Current UP200 Mushers

Sherri and I live with our 38 sled dogs near Grand Marais, MN. I work as a canoe, sea kayak and climbing guide. We’ve had a dog team for 11 years but didn’t really start racing until 2008. The UP 200 start in Downtown Marquette is one of the highlights of our year. Some of his dogs are named: Ace, Bart, Storm, Ajax, Nita, Wolf, Moo, Cowboy, Pony, Ben, Jake and Gnasher. These dogs are from the bloodlines of Matt Wiek, the Galloways and Kelly Engle. Some of his races include: UP 200 in 2010 and 2011, Midnight Run in 2009, Beargrease Marathon in 2010 & 2011, White Oak 130 in 2008-9-10-11, and the Red River Dog Derby in 2009. We want to thank our sponsors, NutraSource Performance Dog Food made right here in Minnesota and Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais Minnesota.  

Send Frank an e-mail at fmoetown@gmail.com

Ryan Anderson is an experienced musher, who has been handling dogs since he was five and racing since he was 12. He has experience in the UP 200, Empire, Beargrease, Midnight Run, Mid NN 150, Jr. Iditarod, Wawa Gold Quest and the Can Am. A carpenter by trade, Ryan’s most memorable race was winning the Beargrease 150 when he was just 19 years old. Ryan has 40 dogs. Running today will be: Ernie, Danica, Earl, Sara, Grizzly, Elwood, Rocket, Stealth, Apache, Arden, Franzen and Brooks. His goals for the race today are to place in the top 3. Handling today will be Miki Anderson (sister) and Missy Carpenter (Fiancee). Always a pleasure to welcome Ryan back to Michigan and a special Congratulations to Ryan for his impressive win at the Beargrease last month.

Ward has been racing in the UP since 1995. He has 1 Tom Cooley award and 5 Tom Porn awards. Ward and Colleen maintain Silver Creek Sled Dog Kennel where they have too many dogs. Ward and Colleen Wallin have two sons – Ian and Ero. Ward writes “The UP 200/Midnight Run is a very special race as it was the first race I entered (Midnight Run) back in 1995. The dogs are out of bloodlines from Buser, Swingley and King. Some of their names are Hemi (it’s got a Hemi) and Bootstrap (Bill Turner) This is Ward’s 17th trip to Marquette, he has been racing the UP 200 since 1997 His handlers include: Jerome Leinke, Colleen Wallin and sons, Ian & Ero. Ward’s goal for this race is to hope his handlers stay our of the bars in Grand Marais.

Send Ward an e-mail at wallin@lakenet.com.

Kevin is a retired electrician, and his kennel is the Winternight Sled Dogs, housing about 30 Alaskans. His mushing experience of 27 years includes some of the following races: UP200, Solon Springs, Mid Minnesota 150, Beargrease, and Grand Portage Passage. Handling for Kevin tonight are significant other Paula. Leading the team tonight will be Gerdy and Lucy.

During one of our races, Kevin dislocated a shoulder so was forced to scratch. This year he is fit and healthy. Names of his dogs include: Sweezy, Marget, Paula Malikowski, Sunny, Tabot, Lesley, and McLain.

Send Kevin an e-mail
at doghouse1@brainerd.net.

Martin lists his qualifying race as the 2008 Iditarod. Martin has been mushing for at least 20 years. Martin owns a 35 dog kennel composed of Alaskan huskies. Leading the team will be Darby and Pilot. Handling will be Jack GeBauer who is from Michigan. Martin is a self employed machinist. His goal is to win the race. Jack Gebauer told Martin that he didn’t want to handle for anyone that was only “going on a camping trip” – Martin’s goal is to win this race.

Send Martin an e-mail at dogyard@blackfoot.net.

Originally from Bay City, MI, I have made Ray, MN my home. This will be my rookie run at the UP200. My sponsors are; Holwing Dog Alaska, Top That! By Loni (International Falls), Harmoney Beach on Lake Kabetogama http://www.harmonybeachresort.com/ Travis Carlson Guide Service.

