Gala Appreciation Night - Its Here!

  for Volunteers, Sponsors, Supporters & Fans
  Tuesday, April 10, 6:00PM
  at the Calumet Theatre

The CopperDog 150 is hosting a Gala Appreciation Night on Tuesday, April 10 at the Calumet Theatre to honor and say thank you to the many volunteers, sponsors, supports and fans who helped make the 2012 race a brilliant success.  Everyone is welcome.  Doors open at 5:30, show starts at 6:00PM.

The Gala will feature a video highlights real show in the main theater followed by cake, coffee and refreshments in the ballroom.  Official 2012 merchandise will be on sale.  Please join us.

Give us feedback and photos!

Take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the 2012 CopperDog 150.  Let's us know what you liked and didn't like. What we are doing right and what needs improvement?  Don't hold back, don't pull your punches.  We can take it.  Share your stories. Also, if you have any great photos or video you want to share with us and others, please e-mail them to photos@copperdog150.com. 

Click here to leave and read feedback!  Thank you!

Video: 2012 Downtown Calumet Start

March 9, 2012
by Todd Brassard

Video by Mark Riutta of Defined Visuals (definedvisuals.com)

Mark Riutta is back with a video short on the 2012 Downtown Calumet start.  This is really great stuff, thanks Mark!  Visit Defined Visuals.

Please give the video a moment to load.

2012 Photos Are Coming...

Adam Johnson, Official "Photog"

Adam Johnson, owner of Brockit, Inc, returned this year as Official Photographer for the CopperDog 150.  Adam has captured stunning photos that truly capture the beauty of dog teams on our Copper Country trails.  The Brockit galleries will be posted soon, but we have just a couple of early highlights to share.  Visit Brockit, Inc. to learn more about Adam Johnson.

Bill Fink, Event "Photog"

Bill was new to the CopperDog 150 team this year, but a veteran photographer.  Bill shot a huge variety of photos (and video), everything from the musher meals, to musher parking, to trail crossings and more.  View Bill's work at www.galleryondaline.com.  You'll find the CopperDog 150 galleries here: http://billfink.smugmug.com/Events.

And one last Adam Johnson photo... (more are coming)

CD150 Race Results: Final and Official

The Final, Official Race Results

CD 150 Stage 2 Results

As always, thank you for being patient while we try to update you with the most accurate information we have. All teams are safe and sound in the lovely town of Copper Harbor, where the businesses and community members have opened their hearts and their doors to us. We write this update as we eat a nourishing dinner! We cannot help but be happy.

Without further ado, here are the Stage 2 results:

CD150 Stage 1 Results

Whew! We are excited to announce the Stage 1 results below. And as we type this, teams are are finishing Stage 2! Before long, we will be publishing cumulative results for Stage 1 and Stage 2. The snow is coming down steadily in Copper Harbor and we think that it's time for the dogs to have a well-deserved rest in this cozy, wintery town.

35 Mile Race Results

Follow the CopperDog 150 Live!

View live data being fed by our radio control net. Trying our next experimental interactive map developed my Michigan Tech students.  Maybe even watch a live web video feed of the calumet Start.

Click here to follow the CopperDog 150 live...

Video: 2012 Volunteer Training

February 28, 2012
by Todd Brassard

Video by Mark Riutta of Defined Visuals (definedvisuals.com)

The CopperDog 150 welcomes Mark Riutta of Defined Visuals to our official video crew.  Check out his first video produced for the CopperDog 150 - the 2012 Volunteer Training.  Excellent work! 

Please give the video a moment to load.

Music, Food, Shops, Dogs, & Fireworks @ 5PM

February 25, 2012
by Todd Brassard

We're rolling by 5pm

The third annual CopperDog 150 weekend is almost here.  The volunteer army is ready, the mushers and dogs are fired up, the food is hot, music fills the streets, and downtown Calumet is ready to host the best winter festival yet.

Beat the rush, come early

While the mushers are at the Calumet Theater Ballroom having a welcome luncheon and reviewing the rules of the race, downtown Calumet is primed to receive early traffic. Its First Friday's In Calumet, a perfect opportunity to visit the art galleries and a perfect time to get an early dinner before the larger crowds arrive.  Make an afternoon of it.

At 5PM the live music starts up on Oak Street with the The Wingnuts and Tommy Katalin is rumored to play a few numbers on Portland Street.  Food and beverages will also be readily available on the streets and at the storefronts.  Everyone has worked hard this year to bring more food and drink to the festival.  You can support their efforts by having a little dinner in town. 

We are assembling a list of food locations, vendors, and menus, so check back for a complete update soon.

Got Fireworks?

After the show Main Street Calumet has a little treat for the kids, a fireworks show right over Calumet's own Agassiz Park.  Winter Fireworks in downtown calumet are something to see. We would greatly appreciate any spare dollars you may be willing to donate to offset the cost of the fireworks. Just click on the donate button and give whatever amount you wish. Every dollar helps.

to the Calumet Fireworks.

