UP 200 Dog Sled Race -- Post 2

The UP 200 Dog Sled race concluded on Sunday.  Unfortunate circumstances early Sunday morning resulted in an accident between a dog team and a motor vehicle. Shortly after 5:30 a.m. musher Frank Moe was attempting to cross Michigan highway 28 near the Wetmore checkpoint. Moe was running with a team of twelve, freshly rested dogs and was unable to stop his dogs when he saw approaching traffic. This is the first time in the UP200 Sled Dog Championship’s 24-year history that there has been a collision between a dog team and a vehicle.

 

Michigan law prohibits race volunteers from stopping vehicle traffic. Flashing safety lights were in place to warn oncoming traffic of activity on the highway. Upon seeing the approaching vehicle, race volunteers at the road crossing tried to warn Moe of the oncoming vehicle but he was unable to hear their calls. Volunteers also attempted to help stop the team from entering the highway but were unsuccessful.

Although neither the musher nor the volunteers were injured, one dog was killed and two dogs sustained injuries in the incident. The injured dogs are at a local veterinary clinic in serious but stable condition with 24-hour care. At this time, veterinarians feel both dogs will recover. Additionally, several other dogs on the team broke loose but all were recovered safely.

Here are the race results:

 

1. Ryan Anderson – 4th win in a row!!!

2. Keith Aili

3. Ryan Redington

4. Troy Groeneveld

5. Martin Koenig

6. Zoya DeNure

7. Al Hardman

8. Nathan Schroeder

9. Kevin Malikowski

10. Amanda Vogel

11. Ward Walin

 

Below is a picture of Ryan Anderson.

 

 

 Friends, Jill and Gerald, were up for the weekend to see their first UP 200.  Jill watched the museum for a few minutes so I could walk across the street to take pictures of the resting dog teams as well as the goings on inside the Recreation Center.  Volunteers in Grand Marais plow out the baseball field to make room for the teams to rest.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the rec center there is an official race coordination center.  The board has the times for all the teams.

 

 

Race coordinators....

 

 

Volunteers manage the silent auction that raises money for the event.  Local businesses and individuals donate the items for the auction.  I donated an agate candle stand.

 

 

The Grand Marais woman's club puts on a breakfast as well as a lunch.

 

 

 

ONLINE ROCKHOUNDING ADVENTURE UPDATE

As already reported, I sent the logistic files to my webmaster more than a week ago.  I still have not heard from him.  The only thing left to do is to transfer the actual project files via FTP.  I am going to send my webmaster another email today asking for his FTP information.  He had a few projects in line before mine, but hopefully he will get to my project this week.  I'll keep everyone informed.