My website is www.facebook.com/snomadracing

This one is for you, Bev Stroh….hang on and enjoy the ride!!

 You can learn more about Amanda at
her personal website www.snomadracing.com 

Send Amanda an e-mail at snomadracing@yahoo.com.

Leading my team down the trail will be veteran dogs Eider, Speleman, and Staple. Some youthful vigor shall be added up front from leaders in training, Browser and Guru. The heart of the team is made up of Gunther, Simon, Montana, Lyman, Czar, Duke, and Jackson.

Helping throughout the race will be an all-star cast to include my lovely wife Geri, Al Hardman, Gregg Hickman, Bill Johnston and others who are yet not known!

Sponsoring me for this endeavor is Al and Carole Hardman and Alcan Kennels. Some twelve years ago I quit a perfectly fine teaching job in lower Michigan, to live in an isolated cabin in the upper peninsula to learn and help Al train his team for the Iditarod. Al has continued to support and mentor Geri and myself in many/most of our mushing adventures and we both wish to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Al. As anyone who knows Alcan, without Carole, there is no Al! Thank you both!

Special love and thanks to the Minard family in whole, for always supporting the madness that is Geri and my lifestyle. Also much love to the many and varied cherished friends we have met and kept along the way.

Thank you and good luck to everyone involved in the race: officials, volunteers, sponsors, fans and race teams!

You can send Rick an email at: rgminard@up.net

A U.P. native, David fell in love with dog sledding when he moved back to the U.P. in 2003. He feels that the combination of nature, adventure, athleticism and the opportunity to spend time training and bonding with dogs make mushing the perfect sport for him. He has been racing dogs since 2004, and in 2006 he completed his first Midnight Run running Carol Wiater’s dogs. In 2007, he bred the first two litters of his own, and now he is broke. This is his first UP 200 and he is looking forward to finishing with a healthy team. His Kennel of Team Evergreen houses 14 dogs and are out of the bloodlines of Swingley, Neal Johnson and Cook. David has run four Midnight Run Races, the Beargrease 150 (7th place), The Tahquamenan 12 dog pro (1st place in 2011 and several others His handler is Bill Pirman

Send David an e-mail at go4evergreen@yahoo.com.

Denis has been mushing for almost 25 years. He is the owner of Makamic kennel in Saint-Michel-Des-Saints Quebec where he train with her friend of life an handler Julie Albert , Alaskan husky for long distance race. 

You can learn more about Denis, Julie and Makamic kennel visiting the kennel web site at

http://chenil-makamic-alaskan-husky.weebly.com/

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Tim Osmar and I are a mushing team from Kasilof, Alaska. In the summer we commercially fish salmon in the Cook Inlet and in the winter we run dogs in the Caribou Hills. This year we have teamed up to raise awareness about the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Our mission is to mush through the Midwest to spread the message that a monstrous open pit mine does not belong at the headwaters of the largest salmon spawn in Alaska. Check our website osmarracingandtorus.com for updates on our trip.

I have been running dogs for most all of my life. I have run 23 Iditarods, 3 Yukon Quests and many other mid-long distance races around the world. I have been dreaming of running races in the Midwest for many years and finally the stars have aligned. This year my partner, Monica Zapppa and I have teamed up with a few organizations to help fight the Pebble Mine effort in Bristol Bay, AK. We will be running several races in the Midwest promoting the No Pebble campaign. Check out our website for more informationwww.osmarracingandtours.com.

Occupation: Kennel Owner and Tour Operator, Nature’s Kennel Sled Dog Racing and Adventures Kennel size:100 dogs Ed has been mushing for 12 years. This past year he has been a member of the UP 200 board and hopes that this race is going to be one of the best ever. Even after finishing three Iditarod races, in 2004, 2005, and 2006, the U.P. 200 is still his favorite race. Ed loves the relationships he develops with his dogs while mushing. He is looking forward to this year’s race so he can have bragging rights as the “best musher in the family”! Watch out, Tasha! You can learn more about Ed at his personal website www.natureskennel.com or send Ed an e-mail at info@natureskennel.com.

