Welcome
to the Aurora Dog Mushers Club
Located in Wasilla, Alaska
Aurora Dog Mushers Winter Trail System
is located South of Big Lake. From the Big Lake intersection
with the Parks Highway (mile post 52.5)( we will have a
sign located on race day at the intersection) follow South
Big Lake Road West (go throw Big Lake on the main road,
past the Air strip, ) for 5.7 miles to Echo Lake Drive(will
be on your left)( we will have a sign on race days at this
location) turn left and proceed south on Echo Lake Drive
for a mile where the road splits, turn (right) West onto
Gonder Way,( there will be a Aurora Sign at this location
on race days ), proceed ½ mile on Gonder Way (all
was keeping to your right on Gonder Way), then take a left
( there will be a Aurora Dog Mushers sign at this point
on race days)onto the access road for the Aurora Dog Mushers
Association (Club) house and race staging area.

Trail
Report:
THE TRAILS ARE GREAT!!!!!! The trails are hard packed and
fast. I was personally out on the trails yesterday and evening
training. Great for training and racing on. The roamers
are wrong. The trail’s report is also on the Mat-Su
website and you can also call for a trail report at (907)376-3943
it is a recorder 24hrs a day with the most up to date report.
So, if you have any question please just call.
Report
by: Larisa Myers-McCoin – Aurora Dog Mushers
Association’s President.
SENIOR SPRINT RACE
SATURDAY, FEBURARY 2,
2008 RACES STARTS AT 10:00am Registrations will start at
09:00 am At the Aurora Club House.
Classes are: 4,6,8 and Open Class PURSE:There
will be a membership fee Plus $15.00 entry fee for each
class. ALL $15.00 Entry fees will go to the purse!! Each
class will have a starting purse of $125.00, for every $15.00
entry fee, it increase the purse for that class that you
pay the entry fee for.The purse for that class will be divided
up by: First place – 45% of that class purse
Second place – 35% of that class purse Third
place –20% of that class purse. Money will not
be awarded at race!!! Money will be mailed to you on the
following Monday. For each class we will need help with
sled holders, mushers and handlers, please help each other!!!!!
Hope to see you at the races.
JUNIOR
AURORA
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday, February 9th &
Sunday, February 10th, 2008 Races start
at 10:00AM sharp. Registrations will start at 9:00 am at
the Aurora Club House. 1-7 Dog Classes (Normal Miles) Hope
to see at the races!
TRAIL REPORT: Report as of MONDAY JANUARY 21, 2008
PLEASE, PLEASE STAY OF THE TRAILS!!!!!
After the rain last night the trails are very , VERY
SOFT!! To save our trails We need to stay off them until it
gets cold again Also, we will need more snow know that it
has rain.
Trail
report: 01/16/2008 at 0745 pm
As of today trails are soft,
with new snow. Trails are being worked and are still under
construction with the groomers. Will update on Friday evening
after construction finished by the groomers, On what trails
are open. There will be daily update know that we have snow!
JUNIOR
SPRINT RACING Willow Winter Carnival 2008 - Saturday,
January 26 Sign up for event is at the WACO table in the
Community CenterRaces start at 11:00 am 1, 2,3, dog classes
on Willow Lake.This race is a lot of fun and you can watch
the mushers all around the trails.It is also fun for the
more experienced Junior mushers, Even if more experienced
mushers are running higher dog classes, they are welcome
to race. Great awards. Junior mushers come from all over
that you don’t normally race at the race tracks!!!
Some good teams!!!
