Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Feb 4, 2010 18:11:21 GMT -5
This past Sunday was the start of the 27th John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. I wanted to get a few photos of the teams, but the starting area was a zoo, with thousands of spectators flocking to see the dog sleds take off on a sunny & cool afternoon. We decided to go up the trail a few miles and 4WD down a tote road to the State trail and watch the teams in a more natural setting, right at the first significant set of hills.
At almost 400 miles, the Beargrease is the longest sled dog race in the lower 48 of the United States. The race route follows skiing and snowmobile trails along the North Shore to the trail center at Poplar Lake - only a few miles from the Minnesota-Ontario border. Racers were expected to arrive at the half-way point between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Then the racers turn around for the return leg arriving at the finish line in Duluth sometime on Wednesday.
Teams must rest at least 32 hours during the race, including two mandatory 6 hour layovers, one 6 hour layover on the up trip and one on the down trip. The choice of when to schedule your rest stops is a key element of strategy. Most teams have a "pit crew" who rendezvous with the teams at various checkpoints to assist with the care of the dogs and with any needed repairs to the sled. The crew also keeps notes on the times and running status of competitors so these pit stops also become race strategy sessions.
Check out this link for a whole bunch more info, history and more. (For almost twenty years, between 1879 and 1899, John Beargrease and his brothers delivered the mail between Two Harbors and Grand Marais by dog sled.)
www.beargrease.com/index.php
I was lucky and caught the winner at the beginning of the race and a few blocks from the finish line. Enjoy!
Steve
This number 8 guy has a very strong team!
This was the start of a cool pass. I was really surprised the dogs didn't get into each other.
It looks like the front guy is standing, but he's actually pushing fast with his right leg, helping his team stay in front of the team threatening to pass!
This was a really sweet place to watch and snap a few pics. The teams crest the hill, only to start flying down the backside on a curve and hard on the brakes. They immediately then have to trudge up a steep hill. The strongest teams had the driver off the sled and jogging up the hill to lighten the load on the dogs.
Here is the winner 3 days later, just blocks from the finish line. Nathan Schroeder of Chisholm crossed the finish line first to win his first Beargrease title at 10:04 Wednesday morning. Schroeder came in with nine dogs. He spent over forty hours and four minutes on trail (40:04:25) with an average speed of 9.3 mph.
Defending champion Jason Barron of Lincoln, MT finished in second place. Barron crossed the finish line at 11:55 with nine dogs. He took 41 hours and 55 minutes to complete the 380 mile race.
3. Denis Tremblay - Quebec, Canada - 44:03:04
4. Rick Larson - Sand Coulee, MT - 44:05:59
5. Peter McClelland - Ely, MN - 44:23:25
6. Matt Carstens- Whitefield, NH- 44:41:45
7. Blake Freking- Finland, MN- 44:41:45
8. Jamie Nelson- Togo, MN- 45:08:49
9. Rita Wehseler- Tofte, MN- 46:30:08
Schroeder works in a mine on the Iron Range by day and trains his dogs at night. It's his sixth beargrease and first win. "He's a second generation, his dad Vern has been running the Beargrease, I mean it's just as great of a thing for the Iron Range, Duluth and Minnesota as we could hope for," said Stetson. "It feels good, it feels real good. I'm proud of my dogs, my family and my race that I just ran," said Schroeder.
At almost 400 miles, the Beargrease is the longest sled dog race in the lower 48 of the United States. The race route follows skiing and snowmobile trails along the North Shore to the trail center at Poplar Lake - only a few miles from the Minnesota-Ontario border. Racers were expected to arrive at the half-way point between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Then the racers turn around for the return leg arriving at the finish line in Duluth sometime on Wednesday.
Teams must rest at least 32 hours during the race, including two mandatory 6 hour layovers, one 6 hour layover on the up trip and one on the down trip. The choice of when to schedule your rest stops is a key element of strategy. Most teams have a "pit crew" who rendezvous with the teams at various checkpoints to assist with the care of the dogs and with any needed repairs to the sled. The crew also keeps notes on the times and running status of competitors so these pit stops also become race strategy sessions.
Check out this link for a whole bunch more info, history and more. (For almost twenty years, between 1879 and 1899, John Beargrease and his brothers delivered the mail between Two Harbors and Grand Marais by dog sled.)
www.beargrease.com/index.php
I was lucky and caught the winner at the beginning of the race and a few blocks from the finish line. Enjoy!
Steve
This number 8 guy has a very strong team!
This was the start of a cool pass. I was really surprised the dogs didn't get into each other.
It looks like the front guy is standing, but he's actually pushing fast with his right leg, helping his team stay in front of the team threatening to pass!
This was a really sweet place to watch and snap a few pics. The teams crest the hill, only to start flying down the backside on a curve and hard on the brakes. They immediately then have to trudge up a steep hill. The strongest teams had the driver off the sled and jogging up the hill to lighten the load on the dogs.
Here is the winner 3 days later, just blocks from the finish line. Nathan Schroeder of Chisholm crossed the finish line first to win his first Beargrease title at 10:04 Wednesday morning. Schroeder came in with nine dogs. He spent over forty hours and four minutes on trail (40:04:25) with an average speed of 9.3 mph.
Defending champion Jason Barron of Lincoln, MT finished in second place. Barron crossed the finish line at 11:55 with nine dogs. He took 41 hours and 55 minutes to complete the 380 mile race.
3. Denis Tremblay - Quebec, Canada - 44:03:04
4. Rick Larson - Sand Coulee, MT - 44:05:59
5. Peter McClelland - Ely, MN - 44:23:25
6. Matt Carstens- Whitefield, NH- 44:41:45
7. Blake Freking- Finland, MN- 44:41:45
8. Jamie Nelson- Togo, MN- 45:08:49
9. Rita Wehseler- Tofte, MN- 46:30:08
Schroeder works in a mine on the Iron Range by day and trains his dogs at night. It's his sixth beargrease and first win. "He's a second generation, his dad Vern has been running the Beargrease, I mean it's just as great of a thing for the Iron Range, Duluth and Minnesota as we could hope for," said Stetson. "It feels good, it feels real good. I'm proud of my dogs, my family and my race that I just ran," said Schroeder.