Tom Bauer is the owner of the Otter River Sled Dog Training Center and Wilderness Adventures in Tapiola, MI where they offer sled dog rides, tours and camping trips! Together, he and his wife, Sally, care for a whole lot of dogs!

He's back for another CopperDog 150! His lead dogs this year are Tri-Force and Triton.

He would like to thank the following sponsors: Houghton Super 8, 41 Lumber, Jerry's Auto Service, Heikkinen Firewood, Keweenaw Saunas and Carmelita's Restaurant.

CopperDog would like to thank the Bauer’s for all they do to help the race with all of their community support. They give free sled dog rides in Calumet during Christmas and free rides again on Saturday afternoon in Copper Harbor the weekend of the race. They also bring a team to volunteer training each year and help educate our volunteers on dog handling and road crossings.

Thank you so much Tom and Sally for all you do for our community, the CopperDog, and mushing as a sport!

Mike Bestgen, from Saint Cloud, MN, is returning for another CopperDog! He has not missed a race yet! He not only enjoys the race itself, but he certainly enjoys the fun in Copper Harbor on Saturday night.

His lead dogs are Summit, Captain America, and Magnum.

He has worked for Miller Chevrolet in Rogers, MN for 25+ years. His sponsors would be everyone who buys a car from him. That's how he finances what he calls his "crazy sport."

Martha is joining us again this year from Irma, WI. Her lead dogs will be Joan-of-Irma and Flossy.

Her favorite memory of CopperDog was when she won the CopperDog 40, it was the first race she won and it seemed that her dogs knew it! They were not tired, dancing, and jumping on each other - as if they knew they had won the race!

Martha would like to thank her devoted friends for all their support!

Joanna is returning for her seventh CopperDog from Grand Marais, MN. Her lead dogs are Viva, Tamar, Nikita, and Bayfield.

Joanna was hooked on dog sledding when some friends of hers took her for a ride. She's always been a huge animal lover, loves the outdoors, adventure, and competing!

Welcome back to the CopperDog, Joanna!

Rita Wehseler is joining us from Tofte, MN. Her kennel is Stoney Creek Kennel and her leaders this year will be Mieter, Saber, and Arimis.

She has attended CopperDog four times prior but her team has ran five times, once with Ross Fraboni on the runners.

Rita would like to thank the following sponsors; Langs Company, Canine Health Forward, Claire Seekins, and Chris Johnson.

Frank Moe is returning for his seventh CopperDog. He and his wife, Sherri, are psyched to be coming back to what has become their favorite race. His lead dogs are Cinder, Colt, Fonzi, and Clover.

Frank would like to thank the following sponsors: NutriSource Performance Dog Food, Cook County Home Center, Qrill Pet, and Red Table Meat Company.

He would also like to thank the CopperDog volunteers!

Welcome back to the CopperDog, Frank!

Christian is running his very first CopperDog 150 and he's looking forward to the challenge. His lead dogs will be Harvey and Patton.

He has quite the crazy mushing story! Earlier in the season, he caught a loose 16-dog team heading down the road. He left his car running in the middle of the road and drove the team all the way back to Justin and Jaimee High's house!

Christian would like to thank Justin and Jaimee High of High's Adventure Gear for allowing him to run their dogs. He would also like to thank Tom and Sally Bauer and the Mushing Club at Michigan Tech for helping him get to this point.

Good luck, Christian!

Chris Adkins is back! He's returning for his second CopperDog 150 all the way from Sand Coulee, Montana! His lead dogs, Garrett and IV (pronounced Ivy) just led his team through the entire Wyoming Stage Stop!

He and his fiance, Shannon, who is running the CopperDog 80, run a 53 dog kennel in Montana called Mo Betta Sled Dog Racing.

A funny moment for Chris from running the last leg of the Wyoming Stage Stop this year in Teton County was when he turned a corner into a whiteout blizzard with winds that blew his sled and his dogs off the trail. In response, three year old Grinch’s hackles went up, and he puffed up as if he would fight the wind!

Good luck in the CD150, Chris!

Joann Fortier is back from Coyote Run Sled Dog Kennel in Gaylord, MI. Her team has raced every CopperDog with her husband Larry, but, this is only her second time on the runners at CopperDog. She is excited to complete but she's going to miss the handler breakfasts!

Her lead dogs are Tara, Blizzard, Poppy, and Meri.

Joann's funny mushing story goes something like this; she had 12 dogs hooked up to a tiny four wheeler with barely any brakes. The neighbor's dog came out into the road and her team decided to chase that dog into his driveway and onto her neighbors porch.

There was no stopping her dogs. The brakes were useless. Her neighbor was a bigger guy and came out to help her in his skin colored underwear. At first she thought he was naked! Needless to say, she quickly got her dogs off his porch and got the heck out of there!!

This is Joann's 20th year racing sled dogs. She's hopelessly addicted and she said that when she's an old lady she's going to have lots of great memories and stories to remember.

She would like to thank her family for their continued support!

Ero Wallin is joining us for his first CopperDog from the Silver Creek Sled Dog Kennel in Two Harbors, MN. His lead dogs are Marlin, Happy, Chickadee, and Shypoke.

Ero is a junior at William Kelley High School in Silver Bay, MN. He has been running dogs for as long as he can remember and racing the last three years. When he's not running dogs he plays football, hockey, and baseball. And he duck hunts every chance he gets!

Ero's funny mushing story - well not funny at the time - was when his gang-line broke in the starting shoot at the Wolf Track Classic last year. Watching his dad running (mainly limping) to get another section of gang-line was quite the site!

He would like to thank the following sponsors: Julie’s True Value Hardware, D & D Services, Van House Construction, Betty's Pies, Camp 61, Granite Gear, Zup’s, Louies Place, Two Harbors Towing, and Homestead Family Dental.

Good luck, Ero!

Ryan is joining us for his fourth CopperDog from Flying K Kennel in Mountain, WI! He's ran our CD80 and CD25 in prior years. This is his first time in the CD150! His lead dogs will be Peace and Pence.

Ryan would like to thank Lloyd Gilbertson for his help throughout the year.

Good luck in the CopperDog 150, Ryan!

Ryan Anderson is returning for his third CopperDog 150 from Saint Croix Falls, WI. His lead dogs will be Jameson, Tito, Muskie, and Sturgeon.

His favorite memory of CopperDog is all of the excitement at the start of the race in downtown Calumet. Let's give him some more hoots and hollers this year and impress him again!

Good luck, Ryan!

Chad Grentz is returning for his ninth CopperDog from Nisula, MI. His lead dogs will be Queso, Jetta, and Campbell.

Chad always enjoys coming to the CopperDog. He said it's an awesome race and is also the hometown race for his team. He would like to thank everyone who is involved in the great event.

He always enjoys a day out on the trail with the dogs and would like to thank his sponsors, Grentz Farms & Skyttas Country Feed and General Store.

Jake Golton returns to the CopperDog 150 for the eighth time. He is coming from L'Amable, Ontario and his kennel is Golton Racing.

He says he has too many good memories about CopperDog to pick only one. He LOVES everything about CopperDog, especially the many race volunteers and the race organizers.

Good luck in the CD150, Jake!

Brian Kandler is returning to CopperDog for his first CD150. He's attended the race in prior years, running the CD40 a few times and the CD80 once.

He's joining us from Mason, MI and Kandler Racing kennel. His lead dogs are Griffey, James Brown, and Otis.

Brian would like to thank his sponsor, Dr. Tim's Pet Food Company.

Good luck in your first CopperDog 150!