Mushers harness dog power at Flathead Classic this weekend
Spectators watch as a musher leads her three-dog team through the course at the Flathead Classic Sled Dog Race at Dog Creek Lodge & Nordic Center in Olney on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake FILE)
The sled dogs will be taking off at Dog Creek Lodge and Nordic Center, near Olney, this weekend for the annual Flathead Classic sled dog race.
Approximately 40 teams from the United States and Canada are set to race in the two-day event on Feb. 25 and 26.
Competitions include a six-dog class, four-dog class, one-dog skijoring professional, one-dog skijoring amateur, two-dog skijoring, one-dog bikejor, one-dog junior bikejor, two-dog bikejor and a one- and two-dog junior sled dog.
Six-dog sled teams will race about 18 miles, while the four-dog teams will race 4 and a half miles. Skijoring teams will race between 2 and a half and 4 miles.
Skijoring consists of a skier on skate skis and a hip belt being pulled by a sled dog. Bikejoring is riding a bike being pulled by a sled dog.
The weekend starts on Saturday at 9 a.m. with the two-dog skijoring, followed by adult racers in the other events, and finishing up with a junior class.
All the races continue on Sunday starting at 9 a.m.
Teams are expected from Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Canada and Alberta, Canada.
The public is invited to come to the race. There is limited parking at Dog Creek Lodge and Nordic Center so attendees are asked to carpool and do leave their dogs at home.
For more information, go to www.flatheadclassic.org.