Beargrease Update: The Race Against the Melt
Mar 03, 2025 02:40PM ● By Content Editor
Photo: Boreal Community Media
By Brittany North - Boreal Community Media - March 3, 2025
Editor's note: As of approximately 12:30 p.m., Beargrease race officials posted on Facebook that all active mushers had made it to Trail Center, and the first musher, Erin Aili, was heading out to the next checkpoint at Skyport Lodge. Learn more.
It seems spring has sprung during the 40th running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. The race is currently underway, having started on March 2, 2025. This year’s race has faced significant challenges due to unseasonably warm temperatures and variable weather conditions.
In the days leading up to the race, organizers were compelled to move the starting location from its traditional location in Duluth to Two Harbors. This change was necessitated by deteriorating snow conditions and warm temperatures to better ensure the safety of the dogs and mushers alike.
The current weather forecast for Cook County includes temperatures as high as 40°F (4°C) today and tomorrow, and a messy snow/rain mix tonight into tomorrow. These conditions, including potential freezing rain overnight, pose several challenges for the dogs, mushers, trails, and the overall race.
There are many potential impacts that warm temperatures and freezing rain may bring. Sled dogs are built for cold climates, so warmer temperatures can be challenging. When it gets above freezing, they can overheat more quickly, leading to heat stress, decreased performance, and potential health issues. Mushers also feel the impact of warmer conditions, as they need to stay alert and adjust their strategies to keep their dogs safe and performing well. The trails themselves can become more difficult, with soft, slushy snow making travel harder and freezing rain creating icy surfaces that increase the risk of slips and injuries for both dogs and mushers.
Mushers will likely use different strategies and precautions to combat these conditions, such as running at night to avoid warm temperatures, reducing speed, increasing rest periods, using dog booties to protect paws from icy trails, and providing more hydration, just to name a few.
Mushers’ ability to adapt to these unpredictable weather conditions is vital for the safety and success of their teams and, frankly, part of being a musher. Best of luck to all teams making their way safely to the finish in Grand Portage.
About the author: Brittany North is the owner of North Paws Wilderness, where she offers obedience training and classes for dog owners. She has worked in Alaska as a sled dog handler and served on the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon board.
