Wisconsin’s Big Dogsled Race
The Apostle Islands’ Bayfield, Wisc., is a spectacular winter setting for largest sled dog race in Wisconsin, Feb. 2-4, 2007.
Bayfield, Wisc., hosts the annual Apostle Islands Sled Dog Races, which range through the snowfields and forests of the Apostles Islands National Lakeshore region.
Dogs barking in mass chorus. Dog teams howling with impatience for the starting gun. Mushers rallying their teams. It’s dogsled racing at it’s best.
The spectacular Apostles Islands National Lakeshore will be the backdrop for Wisconsin’s largest sled dog race on February 2-4, 2007.
The Apostle Islands Sled Dog Races, along with various dinners, events and celebrations, are based in the popular Lake Superior coastal community of Bayfield, Wisconsin, named "The Best Little Town in the Midwest" by Alan Solomon of the Chicago Tribune.
Some 90 to 100 teams are expected to compete in the 12th annual event, which attracts outdoor enthusiasts, dog lovers and travelers looking for relief from cabin fever by the score.
Admission for spectators to the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Races is free.
And the sense of celebration and camaraderie can’t be beat, as checkpoint volunteers, dog team owners, handlers and spectators all cheer on the spirited teams.
The races wind through the pristine snow-covered hills and forest wilderness north of Bayfield.
Races begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday with half of the total race distance completed each day.
There are two main races:
- an 8-dog, 80-mile race
- and a 6-dog, 60-mile race
Plus:
- a 40-mile Sportsman's Race
- and a 16-and-under 10-mile Family Race
The schedule:
- Friday, Feb. 2: the three-day event kicks off with a "Meet the Mushers" spaghetti dinner at the Lakeside Pavilion in downtown Bayfield. This is open to the public and a great place to meet the folks who love dogs, spend hours on the trail and live the adventure.
- Saturday, Feb. 3: The "Mushers' Mix and Dinner" at the Bayfield Inn starts at 5 pm. After dinner, Jim Ryder of Snow Ryder Dog Sled Adventures gives a presentation about his solo journeys across the Arctic.
- Sunday, Feb. 5: An Awards Ceremony will be held at the Northern Edge Restaurant just south of Bayfield on Hwy 13 immediately after the races.
Spectators can enjoy the race at the start/finish line in a warming tent with hot food and beverages, retail booths, restrooms and outdoors next to a huge bonfire.
After the races, spectators can explore downtown Bayfield’s boutiques, galleries, pubs, retail shops and restaurants.
Bayfield is located on Highway 13 just 24 miles northwest of Ashland, 90 miles east of Duluth, 220 miles northeast of Minneapolis-St. Paul, 315 miles north of Madison, Wisc., 360 miles northwest of Milwaukee and 450 miles north of Chicago.
Details: visit www.bayfield.org or call 800-447-4094.
