So first of all, we should put it out there that we are NOT racing the Copper Basin 300. We went back and forth on this throughout the fall and ended up on the waiting list. Sometimes, that’s just how it goes. Travis had a stellar performance in the 2014 Copper Basin 300 earning himself the coveted Humanitarian Award for Best Dog Care. He started and finished the race will all 12 dogs.
Asking Travis about the race he said, “Ya my team was on fire. But one of the things I really took away from that race was that they were ready to go and it was only January. There were still another two months between the Copper Basin 300 and Iditarod.”
This year, we are trying to shift focus away from the smaller races and onto the bigger ones. We have no idea if it will work or not. Most mushers our age start out handling for other racing kennels, where they learn the tricks of the trade, before going and starting their own kennel. Not us! So a lot of the tricky decisions about how to train and race early on in the season has been something we have had to carefully navigate. I’m not sure we’ve dialed anything in yet. Although we now are much more mobile than before, the biggest hiccup for us being really successful is trail access. When it comes down to it, we really need to buy property in mushing country: Willow, Fairbanks, Healy, Eureka…here’s to hoping we can do that sometime in the near future. We tried this year but kept having issues pop up. It’s been the biggest roadblock.
That being said, the Copper Basin 300 is a very big race. Besides the Kusko 300, it is one of the most challenging races out there. It’s a notoriously tough and physically demanding.
So let’s take a Look at the CB300.
Copper Basin 300 Overview
Long considered the toughest 300 mile dog sled race, The Copper Basin 300 is a challenge for both the musher running the race and their handler, who offers support. Although Copper Basin is considered a qualifier for running the Iditarod, many mushers have often remarked “that running Iditarod should be a qualifier for the Copper Basin.”
The circular race trail allows mushers along new trail during each leg of the race. Each checkpoint is at some sort of lodge. The Copper Basin 300 is known for its notorious trail conditions and bone chilling weather. Temperatures are routinely -30 and -40 below. Because the course crests numerous hills, teams also have to contend with blown in trails.
In 2013 when Travis first ran the race, nearly every team had to go over a windblown summit. Due to the severe winds, each team had to break out trail. Later in the race, warm temperatures and freezing rain made for an interesting mixture.
The Copper Basin 2015 Race Route
The Copper Basin 300 begins in Glennallen, AK and runs counter clockwise. The CB300 has 18 hours of mandatory rest built into the race. There is one One (1) mandatory layover of six (6) hours plus start differential at any checkpoint. An additional accumulation of twelve (12) hours at any of the checkpoints. IN 30 MINUTE INCREMENTS. You can learn more about the Race Route here.
Race History
The race has been running since 1990 and has only had to cancel the event twice. The first cancellation was in 1996 due to extremely cold weather. The second cancellation came in 2012 during the middle of the race when cold weather and poor trail conditions prevented mushers from being able to make it to the next checkpoint. Many, at this point, thought the Copper Basin would be finished. Under the new direction of race manager Zack Steer, the 2013 Copper Basin was was widely considered to be one of the best put on races of that year.
Our Past Experiences With The Copper Basin 300
In 2013 Travis entered the Copper Basin 300 as a way to introduce his team to tough terrain. He had no intention of running competitively, rather he used it a learning experience for both him and his dogs. Sarah handled for him in this race. The handlers of the Copper Basin 300 are responsible for picking up after their musher and taking care of any dropped dogs. To do this, handlers must drive the entire race route. By the time handlers finish picking up after their musher, they often have to “race” to beat their musher to the next check point.
In 2014, Travis finished 5th in the Copper Basin and received the Humanitarian award for best vet care.
This year, we are sitting out. We’re disappointed but are also interested in seeing how a season with fewer races impacts our team.
2015 Copper Basin 300 Resources
Copper Basin 300 Facebook Page
Mushers We Are Keeping a Close Eye On In This Race:
Wade Marrs – Stump Jumpin Kennel
We always have to root for Wade and like to think we are some of his biggest fans. We’ll be training out of his kennel and watching the dogs that didn’t make the race team. Wade runs primarily smaller dogs. He finished 8th in the CB300 last year and 8th in the Gin Gin 200 last week.
Nic finished 2nd in the 2014 Copper Basin but this year is driving a completely different group of dogs. Last year, he drove a team that primarily consisted of Raymie and Barb Redington’s dogs. This year, he is driving some dogs of his own breeding. There are four former THK dogs in his team.We have no idea what to expect from Nic although we do know he has been spending lots of time training in Glenallen on the Copper Basin 300 trails. His team has lots of young dogs and this will be their first real (and one of their biggest) tests.
Kristin & Andy Pace – Hey Moose! Kennel
Kristin & Andy have a small kennel out of Healy, AK. One of the things that impressed us the last time we ran with them was the size of their dogs. They’re massive! Kristen is training for the Yukon Quest. I don’t know how each of them plans to race but I sure am looking forward to their post-race write up. These guys are great writers!
Paige Drobny – Squid Acres Kennel
Paige had an impressive performance in the Gin Gin 200. She and her husband Cody Strathe are quickly making a name for themselves in the mushing world. They have some really nice dogs and are very well organized. It will be interesting to see how Paige and her team performs.
Ray Redington Jr. – Team Redington
We love Ray. He’s always been a really great friend to us and has been quick to offer us helpful mushing advice. Ray is also signed up for the Kuskokwim 300 which has an impressively large purse. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ray race hard but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him hold back a little too. He’s got a busy race schedule ahead of him as he has also signed up for the 1,000 mile YUkon Quest. Regardless, he will be up at the front of the pack!
Aliy Zirkle – SP Kennel
Aliy, in all likelihood, will be running the B-team out of SP Kennel. We’re excited to see how she performs. She should have a more relaxed run than her husband, Allen, who will be trying to win the Copper Basin.
Allen Moore – SP Kennel
The CB300 favorite, Allen Moore has dominated this race for the last couple of years. I expect him to win the CB300 or do incredible well. He will be driving SP Kennel’s A-team
Robert Redington
Robert is another friend of ours. He is working on getting qualified for Iditarod. He did really well in the Aurora 50/50 this year. We are hoping he has a great race and are excited to watch him race. He’s got some incredible dogs that he has been training over the last few seasons.
Spencer Egbert – SP Kennel
Spencer is a long time friend of ours and is now working for Aliy and Allen. This is his first 300 mile race and we couldn’t be more excited for him!
Following the 2015 Copper Basin 300
For live race tracking check out: http://www.cb300.com/racecentral.aspx as well as liking the Copper Basin 300 facebook page.
SP Kennel usually does a fantastic job of posting live updates. I’ve always been impressed by the large crew they bring to the race to help with social media. You can count on them having 2-3 quality updates.