Calumet Businesses - We need your help! 

February 25, 2012
by Todd Brassard

If you are a Calumet business or organization doing a little something special for the 3rd Annual CopperDog 150 Start on Friday, March 2, or Finish on Sunday, March 4, we would like to know about it. Whether you are selling merchandise, making art, or cooking food, please tell us about.

Also, the first ever Red Jacket Cyclotron Fat-Tire Bike Race is on Saturday, March 3.  Please let us know what you have planned for Saturday.

Send your (1) business name, (2) contact info, (3) hours on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and (4) and what you have planned.  Provided we receive your information in time, we will us it to promote your offerings to spectators, volunteers, race officials, and mushers.  Please send e-mail to toddbrassard@copperdog150.com.

CopperDog 150 Overview Map

CopperDog 35 Overview Map

Mark Your Calendars... March 2-3-4

Friday, March 2, Downtown Calumet

• 05:00pm - Bonfires, food, beverages, and live music on Oak Street
• 06:00pm - Pro Sound DJ turns up the heat with jams on Fifth Street
  
• 06:30pm - CopperDog 150 Opening Ceremony
• 07:00pm - CopperDog 150 Downtown Start of Race
• 09:00pm - Fireworks
  

Saturday, March 3, Downtown Calumet

• 10:00am - First Annual Red Jacket Cyclotron Fat Bike Criterium on Fifth Street
  
• 03:00pm - Red Jacket Cyclotron Awards
  
• 05:00pm - Swedetown Fat Tire Trail Ride

• Saturday, March 3, Eagle Harbor
  

• 08:00am - Breakfast specials at Eagle Harbor Inn!
  
• 09:00am - CopperDog 150 Stage 2 Start
  
• 10:00am - Breakfast specials at Eagle Harbor Inn! 

Saturday, March 3, Copper Harbor

• 01:00pm - CopperDog 150 Stage 2 Finish, Free Hot Chocolate, Coffee and Treats
• 03:00pm - Free Kids Sled-Dog Rides
  
• 05:00pm - Dinner Specials at Restaurants
  

Sunday, March 4, Copper Harbor

• 05:00am - Breakfast specials at Pines & Tamarack Inn
  
• 09:00am - CopperDog 150 Stage 3 Start
  
• 10:00am - Breakfast specials at Pines & Tamarack Inn

Sunday, March 4, Downtown Calumet

• 01:00pm - Conclusion of the CopperDog 150 Sled-Dog Race
  
• 03:00pm - CopperDog 150 Awards Banquette

• Adopt-a-Musher Host Family Program

by Todd Brassard
on January 26, 2010

The CopperDog 150 is launching a new program this year, the Musher Host Family Program.  The purpose of this program is simple, to identify people in our local communities who are interested in hosting a musher and their team for one or two nights and connect them with mushers who need a place to sleep.  This is the first year for this exciting new program.

When are host families needed?

• Thursday, March 1 – Within 30 miles of Calumet
• Friday, March 2 – Within 30 miles of Eagle Harbor
• Saturday, March 3 – Within 30 miles of Copper Harbor
• Sunday, March 4 – Within 30 miles of Calumet
  

What do host families provide?

• Provide a quiet place for mushers and handlers to sleep
• A safe place to park their truck so they can feed and care for their dogs.
• Providing a meal is optional, but a nice touch

What can host families expect?

• Dogs sleep in the truck and are not allowed to run free
• Dogs may bark and may make noise
• Mushers may arrive late and depart early

How do I get involved?

If you are interested in being a host family or if you are a race team in need of a host family, or just want more information about the program, please contact Melissa Goulette, our Host Family Coordinator at melissagoulette@copperdog150.com or just give her a call 906-337-3031.

Many great friendships are formed when hosting a team.  It’s a great opportunity for a host family to learn about mushing and how these amazing athletic dogs are cared for.  The host family also ends up with a team to cheer on in the race.

Hot off the press!  Official 2012 Duds!

Let's get soft and cozy with Bohemia Printing of Calumet 

by Todd Brassard
on February 4, 2012

Bohemia Printing of Calumet, a CD150 Team Dog Sponsor, has been hard at work hand screening this year's offical race long-sleeve tee shirts, thermals shirts, hats and hoodies.  These tee shirts are super soft and and cozy.  You will love wearing them!

CopperDog 150 apparel has been very popular with race fans, volunteers, and participants.  Since 100% of the profits from selling the shirts goes directly towards each year's race budget, every shirt sold helps make the race possible.

With this in mind, we decided to notch up the comfort and quality of the shirts and hats.  We wanted a shirt that you just wanted to wear all the time.  Something that stood up to everyday wear and only became softer with each wash.