JUNIOR YUKON QUEST
- Saturday, February 2nd and Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
This year the race route will follow the Yukon Quest trail
through North Pole and out to Twin Bears Camp on the Chena
Hot Springs Road. After a mandatory 8 hour rest, teams will
return to Fairbanks along the same trail. Mandatory
Vet Check:Will be held at the Summit Logistics in Fairbanks
on Friday February 1st. Race
Start: Saturday, February 2nd at 2:00 pm in downtown Fairbanks
on the Chena River Entry
application and rules can be found at http://www.junioryukonquest.com/entries/index.htm
DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS FRIDAY,
JANUARY 25TH . 2008 For
more information contact:Yukon Quest International, LtdPO
Box 75015Fairbanks, AK 99775907-452-7954907-452-7959 Faxyukonquest@mosquitonet.com
The
Norman Vaughan Serum '25 Run will be holding an
Informational Serum Run Shakedown
Event on February 16 – 18, 2008 (weather permitting),
where interested mushers and snowmachiners can get a better
idea of what the Serum Run is all about. The trip is limited
to 15 mushers due to parking constraints and an unlimited
number of snowmachiners. Event
Information (possible itinerary): Date:
Saturday, February 16 and return on Monday, February 18,
2008 Place: Willow (meeting
place could be Willow Community Center, Deshka Landing or
Crystal Lake Parking Lot and will be determined closer to
event) Time: Arrive
at designated meeting place by 9:00 am for 11:00 am departure
Plans: Saturday, February 16th
- Travel to Yentna Station Roadhouse approx. 35 miles of
mostly river travel. Meals and housing are available for
a fee. Half the group will be expected to camp to test winter
gear. Sunday, February
17th - Depart Yentna Station Roadhouse by 10:30 am and travel
approx. 45 miles to EagleSong Lodge. Travel will be on the
river, swamps and varied terrain. Meals and housing are
available for a fee. The other half the group will be expected
to camp to test winter gear. Monday,
February 18th - Depart EagleSong Lodge by 10:00 am and travel
approx. 45 miles back to Willow departure point. Travel
will be on swamps and the river then connecting back to
Willow via swamps and lakes. Costs:
Still to be determined, but you can plan on at least $150
for the weekend. All
mushers and snowmachiners must come prepared to camp out
at least one of the two nights to make sure their gear is
up to par for the elements. Mushers must provide their own
dog supplies (dog food, one bale of straw, booties, stakeout
line, kennel, etc.) and snowmachiners will need to bring
a cargo sled capable of hauling dog supplies (straw, dog
food, kennel) and other gear such as tent, cots, extra fuel,
etc.. We prefer snowmachines without paddle tracks, however
if that is all you have access to you will be asked to travel
behind the dog teams. The
Serum Run Trail Boss and Musher Coordinator will hold an
informational meeting in early February for those attending
the event. A teleconference number will be provided for
those who can't attend in person. There is a short application
to be filled out by both mushers and snowmachiners. Mushers
will be chosen based on information provided on the attached
application. Those who applied for the 2008 Serum Run do
not need to fill out the form.
Musher
application (PDF) Machiner
Application (PDF)
A
Big Thank you
from Aurora Dog Musher’s to all the people who helped
make the Aurora 25/25 a successful race!!!! Martin Buser (Happy
Trails Kennels) Jonathan Biggerstaff/Myers, Jerry Stevens,
Yuta Takagi, Becca Ross (Windward Kennels), Meredith Mapes,
Walter Kaso, Heather Jewell, Joe May, Charlie Jewell, Vern
Cherneski, Rya Berrigan, Jim Uhle, June Takagi, John Mapes,
Marilyn Mapes, Dorleen Jewell, Lynn McCoin & Lori Berrigan.
Thank you to all the Handlers and mushers for coming and also
for helping out with the race!!!!!
VOLUNTEER
We need volunteers or we won’t be able to have races!
If you are able to help or know someone who can, please
contact us soon!! Jr. races will take place with parent
volunteers, but Sr,. races are dependant upon volunteers.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarship money for Jr. mushers is in the works. Larisa
hopes to have money available for this
season. Donations to the scholarship fund are tax deductible,
if you are so inclined!
Hopefully, scholarships will be available for 2-doggers
through 7-doggers. Money will be put into a scholarship
fund that will be available to the student at age 18 going
to an approved school of higher education or trade school.
The money will be going to the institution, not to the student.
RAILROAD
MEETING: UPDATE - -
POSTED NOV 3, 2007
Dorleen attended the meeting in Houston. As of yesterday
(11/2) all of the comments should be into the railroad and
data will be turned into the transportation people. An independent
company will look at the land to figure out the best route.
Decision should be made by 2009. Everyone is up in arms
about the trails and that is holding up some of the decisions.
Iditarod, Willow & Houston were represented, Dorleen
was the only rep. from Aurora. The Borough is pushing to
get the port opened and the railroad put in to service it.
Maybe they will put in tunnels, maybe they won’t.
Larisa talked to the Borough & the engineers and found
out that our trails are on the maps and someone from the
Borough was “sticking up” for our trails to
make sure they were on the map. The railroad has said that
they would make an effort to put in tunnels where necessary
to save the trails where they can.
|