Support the Timberjay by making a donation.

Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

WolfTrack Classic race melts away

Poor trail conditions, safety concerns cited

Keith Vandervort
Posted 2/22/17

REGIONAL –Spring-like temperatures and rain in mid-February have led to deteriorated and unsafe trail conditions and forced the cancellation of the 2017 WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race this …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

WolfTrack Classic race melts away

Poor trail conditions, safety concerns cited

Posted

REGIONAL –Spring-like temperatures and rain in mid-February have led to deteriorated and unsafe trail conditions and forced the cancellation of the 2017 WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race this weekend.

The ninth annual sled dog race was to be held Sunday, Feb. 26. The WolfTrack Classic Board of Directors nervously monitored the weather for the last 10 days and met Monday night to discuss the unimproving situation.

“While a good base of snow and stable trail conditions over the weekend had given hope to organizers that the race could go on, rain on Monday dashed those hopes,” said board president Ellen Cashman. She said the safety of the mushers, dogs and volunteers are always the top priority in the decision-making process.

Much of Northern Minnesota has been experiencing warm temperatures since late last week and over the weekend, with highs reaching the mid-forties and even above fifty degrees.

Race organizers in Ely had monitored trail conditions over the weekend and were bolstered by the numerous snowmobilers in the area using trails that were reported in good condition. The snow machines share the Taconite Trail system with the dog-sled racers.

“Even the weather forecast gave us hope,” Cashman said, who went on to say the forecast called for colder temperatures by mid-week and a chance for snow starting on Wednesday and continuing on Thursday. “But as rain moved in on Monday and the weather forecast changed, so did the outlook for the race.”

The Board of Directors met Monday night to review the information that had been gathered by its members. “This was both a hard decision and an easy decision,” Cashman said. “It was a hard decision because we have put countless hours into planning and organizing the race and we realized we would miss seeing the dogs, mushers, sponsors, volunteers and all of the people that we have built relationships with over the years. But, it was also an easy decision because we care about these people, these dogs. After reviewing all the information, including advice from our race marshal and official race veterinarian, we realized we could not guarantee a safe race for participants, volunteers and spectators.”

Cashman said as many as 20 teams had signed up by late Monday. “We had several teams from Canada still planning to make the trip down here and we were hopeful to have as many as 30 teams for our two races. There is an unwritten rule in dog sled racing that the decision to cancel a race be made at least five days out.”

Many volunteers, some from North Dakota and Canada, make the trip the Ely each year to help with the race. “We really have many loyal supporters that help out each year. We had to make the call so they wouldn’t make unneeded travel plans,” she said.

Even with the realization that the race needed to be cancelled, organizers set their sights on next year’s event and set a meeting in March to begin planning for the popular race, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2018.

“The WolfTrack Classic would not be possible without the financial support of our sponsors, Cashman said. “Please support those who support the race. It takes hundreds of volunteers to make this race happen every year.”

Just a few weeks ago, Miller Hill Subaru, of Hermantown, was named the 2017 WolfTrack Classic purse sponsor, a new level of support for the WolfTrack Classic. “Over the years, Miller Hill Subaru has contributed to many area events and worthy causes and they have been long time supporters of sled dog races.  We wish to extend our sincere ‘thank you’ to the Miller Hill Subaru team,” Cashman said. The purse for this year’s race, set at $7,000, was to be divided between the six-dog and eight-dog races. “We are hopeful Miller Hill Subaru will return as our purse sponsor next year,” she said.

The WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race was conceived in 2006, when a small group of avid sled dog fans decided to bring sled dog racing back to a community that was very supportive of this great family event.

After two years of planning, the first race was run on March 2, 2008. It was a huge success with 60 mushers and 420 dogs from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada coming to compete. The WolfTrack Classic was cancelled just once before, Cashman said, and another year the trail conditions deteriorated to a point on race day where the race was shortened for the safety of the teams.

The WolfTrack Classic continues to be a popular mid-distance race among mushers.

For more information about this annual event, visit www.wolftrackclassic.com.