As a dog lover, this caught my eye. Also, being from the midwest I've never had the opportunity to see a real live dog sled race. The Grand Mesa Summit Challenge Sled Dog Race is this weekend.

The event is sponsored by The Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club. They promote the art of Dog Mushing through racing events and camaraderie. There are two participation levels, one for seasoned mushers and one for newer recreational mushers.  The Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club was started in 1960 and hosts races for some of the world's fasted sprint mushers. Any race under 20 miles is a sprint unlike the long distance races such as the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest which are 1,000 miles long.

Fun factoid; This race is the highest dog sled race in North America at an elevation of 10,500 feet. Races are 4, 6 or 8 miles in length. Dogs used vary from traditional Huskies to Pointers.The dog sled race teams using 4 to 8 dogs and cross country skiers are pulled by 1 to 3 dogs (Skijoring).

Races start at about 8:00 am and the last race finishes about 2:00 pm. this Saturday and Sunday, January 28th & 29th. Find the action at The Mesa Top Trail parking lot on Highway 65 going over the Grand Mesa.

This is really cool and a first for me. To see a real live sled dog race. Sounds like fun. Who's going with me?

 

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