For the third year in a row the Tustumena 200 sled dog race through the Caribou Hills is cancelled due to lack of snow.
The race was scheduled for January 30, a week from this Saturday. Tami Murray with the race says the board decided to cancel now so that the 51 mushing teams signed up can register for other Iditarod qualifying races.
Murray: “We had some options that we were exploring into the refuge but because of the wilderness area, we are not going to be allowed access. And it’s really the only option at this point with the forecast that we’re seeing and all the open water that’s up there. So without going into the refuge there’s really no option for our race course.”
She says Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Manager Andy Loranger and his staff worked hard to find a way to allow the sled dog race course on the federal lands but the decision is out of their hands.
Murray said the race will try again next year, hopefully with a little help from Mother Nature.