To get some better swag rolling, we needed some expert advice, enter AJ and Jeff Fischer of Bohemia Printing of Calumet.  They took the time to teach us about fabrics and let us touch and feel everything.  They talked about the different types of inks and dyes and are huge believers in non-toxic, green products and the UP's only certified green, non-toxic screen printer.

Bohemia Printing was great because they understood how important it was to the race that we get the shirts right.  They worked with us through many design iterations and color schemes, printing up plenty of samples along the way.  Its been a real pleasure working with AJ and Jeff.

We are very excited about this years offical tee shirts, which are printed on combed cotton with water-based, soft hand links, you will want to wear these shirts everywhere. 

AJ & Jeff Fischer volunteered in the 2011 CopperDog 150, and this year are proud Team Dog sponsors.  Our hats are off to the AJ & Jeff Fischer and Bohemia Printing.  Visit them on the web at www.bohemiaprinting.com or call 906-337-6988.

• Mark Pittillo, Official Race Chef

• and Director of Food Services, Portage Health
  

by Todd Brassard
on January 30, 2012

The CopperDog 150 is very pleased to announce the addition of a new race official to the CopperDog 150 this year, Mark Pittillo, Race Chef.  Mark, his wife Michele, and their three dogs (Nesha, Rosie, and Walter) moved to the Copper Country just over a year ago and Mark has been spicing up our local cuisine from the moment he arrived.  Mark proclaims that great food can also be healthy food, making him a perfect Director of Food Services at Portage Health, a Point-Dog sponsor of the 2012 CopperDog 150.

In the short time that he's been in the Keweenaw, Mark (pictured above in white with farmer Chip Ransom) has been making his mark on the local community by instituting Portage Health programs to buy produce from local farmer Chip Ransom (as much as Chip can grow) and 100 percent of their breads from Old School Bakery in Lake Linden.  Spectators will have an opportunity to sample bread bowls filled with turkey chili at the race start in downtown Calumet this year.  Mark is also interested in working with our local K-12 school districts to develop more healthy and appealing menus.

Where did Mark develop all of these tasty talents?  For starters, he's a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, graduating in 1990.  Since then, Mark has found himself preparing meals for movie production companies and film stars such as Madonna and Antonio Benderas.  He has prepared marvelous meals from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Seattle, Washington and everywhere in between. 

Mark loves the Copper Country, he loves his job at Portage Health and the opportunities it brings him to serve the community, and he loves the CopperDog 150 and the adventure such a romantic event brings their new home.  Look for Chef Mark and his faithful team from Portage Health on Fifth Street in downtown Calumet on race weekend!

The Magic of Dog Sledding
for the Young and Young at Heart

by Jackie Winkowski
on Friday, January 20th, 2012

DATE CHANGED!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 6:30 p.m.
Portage Lake District Library

A multimedia presentation on the magic of dog sledding, by children’s author and sled dog musher Jackie Winkowski and musher Lisa Dietzen, will take place Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 6:30 p.m., at the Portage Lake District Library.  Admission is free, and there will be prize drawings.

Jackie Winkowski of Gwinn, originally from the Keweenaw Peninsula, will read and present slides from her books Miki’s Challenge, Miki’s Race, and her newest, Promise of the White Dog.  The photo-illustrated books are described as "heartwarming stories inspired by real sled dogs and true events."  Miki’s Challenge has been named “Current Pick” by Sled Dog Central’s Bookstore.  Winkowski will be accompanied by lead dog Miki, the main character in two of her books.  Jackie’s husband Jim, who will race in the CopperDog 35 on March 2nd, will take part in the presentation with his lead dog Molly.  Following the program, there will be a book signing, during which books can be autographed with Miki’s paw print.  Jackie Winkowski’s books are available through Amazon.com, The Einerlei, and Bookworld, or can be checked out at the Library.

Lisa Dietzen, originally from Kaukauna, Wisconsin, currently an industrial technology major at Northern Michigan University, will present videos and photography and discuss sources of inspiration, achieving goals, and realizing dreams.  Dietzen dreamed of being a musher since childhood, with the goal of someday racing in the Iditarod.  A veteran of two Jack Pine 30s, the Copper Dog 35, and the Tahquamenon Country Race, this season Dietzen is running out of the Team Evergreen Kennel in Skandia.  Dietzen is entered in the Copper Dog 150 Sled Dog Race, among others this winter.

Volunteer Now for the CopperDog 150!

by Brad King
on January 8, 2012

Click Here to Volunteer
2012 CopperDog150!

Hey CopperDoggers! 

We're ready for another great race on March 2, 3, and 4!  We already have 45 mushers and 390 dogs registered for this premier race.  Now we just need 200 volunteers to make it happen.  If you can help us out then we only need 199 more.  Sounds easy, right...?

