CALUMET - It was snowmobiles, not sled dogs, that made the first full swoop over CopperDog 150 trails last weekend as organizers got their first real look at the snow-covered trails that will host the second-annual CopperDog 150 March 4 to 6.
"Trail planning is going really well, the trail is in place," CD 150 Trail Boss Matt Eberly said. "We have a trail system ready, it still needs some minor work such as cleaning out some brush piles and packing down some of the trails that aren't part of the (snowmobile) system, as well as signage."
The majority of the 150-mile race will take place on snowmobile trails north of Calumet, and Eberly said those portions of the race are easy to handle because they're already race-ready.
"The trails are ideal; this is a great area to run dogs," said Eberly, who also races dogs himself. "There's some really good hills to work your dogs on; it's a great training area because you're guaranteed snow and most of the times the weather isn't too cold."
Because a lot of the race is on snowmobile trails, members of the Keweenaw Trail Services are making sure snowmobiles are aware.
"We're coordinating with the CopperDog to make sure that we don't have snowmobilers running on the trails at the same time," said John Dee, a KTS board member. "Other areas they run simultaneously, but we want to run on the side of caution as much as possible because snowmobiles and sled dogs is probably not the best mix."
The race is slated for March 4 to 6, but that doesn't mean sledheads won't be able to get around.
"The stages the CopperDog is using will be closed on a temporary basis," Dee said. "People will always be able to get to their destination of choices, they might just have to use a different route at particular times."
A map is being drawn up and will be published on the Internet as well as available in print at a variety of places around the Copper Country.
"I don't think snowmobilers will have a problem with the sections not available, but they don't want to be surprised," he said.
For more information on the CopperDog 150, visit copperdog150.com.