Race to the Sky Sled Dog Race - Helena

Friday, February 10, 2012 - Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Race to the Sky will have its official kick-off celebration on Friday, starting with a vet check at noon. That evening an auction for rides at the restart in Lincoln will happen. Don't miss an opportunity to bid on a sled ride with a Race to the Sky competitor and feel the electricity of the race.

Saturday is the official start either near Butte or at Camp Rimini, near Helena. Camp Rimini was a former World War Dog Training and Reception Center near Helena that was used to train dogs for military operations during World War II. Watch them finish Saturday after running 55 miles.

On Sunday, the race restarts its continuous portion of Race to the Sky at Hi-Country Snack Foods in Lincoln at noon. Successful bidders at Friday night's auction will be boarding their musher's sleds for a first-hand view of the Race to the Sky excitement. Watch the teams start their day and night journey through the mountains of Montana. Also on Sunday is the start of the 100 mile Junior Race to the Sky and a new 100 mile race for 18 and older mushers.

For the next couple of days teams will be going through the White Tail Ranch near Ovando, the Seeley Lake Community Center in Seeley Lake, and making a wilderness checkpoint coming back to Seeley Lake. The finish is at Hi-Country Snack Foods near Lincoln and is predicted sometime Tuesday early evening. Go to the website for times during the race and for up to the minute information.

Race to the Sky is one of the qualifying races prior to the Alaskan Iditarod. In years past, anywhere from 22 to 35 teams have begun this 350-mile race through the Montana backcountry.