We have a new streamlined system to help you find the ideal volunteer opportunities that match your schedule and interest.  Click here to volunteer and follow the trail to our registration page. If you already have an account on our CopperDog page you can log in with your existing info.  If not, it's a breeze to make a new account. (For those of you that helped us out last year note that we are not using Shiftboard this year).

What could be more fun than dogs, snow, the dark of night, and good friends suffering with you in the cold?  Pick a spot, invite some friends, and make a party out of your experience.

Registration is open to anyone.  Please feel free to forward this invitation.  

The CopperDog 150 Races in to Third Season!

by Michael Babcock, Lesley DuTemple and Todd Brassard
on September 17, 2011

What could possibly inspire thousands of people to spend a weekend in the snow, working and playing in freezing temperatures? The CopperDog 150 Sled Dog Race!

The CopperDog 150 brings dozens of professional and recreational mushers, hundreds of sled dogs, and thousands of fans to Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula for 150 miles of sled dog racing through a pristine winter wilderness. This amazing race takes place annually the first weekend in March. Over the course of the weekend, the sled dog teams make their way from historic downtown Calumet, to the warm and welcoming community of Eagle Harbor, to the ever beautiful Copper Harbor, and then back to downtown Calumet again. Along the way, fans and volunteers cheer them on and provide friendly assistance.

The race starts on historic Fifth Street in downtown Calumet, Friday night. Thousands of fans crowd the streets as each sled dog team launches into the dark night, cheering them on. When the last team has disappeared down the trail the street party continues, taking over the town of Calumet with music, dancing, food, and drink.

Meanwhile out on the trail, volunteers are ready. For each leg of the race, hundreds of volunteers oversee the trail, record times and relay them by wireless radio network to the live webcast, and assisting mushers with road crossings.

Saturday morning, after the hospitality of the Eagle Harbor Inn and a nights rest in Eagle Harbor, the teams depart to Copper Harbor. Saturday afternoon fans, families, and volunteers welcome the teams in from the trail, and can meet the dogs and visit with mushers before the mid-race banquet that evening.

Sunday morning, after a full night's rest, the teams leave Copper Harbor and make the climb up Brockway mountain.  Teams race along the crest of the mountain until they reach the top, then turn downward and return to Calumet, where they once again travel through the town (lined with cheering fans) and cross the finish line.

It’s a fun filled weekend involving the entire community – a family party taking place on the entire peninsula. Come join us for this unique experience March 2-4, 2012!

Fans are welcomed with open arms and volunteers (and more volunteers) are always needed.

River Valley Bank as 2012 Lead-Dog Sponsor

by Michael Babcock and Lesley DuTemple
on September 20, 2011

The CopperDog 150 Sled Dog Race is honored to, once again, have River Valley Bank as the Lead Dog Sponsor for the 2012 race. As the region’s premier bank, River Valley Bank offers full financial services and a rock-solid commitment to community involvement. For two years in a row River Valley Bank has been the Lead Dog Sponsor of the CopperDog 150 Sled Dog Race, providing not only financial support, but a corps of volunteers to work the race.

The CopperDog 150 Board of Directors is proud and honored to have such a committed Lead Dog Sponsor. This amazing race would not be possible without the generous support of River Valley Bank.

Third Annual CopperDog 150 March 2 - 4, 2012

by Todd Brassard on March 11, 2011

The CopperDog 150 Club, a sub-committee on Main Street Calumet, is pleased to announce the race dates for the 2012 CopperDog 150 Sled Dog Race will be March 2 - 4, 2011!

Above: Jerry Papke negotiating challenging S-curve on second stage back-country trail. 

How do we decide our race dates?

For the most part, the date of our annual race weekend is pretty much governed by other events occurring regionally and locally.  We schedule our race at least two weeks after the UP200 / Midnight Run so team who want to participate in both events have time for their dogs to recover.  We are also avoid overlapping The Great Bear Chase, a long-established and famous in its own right cross-country ski race, which typically happens the second weekend in March.  We rely greatly on volunteers from our local communities and we don't want to stretch them with two large events on the same weekend.

An of course we advertise our event as a late-season event, one last destination with deep snow before spring arrives.  However, as we learn our first year, March can be a tricky time of year and we not only want lots of snow on the trail, but plenty of snow on the streets and parking lots.  The skis on the Mushers' sleds like snow much more than gravel and asphalt and keeping the even in early March helps assure we'll have all that snow.  Of course, nothing is guaranteed.

Put all of these issue together and the first weekend of March because the logical choice.

Above: Aerial photography of Brockway Mountain courtesy of Richard Anderson.  The community in the lower left is Copper Harbor, the second check point in the pro-class race.  On Sunday, participants depart Copper Harbor, make the climb to the top of Brockway, run along the crest of the mountain, and then turn home for Calumet.