Jr and Joar Ulsom through there around 0120 - 0138.   Per the unofficial GPS trackers - 1st K300 mushers - about 8 miles out from Kalskag.

Bogus Creek mushers are on their 4 hour rest.  Thanks so much to the Bogus Creek checkers up there - it is a chilly night and starting a fire has been challenging.

Looks to be perhaps a record setting pace - we will have to see how the next 24 hours goes.

K300 is always such a time of excitement for the Delta.  Lots of volunteers pulling together - host families cooking up delicious dishes for their mushers and caring for their dropped dogs.  Kind supporters drop off bags of awesome cookies and casseroles at all the checkpoints and headquarters.  Jesuit Volunteers and lots of other villagers care for dropped dogs and cheer on the mushers as they race through checkpoints. Lots of hard work go into this race - by the mushers and dogs as well as the planners and volunteers of the K300.  It is great to see the YK Delta come together to support the dog mushing community.

We encourage you all to participate and support the races!! Come cheer for the Akiak Dash tomorrow at 2:00 pm on the Bethel river front.  Watch all 12 Akiak Dashers start at once - Definitely a photo opportunity.

Stay warm and sleep well those of you who can - Kalskag Checkers are just getting ready to check the first K300 musher through in the next hour.

Headquarters Update - 11:00 pm


K300 and Bogus Creek Racers off!!  A great crowd cheered the mushers as they rushed out into the night with the brisk wind and -30 wind chill.  Yummy hot dogs and hot cocoa helped keep the fans warm as they cheered the mushers down the shoot.

Headquarters busy with lots of volunteers.  Check out our facebook updates.  Lots of neat old pictures of past racers laid out for fans to look through - while everyone waits for the latest from the checkpoints.

All K300 and Bogus  Creek Racers through Akiachak and K300 making their way through to Tuluksak.  All Bogus Creek teams through Tuluksak - onto Bogus Creek for their rest.

Stop by headquarters to catch up on the latest news and snacks.  Blizzard warning for Saturday should make things interesting.

Elizabeth Roll - Headquarters Co-Manager

Friday, January 18, 2013

Weather event brewing?

Good evening race fans...  Let's take a quick look at the National Weather Service's forecast for Friday through Sunday at Bethel.  It was issued at 9 PM Thursday:

Friday: Mostly sunny. Patchy morning fog. Highs zero to 10 below. Northeast wind 20 to 35 mph. Wind chills 25 below to 45 below...lowest inland.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening...then mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow after midnight. Lows 5 below to 10 below. Northeast wind 20 to 35 mph. Wind chills 25 below to 35 below.

Saturday: A chance of snow in the morning...then snow likely in the afternoon. Areas of blowing snow. Highs 10 to 15 above. northeast wind 20 to 35 mph.

Saturday Night: Snow. Areas of blowing snow. Lows 5 to 15 above. Northeast wind 25 to 40 mph.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Highs around 30.

Two things stand out: the intense northeast winds and the snow.  The start of the race on the river Friday evening will likely be blustery and cold, but the Saturday night portion in particular has the makings of a pretty significant weather event.  Falling snow coupled with winds of 25 to 40 mph is definitely recipe for a blizzard, and there's a decent chance we'll see watches or warnings pop up for our area tomorrow.  The frontrunners will be cruising downriver by late Saturday night and Sunday morning, so the wind will be mostly at their backs, but a significant snow storm would almost surely have an effect on every team in the race.  This forecast also indicates pretty comfortable temperatures for race fans by Sunday, but those are also temperatures that make sled dogs uncomfortable. 

Keep in mind, this is just a forecast... 

Bogus Creek Starting Order!

The 2013 Bogus Creek Musher Drawing is complete and the starting order is as follows:

Starting PositionMusher
1 Jackie Larson
2 Rudy Demoski
3 Brian Berube
4 Wassillee Chocknok
5 Lewis Pavilla
6 John George
7 Casie Stockdale
8 Jen Peeks
9 Steve Olive

The 2013 Bogus Creek 150 starts on Friday, January 18th at 5:00 PM.  Check out all of our race coverage at www.k300.org, kuskokwim300.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/Kuskokwim300

K300 Starting Order!

