Skiers and biathletes aren't the only athletes left out in the cold by Anchorage's dry winter – the local dog mushing community has also been forced off the trails.
The Chugiak Dog Mushers Association has canceled every scheduled race so far this season, including races scheduled for Dec. 26-28. The only event the club has had at its trails near Beach Lake in Chugiak was a pizza party held in place of a Dec. 13 junior race. The next scheduled race – if it ever snows – is the SouthCentral Challenge, a stage race set for Jan. 18.
Things aren't any better in Anchorage, where the first Alaskan Sled Dog and Racing events of the winter at Tozier Track have already been scratched off the calendar. The ASDRA announced on its website last week that a junior race on New Year's Day and the Orville and Doris Lake Memorial races on Jan. 3-4 have been called off due to the conditions. The next scheduled race in the city is the local leg of the SouthCentral Challenge on Jan. 19.