2012/2013 Race Plans Announced: the best laid plans of dogs and (wo)men

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men..." - Robert Burns

It's June and while others are enjoying their summers without a thought to winter, we mushers still dream of snow. It might seem strange to think of winter when the days are hot and the livin' is easy, but with the plans I have for the winter ahead, it's best I start planning now.

I am always hesitant to make plans for the upcoming season "official" by putting them into writing because, those who know me know I've had great plans in the past and, like the Burns' poem referenced above, they have gone awry several times.

But the fact is, I keep running longer and longer races, and I still can't get enough of my time in the woods with the dogs.

So, if intention is everything, here are my intentions for the 2012/2013 season:

• I always kick off my season with the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Classic, and this year it will be on January 5, 2013 - just six and a half months away!

• A race I have always wanted to make but have yet to do is the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. I plan to do the mid-distance portion of this race. This will kick off on January 27, 2013, and will take significant funding just to make the 14 hour drive to Duluth for the start! Fingers crossed for sponsors. 

• In 2006, I said I had a five year plan to compete in the UP200 in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula city of Marquette. I missed the mark by a few years, but now I finally have the dogs to get to the starting line of this 12-dog, 240 mile sled dog marathon on February 14th, 2013. Happy Valentine's Day, doggies! This race will be a huge goal for me, and a significant achievement if I can complete it: the UP200 is an official Iditarod qualifier.

• Finally, my hope is to finish the 2013 season with the Copper Dog 150, a 150 mile stage race in the copper country on the very tip of Michigan's wilds - near Isle Royale National Park.

The entry fees for these four races are over $1,000 and the total mileage for all four races is nearly 600 miles in the frigid mid-west! Therefore, I am starting to search for sponsors for the upcoming 2012/2013 season!

If you would like to make a donation to the kennel, please send us an email at lazyhuskyranch at yahoo dot com.

Things we are in need of: 

Entry fees
Gas cards
Meat not suitable for human consumption (deer, beef, chicken, tripe, turkey)
New runners for the race sled (Rex/Matrix runners)
Corn Oil
Mechanical services to keep the dog truck and the four wheeler running well during the season
Dog food
Veterinary services

It takes an army to put dog food on the table. Thank you to our past sponsors! Without you, this dream never would have gotten off the ground.

Dreams do come true! Help us get there this year, and if you can't, please spread the word! And as always...