The 2013 K300 Race Drawing is complete and the K300 Starting Order is as follows:


Starting Position Musher
1 Ken Anderson
2 Josh Cadzow
3 Ramey Smyth
4 Rohn Buser
5 Isaac Underwood
6 Louie Ambrose
7 Mike Williams, Jr.
8 Mike Williams, Sr.
9 Jeff King
10 Cim Smyth
11 Joar Leifseth Ulsom
12 Ray Redington, Jr.
13 John Baker
14 Katherine Keith
15 Mikhail Telpin
16 Richie Diehl
17 Kristy Berington
18 Pete Kaiser
19 Tony Browning
20 Martin Buser
21 Paul Gebhardt


The Race starts Friday, January 18 at 6:30 PM!  Follow all of our live coverage at www.k300.org, kuskowkim300.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/Kuskokwim300

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The First 300

Rudy Demoski will be racing in his second Kuskokwim 300 this week, and it has been 33 years since his first race in 1980.  He is the only racer this year from that first race, and as cold as it was, no wonder  Rudy waited so long to come back.  I was in that first race as well, and it might be time to dust off the story  of the  first K300 for folks who have never heard it.

January of 1980 was a very cold month, with stiff north breezes dropping the wind chill  most of the month.  Those temps  reduced the number  of teams taking part.  21 teams took part, and 17 finished. Many more teams had expressed  interest  but the weather  kept them away.  The race started  from in front of town on the river at  22 below. There was a light breeze, and  bright sun made the weather tolerable, at least for a while.

By late afternoon most of the teams were in Tuluksak, the first food drop checkpoint.  Gathered in Joe Demantle’s yard were some of the most famous names in mushing, including  Rick Swenson, Susan Butcher  and Joe Redington.  The temps started to drop rapidly at sundown, and by  the time teams started departing,  the thermometer in Joe’s yard read -45.  At that location, the north wind was blocked by trees on the Tuluksak River, but  it was still plenty cold.  Rookie racer Dee Jonrowe had struggled a bit getting to  Tuluksak, and I remember she was apprehensive about striking out for Kalskag in the cold and dark.

Present day racers have perfected their clothing and equipment to deal with extreme cold, but in that era,  basic clothes were the norm. I remember my outfit included a down parka over a Carhartt suit. Swenson, who always kept up with the latest  trends in gear, mentioned  to me that I could  have done better for cold weather gear.  He was right.

I left Tuluksak about 11 pm, and headed  for the river. There was a short portage from the village to the Kuskokwim, and when  we hit the river, a stiff north breeze turned the weather from really cold to miserable.  After a few minutes, it became clear that the only way to stay warm was by running behind the sled part of the time, but I needed to be careful not to run long enough to get damp inside.  Keeping  a peep hole  to see through my glasses was also an issue, and  several times I had to thaw a hole with my fingers just to see.

After a few hours of tough going, I spotted  a big fire up ahead.  It looked inviting.  When I arrived at the fire, I found my buddy Rudy Demoski charging around in the trees, breaking off  dry branches. His fire was high and hot, but there was a problem.  When I stood close enough to feel the heat, it  was close enough to catch  my  clothes on fire if I wasn’t careful.  At the same time,  my backside froze because of lack of movement.  “Nice fire Rudy, but I’m freezing, and have to  get going to  run a bit.”

The rest of the trip to Kalskag was long and  tough. We later learned that the weather service  recorded  the wind chill as -101, a personal worst  in my experience.   I never saw  another  team. I pulled into the village, fed the dogs, and retreated to the school for some rest. When I woke up,  there was a blizzard howling  in the village.   For some reason,  l left for Aniak anyway, traveling much of the day with Walter Williams.   The weather was warmer, but with snow  blowing in my face, it was hardly more  comfortable than the night before.  We arrived in Aniak after an all day slog in the snow,  and  the race marshall declared an emergency  24 layover because the trail to Whitefish Lake was  trashed by the storm.

I settled in with a couple of other teams at Steve Bush’s house to wait out the storm.  I  slept  many hours, waking to the strange sound of water dripping off the  roof.  It was raining.  The decision was made to reverse our trail and head back to Bethel through Kalskag.  The trail was slow at the start but improved through the night. I traveled the whole way from Aniak  to Bethel with Warner  Vent. He said  we  could do it non-stop  after our 24 layover, so  we did.  He  gave me the slip coming out of Akiak and finished a few minutes ahead of me in 8th place.  Swenson won, Rudy got 14th  after an unusually long rest in Kalskag, and 17 teams finished.  Dee  was rescued on the river above Tulusak  where she stalled that first night. She stayed in her sleeping  bag  many hours waiting in her sled. Searchers found her when a snowmachine accidently ran into her snow covered sled, off the trail.

