By Mackenzie Dysinger

A thick fog covered Glennallen Saturday morning as mushers prepared their teams for the Copper Basin 300. Howls of delight and anticipation filled the air as nearly every sled dog squirmed eagerly in its harness. While the forty below weather kept some spectators at home, the dogs seemed unaffected by the freezing cold.  

After a week of limited activities due to the unfortunate weather, local community members of all ages enjoyed the opportunity to get outside and cheer on the participants. The CB 300 has been a family-friendly activity during the cold and sometimes difficult winter month of January. Parents chatted over steaming cups of coffee while children, bundled head to toe, tackled each other in nearby snow drifts as they waited for the race to begin. 

While many adults may enjoy spectating the sport of dog mushing, no one loves to watch and listen to the dogs howl with glee more than children. Squished together on hay bales and laughing uncontrollably at the over-enthusiastic dogs, boys and girls alike watched with excitement as each musher took off down the chute. 

This year’s Copper Basin 300 boasts of a competitive field of mushers including four-time defending champion Nicolas Petit and past winners Matt Hall, Martin Buser, and Mitch Seavey. Tekla Butcher-Monson, daughter of the late Susan Butcher, a two time champion of the CB 300, is also racing in this year's event. 

There were twenty-one competitors signed up to begin the race. Due to a variety of circumstances, two mushers dropped race morning. On Saturday at 10 a.m. the small crowd of spectators in downtown Glennallen cheered on nineteen mushers as they began their 300-mile trek into the Alaskan wilderness. On Monday morning only thirteen mushers remained pressing on towards the finish line. KCAM Radio broadcasted the race and a live stream video of the event can be found on the Copper Basin 300 Facebook page.