You can learn more about Ed at his personal website www.natureskennel.com

Odin was born into mushing. He and his wife Betsy make a great team and will take turns racing this winter. Last year Odin competed in the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, the White Oak Classic, the Wolf Track Classic,and the UP200. During the summer months he works as a carpenter and in the winter splits his time between race training and running his sled building business, Sawtooth Mountain Sledworks, www.sawtoothmtnsleds.com.

A big thanks to Paul and Kat and my dad Arleigh for being the best handler crew a guy could ask for!

You can learn more about
Odin at his personal website www.sawtoothmtnsleds.com or send Odin an e-mail at odin@boreal.org.

I have been training and racing dogs for over 20 years, starting with recreational mushing and camping in the 1980s.  Our kennel still offers rides and tours with year round wilderness camping with sled dogs.  I placed in the top 10 in the 1st UP200 in 1990, and continue to participate in this and other great races.  My family and I run the Otter River Sled Dog Training Center to produce competitive long distance and mid-distance teams with a focus on encouraging youth mushing. The most recent of these would be my son Roy who finished the Midnight Run at age 13 and took 6th in the CopperDog150 last year.  Every year I look forward to running into familiar faces and swapping stories.  Most of all, I’m impressed how my dogs perform through the challenges on the trail. 

Nathan’s Kennel name is Horses n Huskies. There are 14 dogs in the kennel. Names of dogs running are Chevy, Madonna, Spirit and Schroeder. Nathan has run the UP 200 and placed 2nd. He has won the John Beargrease. Handlers will be Carey, Dad and Mom. Goals are to finish.

Roger, a 61 year old dentist has been married to Nancy for 37 years. He and Nancy have 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren. Roger handled and trained from 1998 until 2001 when he got the B team. He and Nancy are committed to running the trail together, sharing the adventure of the dogs, the beauty of nature and the spirit of the trail. Both have run at the Beargrease and completed the Seney 300. Roger enjoys water skiing, marathons and dogs. He says his dogs are trained on the prairie of North Dakota and they learned to climb hills. All his dogs have unique personalities, but they function as a unit. The kennel name is Evergreen Kennels and consists of 42 dogs.

I have been running sled dogs for 13 years and love sharing the wilderness adventure with my husband Roger. I am the grandmother to 6 beautiful children and the two oldest (5 years) are presently running 2 dog teams already. When we are not training or raising pups, I enjoy reading and playing the piano. Roger and I have run Race to the Sky in Montana, the John Beargrease Marathon in Minnesota, but I love coming from North Dakota to run your beautiful UP 200. Thanks to all the great volunteers.

Andrew Letzring Age: 25 Herbster, WI Andrew has been running dogs for more than 12 years, and competed in races from the Midnight Run to the Iditarod. The Midnight Run is always one of his favorite races and he is looking forward to not only the competition, but visiting with friends in Michigan! Thanks to everyone for putting on a first class race!

Krister is driving for Stielstra’s Natures Kennel. Krister is from New Hampshire and this is his second season running dogs. Leaders this year will be Art and Razzle. Handlers will be Mike Riley. Krister said that some of his red lantern dogs are on his team this year and they plan to move up in place. Krister spent the summer in Juneau running dogs on the glacier. He has no future plans.

You can learn more about Krister at his personal website www.natureskennel.com or send Krister an e-mail at infor@natureskennel.com.

I have been running dogs since 1994 and have been lucky enough to see many different parts of the world while behind a dog team. Leaders this year include Bumble, Anvil, Scatman and More Spots. Looking forward to a trail that might have snow on top of it as last years’ race required wheels. Sponsors include the Black Rocks Brewery of Marquette,   Dr. Tim’s Pet Foods, Tim Tebow, Maple Loops Cereal, Peter Griffin, Cooper Sleds and Prince Fielder.