Katelyn Dehlin (bib 41) of Basalt Tamaskan Kennel in Negaunee, Mich. preps her eager team in the starting chute of the CD30 Friday night.

Aidan Reilly/Daily Mining Gazette
Lynne Witte mushing out of Iskristall Kennel in Cheboygan, Mich checks in with her lead dogs after finishing the second stage of the CD80 Saturday afternoon. Witte took first in the race with a total time of 7.25.51 and an average speed of 11.5 mph.

The start of the CD80 and CD30 races followed down the snow road to the delight of spectators eagerly snapping photos or reaching over the fence to high five teams on their way out of town.

Four races were run over three days. The eponymous 150 took place over 3 stages Friday night to Sunday Afternoon. The CD80 finished Saturday afternoon in Copper Harbor. The CD30 finished in the wee hours of Saturday morning in Eagle Harbor, while the CD15 consisted of a loop outside of Copper Harbor Saturday afternoon.

Warm temperatures and dehydration were cause for concern for competitors this weekend with daily highs in the mid thirties.

At the conclusion of the second leg Saturday afternoon in Copper Harbor things we’re moving along as planned.

“So far the race has been extremely uneventful which is a really good thing,” reported Race Judge Lyle Ross. “Everyone is extremely polite to each other on the race course. The mushers are handling the dogs in spite of the weather, not overrunning them. We’ve had no dog overheating issues.”

Ultimately, it was the course and not the participants who suffered as a result of the weather.

“For the safety of mushers, their dogs, and our crew (staff, volunteers, and fans) we have decided to remove the Brockway Mountain section from the third leg of the CD150! Safety comes first. It’s just too icy out there for us to be 100% certain nothing would happen,” a post to the official Facebook page stated Sunday an hour before the third stage of the CD150 restart.

The reroute added two tenths of a mile to the total length of the race which came in just over 131 miles.

Ryan Anderson of AnderTier Racing in Saint Croix Falls, Wis. was the winner of the 150, after having taken second place in two previous CopperDogs. Anderson’s cumulative time was 10 hours, 18 minutes and 36 seconds with an average speed of 12.8 mph.

Anderson’s time was six minutes faster than second place Michael Bestgen of Fugarwekennels in Saint Cloud, Minn. Bestgen was the only musher in the field to have competed in every Copper Dog race to date.

JR Anderson of River Rock Kennel in Cook, Minn. finished third in the title race, his final time was 18 minutes off the lead.

Throughout the weekend area businesses were instrumental in managing the influx of visitors and competitors. Copper Dog Board Chair Doug Harrer noted one aspect of the race is to round out the winter season for business owners.

“We decided years ago that we were going to start this because it was something good for the community during a rough time of year. We were able to give one last hurrah to the businesses.”

Of course the buy in from the community is critical to the race’s operation.

“Without our sponsors and our volunteers Copper Dog is nothing,” Harrer added.

Tom Bauer, owner of Otter River Sled Dog Training Center and Wilderness Adventures in Tapiola stressed the importance of volunteers having adequate training. Bauer, a musher as well as host to the MTU Mushing Club helped to prep volunteers the week before the race.

“Trained volunteers are critical. It’s really important to me to have the Copper Dog be the safest race ever and so I come do what I can to help them with the volunteer training.”

Race officials thanked volunteers, sponsors and organizers at the awards dinner for the CD150 at the Eagle Harbor Inn Sunday afternoon. Volunteers covered 843 shifts throughout the weekend doing various jobs from handling dogs to setup and tear down.

The Copper Country represented itself well through collaboration, sponsorship and community throughout the weekend.

“I’ve raced and officiated races all over the midwest and this is by far the most friendly community you can participate in,” said Ross.

For all the race results, musher profiles, and information on this year’s CopperDog go to copperdog150.com