Races leading up to Iditarod are adventures in themselves
Martin Buser’s wife, Kathy Chapoton, coined it perfectly in a blog during the Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race. She renamed the race the “Kusko-swim.” In a race where weather and location combined into a perfect miserable storm, mushers found themselves wading up to their hips in ice cold river water - and their dogs swimming in it - not once or twice, but over and over again for more than 50 miles.
Mitch Seavey from Sterling, Alaska, ended up with enough lead dogs and power to slog to the front and win the 2008 running of one of the most competitive and tricky 300-milers in the world. Ramey Smyth powered to second place.