The racers assembled for out first ever award ceremony looking like survivors.  Frost bite was common,  and tales from the trail were harrowing.  That race started  the lore of the K300, and  34 years later there have been many more tales of woe from the trail.  But that first race was special for all who took part. Many of the racers are no longer alive.  Of the  17 finishers,  7 have passed away.  Rudy will be the oldest racer this year at  age 67.    For us old timers,  memories of that first night of the Kuskokwim 300 will  be part of the  fun of this year’s race.
Good evening again, friends.  Tonight was a busy and exciting night in Bethel, Alaska... We had simultaneous events taking place in downtown Bethel, as the K300 Benefit Concert unfolded at the Cultural Center and the second round women's games at the K300 Basketball Tournament took place at the Armory.  The Benefit Concert saw a packed house and top-notch local talent, and the basketball games were a hit for everyone in attendance.  The fun keeps rolling on Thursday, as men's basketball gets underway at the Armory, along with two women's games at Gladys Jung.  Also on Thursday, the musher's meeting and drawing take place in the evening, so race fans have plenty to look forward to.

It has turned cold in Bethel, as the temperature barely topped 0 degrees this afternoon.  Look for some brisk conditions on Thursday and Friday as it stays clear and cold, and the wind slowly builds out of the northeast. 

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Basketball tournament off and running!

Hi folks... The K300 Basketball tournament got underway at the Armory earlier this evening.  I have posted final scores on the K300 Basketball Tournament facebook page, and there will be action all week, starting at the Armory Tuesday through Thursday, and then moving to Gladys Jung Elementary for Friday and Saturday.   We hope to see all basketball fans in town at the games!  -Andy

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

K300 Concert Keeps Getting Bigger!

The K300 Concert keeps getting bigger as Michael Faubian and the Tundra Sisters Join the 2013 K300 Concert Lineup!

The cat is out of the bag! This year's K300 Benefit Concert will be bigger and better than ever, as special guests Michael Faubian and the world reknowned Tundra Sisters will be joining the star studded bill for the 2013 Kuskokwim 300 Benefit Concert! This event is not to be missed! The 2013 concert will be held on Wednesday, January 16th at 7:00 PM at the Cultural Center. Be there or Be Square.


Monday, January 14, 2013

Greetings...

Hello K-300 fans, Andy here.  I'm excited about the possibilities for the new and improved Daily Bark!

Let me give you a rundown of the winter weather and trail conditions we've had the past few months:

Like most of the state, the Bethel area started out cold and very dry in October and November.  Many local dog teams were hampered by the lack of snow, and at least one team flew upriver for several weeks to train in the Aniak area, where they had decent trails.  It wasn't until the second week of December that Bethel had any appreciable snowfall, and then it turned really cold (which for Bethel is -20 or lower).  Two days after Christmas the temperature climbed above freezing and it's been in the 20's and 30's ever since.  Over that same stretch, Bethel got hit with several really nice snowfalls, and we were set up for fantastic trails....

Then the string of powerful fronts that brought rain to Anchorage for 3 days straight brushed southwest Alaska and brought a couple days of thaw and wind.  Luckily, it snowed last night (Sunday night) as the temperature dropped back below freezing, to salvage our conditions to a large degree.  The river had some water on it over the weekend, but the forecast is calling for below zero nights over the next several days, and I anticipate water not being an issue for the race.  There is a slight moderation in temperatures forecasted for the weekend.

Thus, the trail is not perfect (how often does that happen?), but it is safe and it will improve over the next few days.  I will note that it was snowing lightly again this evening as I published this blog!

I will bring more weather updates and race analysis in the coming days, as well as commentary about the other events in Bethel during race week!

-Andy 

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Only 3 Days Until the 2013 K300 Benefit Concert!

Come one, come all to the 2013 K300 Benefit Concert!  The Benefit Concert will be held on January 16 and starts at 7:00 PM.  The Concert will be held at the Bethel Cultural Center and will star Mike McIntrye, Ron Kaiser, Jeremy Lee, Allen Typpo, Quentin Simeon.  There will also be special guests and surprises.  The concert costs $10 per person or $25 for a family.  We look forward to seeing everyone there!

THE DAILY BARK BITES BACK!

Welcome to the Daily Bark - The Kuskokwim 300's official blog!  Tune in all week and weekend long to get expert analysis and insight into the 2013 K300.  Join our expert bloggers Myron Angstman, Andy Angstman and Ben Kuntz as they discuss all the action.  Also stay tuned for special guest posts and feel free to chime in!