Copper Basin 300

Last year there were numerous pieces that fell into place allowing me to do the number of races I am planning to do this winter. The Kid is in Italy for a year. I am teaching at a smaller school closer to home (same school district though). We have a core of dogs that finished the Yukon Quest with Darrin in February. It just seemed like the perfect conditions for me to be able to race hard this winter.

Having a career and a child really has helped in planning out my racing future. Until this year, I have always had to pick and choose what race I did for the winter based on the number of personal days I had, the schedule of the race and mesh it with what The Kid was doing in school; be it sports, theater or teenage activities such as dances. I loved my weekend racing that I did. I was a mini-vacation during a busy time of year for me.

About 7 or 8 years ago, I got involved with the Copper Basin 300. Darrin had run the race a few times and I had handled for him a couple of times. In fact, how Darrin and I met was on the Copper Basin in 2000; but that's another story...I volunteered for the Copper Basin, then ended up being on the board and a race official for a few years. It was a great experience. Now this year, for the first time, I will be running the Copper Basin 300.

I must admit, I am most nervous about running the CB300 more than any other race I am signed up to do. I have seen first hand how quickly this 300 mile loop through the wilderness can grab you by the throat, shake you up, dunk you in freezing cold water, and toss you to the side. Every year I would hear mushers say, "I forgot how much this race kick's my ass!" After one particularly difficult CB300, it was stated that the Iditarod should be a qualifier for the Copper Basin 300. There are so many factors that make the Copper Basin 300 a tough race which is one of the reasons why I want to run this race. I am planning on running the 2016 Yukon Quest and I need to run races that are difficult and will test me. The Copper Basin will test me, and more.

The Cb300 trail is a loop. This means you never travel over any of the same trail twice. Great for us, not always so great for the people putting in the trail. Keeping in, and maintaining 300 miles of trail through the back country of Alaska, through country no one travels, is no easy task. High winds, blizzards, overflow, open water on rivers make the task that mush more difficult. Oh, and then there's the cold temperatures we get. It is not unusual for it to be -40 and -50 for days and weeks on end when the trail breakers need to be out putting in the trail and setting the base. The trail will be awesome in certain sections, and total crap in other sections. There are three places on the race that are always asked about; Excelsior Creek,  The Hump and the Gakona River.

Excelsior Creek  is a wee little creek that flows through an open area prior to the Hump. There is a dry crossing and a wet crossing. Depends on the conditions and the trail breakers where the trail goes. The dry crossing is not always a guarantee that it will be dry. The creek is always open in one spot. Looking at it, it might not seem like a big deal, but it has stopped many the teams in their tracks. There is a pretty good up and down to the creek which gets icy as team splash their way through. Many mushers get wet here as they slip slide their way to their leaders to guide them across. Getting wet at the temperatures that we often see on the CB300 is never fun. Once across the creek, it's smooth sailing until The Hump.

The Hump is, well, a hump that you must go up and over between Chistochina and Paxson. It is often windy, drifted, blown in trail, and at the top, rocks and bare ground. Trail markers have been known to blow away, and the permanent markers that were driven into the ground years ago might not always be visible in high wind situations as the snow is blowing all around. With the race starting in Glennallen, teams go over The Hump at night. Once you get up, and start across the summit, you hope you're on the right trail as you start your decent down the other side. Waiting for mushers at the bottom of The Hump is the Gakona River.

River conditions in Alaska can change within hours. Conditions also change when snowmachines go over the river. There is no way to predict how the Gakona River will be. Even if someone goes and looks at the river hours before the race starts, by the time teams get to the river, it is a different beast. I have witnessed the aftermath and heard horror stories of teams swimming, floating and hoping for the best as they crossed the Gakona River. You can bet I will be wearing Bunny Boots, and maybe a life jacket this year as I cross the Gakona.

The CB300 takes place on the second Saturday in January. A cold and dark time of the year. It's not unheard of to have temperatures dip to -50 and stay there. It's also not unusual to start the race at -35 then end in a blizzard at 30 above. Last year teams finished with mushers wearing t-shirts and jeans. You just never know what Mother Nature will throw at you, but you must always be prepared.

All of this aside, I am very excited to race my first Copper Basin 300. I will be starting 36th out of a field of 45. I have seen a majority of the trail, but there are some key sections I have not seen, and I am looking forward to it. Living in Chistochina, the first check point, we train on the Copper Basin Trail. I have also competed in other races that have occurred over the years in the valley that use parts of the trail. I have no doubt that after I finish I too will utter, "This race kicked my ass!"

Bookmark KCAM RADIO and tune in January 11th to hear the live broadcast of the start of the 2014 Copper Basin 300. 

Myself with Michelle Eastty of KCAM Radio and Eric Lutz at the start in Paxson. KCAM does a live broadcast of the Copper Basin start and gives regular updates.

Checkpoint at Meier's Lake. Myself and volunteers stayed in the wee little red hut for the duration of the checkpoint.

Me and The Kid at the start in Chistochina giving the countdown.

Volunteers make races happen.These ladies are awesome! (Me on the far right) (Thanks Laurie for the picture!)

Darrin at the start in Paxson. (Thanks Theresa Daily for the picture!)

One of my favorite pictures. We started the race in Glennallen and did the loop clockwise. Here teams are still close together as they travel in the ditch along the Glenn Highway. (Thanks Lauren for the picture!)

Darrin and the team at the start in Paxson. The dogs are wearing t-shirts that help reduce harness rubs.

Darrin with Mt Drum in the background. (Thanks Lauren for the picture!)

Snapping a quick picture with Cindy Abbott after she registered for the CB300 2 years ago. (Thanks Cindy for the picture!)

Coming back with a team after doing a training run to The Hump and back a couple of years ago. Here we are dropping into Excelsior Valley.

On top of The Hump, overlooking the Gakona River. I turned the team around here and headed back home.

Darrin at the start of yet another CB300. You can see all the support needed to make a race happen.

Climbing up The Hump on our training run.

There are some amazing views from the high country.