Plenty of snow and just enough cold should make for good conditions for spectators, mushers and dogs for the 2008 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon that starts Sunday in Duluth.
After being forced to cancel last year's races because there was so little snow on the ground, race officials are happy that's not an issue this year.
"I've personally inspected three quarters of the trail on snowmobile and it's in great shape. Just about perfect,'' said Jason Rice, president of the Beargrease board ofdirectors.
The race's opening stretch in Duluth may see some bare spots at road crossings but is otherwise snow-covered. At the other end of the round-trip race, along the Gunflint Trail in Cook County, some areas have more than 36 inches of snow on the ground.
Rice said the marathon route on the North Shore State Snowmobile Trail and Express Snowmobile Trail is well-packed. A recent warm spell followed by a week of subzero temperatures has made for a hard, slick trail.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We're set up for a very fast course if things don't change too much by Sunday,'' Rice said. "The only thing that would change that is a lot of snow. More than 3 inches of new snow on the trail would slow the race down.''
That probably won't happen. There's a chance of light snow late Friday and again Tuesday "but nothing as of now that would pile up,'' said Mike Bettwy, assistant forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Duluth.
Temperatures will warm out of the deep freeze below zero today to highs in the mid- or even upper 20s above zero by the time the marathon starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, Bettwy said.
That's a little warmer than the 75 mushers and 716 dogs competing in the marathon and mid-distance race might like. But officials say it's perfect to attract a big crowd to Ordean Middle School for the starting ceremonies.
Temperatures probably won't rise above freezing at any time during the nearly 400-mile marathon. Above-freezing temperatures and soft snow also would slow the dogs. The fastest marathon mushers probably will cross the finish line at Billy's restaurant just outside Duluth in Lakewood Township sometime Wednesday morning, Rice said.
About 29 teams are set for the full marathon, with 46 teams competing in the mid-distance race. It's the 25th anniversary of the first Beargrease marathon, although only the 24th actual race because of last year's cancelation.
The race is named in honor of Beaver Bay native John Beargrease, an Ojibwe man who delivered U.S. mail by sled dog team before roads were built along the North Shore.
