Here is Joanna's rendition of the Copper Dog 150 mile race in Calumet, Michigan last week. I was unable to be her handler at this race because I was still trying to regain my strength from the flu, so my son-in-law, Patrick graciously accompanied her and was a great help to her.
Had a super fun time at the Copper Dog 150! The weather was beautiful and I am just glad I got to go as my mom was still too weak getting over the influenza to go with and handle so my amazing brother in law Patrick Knudson came with to handle at his first sled dog race ever and did an awesome job!! He was advised by other handlers to take every opportunity to eat and said he was full the whole time!!! 
He is quite the backing expert with our big trailer too!!! We were so grateful to JR Anderson andAnna 'Chapman' Anderson and Elizabeth Chapman for them inviting us to stay in the house they had rented for the weekend!! Thank you also to Rebekah Chapman for helping me get my team ready before each leg and helping out when we came in!!! So fun to get to be with them again even if it was short, almost like old times when I used to go 4-H dog shows with the Chapman family! They are the ones who gave me my first dog sled ride and got me addicted to this wonderful sport!!!! 
So its all their fault lol I am truly grateful because its the best sport ever, what could be more fun then traveling with your 4 legged best friends over beautiful trails in the Northland, sharing the trail with such a wonderful mushing family?
He is quite the backing expert with our big trailer too!!! We were so grateful to JR Anderson andAnna 'Chapman' Anderson and Elizabeth Chapman for them inviting us to stay in the house they had rented for the weekend!! Thank you also to Rebekah Chapman for helping me get my team ready before each leg and helping out when we came in!!! So fun to get to be with them again even if it was short, almost like old times when I used to go 4-H dog shows with the Chapman family! They are the ones who gave me my first dog sled ride and got me addicted to this wonderful sport!!!! So its all their fault lol I am truly grateful because its the best sport ever, what could be more fun then traveling with your 4 legged best friends over beautiful trails in the Northland, sharing the trail with such a wonderful mushing family?
It is full of adventure however I would have preferred not to have been dragged for a ways on asphalt Sat. morning leaving the checkpoint when the sled flipped on its side and shredded the front of my jacket, causing me to lose the contents of my front pocket (keys, knife ect.) as well as abrasions on my arm/elbow and the worst on my right knee which looks like a cheese grader shaved some flesh off... (But I saved my new runner plastic!! ) its healing up well but others in the race had more serious things happen... another musher was also dragged on Friday night on gravel/asphalt, shredding their new jacket (and getting some pretty good abrasions I am sure) and was dragged/slammed into a parked car, also sustained a deep gash on their leg as well!!! Yet another musher had a snowmobile, going way too fast on a blind corner, slide into two or more dogs on their team (also Friday night) throwing the dogs violently backwards but thankfully other then soreness and bruises are ok! And yet another musher on Sat. had a dog choking on a chunk of ice(?) that it accidentally scooped up when grabbing a mouthful of snow and stopped breathing! Another musher close by at the time happened to be an EMT and gave it mouth to mouth and got it breathing again and it was ok!! Tragic incidents and yet so thankful it was not worse!
) its healing up well but others in the race had more serious things happen... another musher was also dragged on Friday night on gravel/asphalt, shredding their new jacket (and getting some pretty good abrasions I am sure) and was dragged/slammed into a parked car, also sustained a deep gash on their leg as well!!! Yet another musher had a snowmobile, going way too fast on a blind corner, slide into two or more dogs on their team (also Friday night) throwing the dogs violently backwards but thankfully other then soreness and bruises are ok! And yet another musher on Sat. had a dog choking on a chunk of ice(?) that it accidentally scooped up when grabbing a mouthful of snow and stopped breathing! Another musher close by at the time happened to be an EMT and gave it mouth to mouth and got it breathing again and it was ok!! Tragic incidents and yet so thankful it was not worse!
Sat. night Patrick and I stayed with our amazing host family that have hosted my mom and I every year we have come to Copper Dog!! Suzi being a nurse patched up my knee and we were fed like kings! They have become dear friends, so grateful for their over the top hospitality!!
I ran 9 dogs for the 1st and 2nd legs, placing 10th Friday night and 6th on Sat. moving up to 8th place over all. Ran 8 dogs on Sunday and was the 3rd team in placing 6th for the day and moving up to 6th place overall! Super proud of the amazing season my team has had winning 2 of our 4 races and placing well at the other two races, all in very tough competition! They sure finished strong at Copper Dog sprinting up main street when I called them up! I was getting over a horrible influenza virus that hit me really bad after Midnight Run though I was sick at that race also. Also pulled a muscle in my side that was very sore (thank you Beth and Kendra for taping up my ribs it really helped!!!) from coughing so bad before I left home so very thankful I was well enough to race as I was kinda a wreck coming into the race! I was joking at the awards banquet that my new speed up cue should be coughing because every time I was coughing/hacking at the last two races my one leader would start squealing/barking with excitement and the whole team would speed up! Quite nice zooming up hills that way!!! So wonderful to see all our friends at all the races, really a great group of people!! Seems the weather has chased me back to MN the last two races so with snow/yucky weather coming we decided to pull an all nighter and head for Ely Sunday night after the banquet. Maybe I have inherited some trucking blood from my dad? Dry, safe roads are wonderful so we made it back to Ely at close to 3 in the morning. At least this time we had a full nights sleep Sat. night lol:) Living the adventure! So thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being with me and the dogs everywhere we go!!!
"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
So wonderful to see all our friends at all the races, really a great group of people!! Seems the weather has chased me back to MN the last two races so with snow/yucky weather coming we decided to pull an all nighter and head for Ely Sunday night after the banquet. Maybe I have inherited some trucking blood from my dad? Dry, safe roads are wonderful so we made it back to Ely at close to 3 in the morning. At least this time we had a full nights sleep Sat. night lol:) Living the adventure! So thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being with me and the dogs everywhere we go!!!"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
Her brother-in-law, Patrick had a few thoughts to share about the race too and some more photos:
Copper Dog 2018!!! Upper Michigan! I was able to handle for my amazing Sister-in-law as she raced this weekend. She took 6th out of around 20 teams which was tough competition. She was tough herself even to the point of hanging on to her team as she was pulled across pavement. She got back on and ran the rest of the run that day. Her Dogs did great and I was so honored to meet them and see them in all their glory. I’m so proud of her and all she has done. Placing 1st in two out of four races this year!
We had so much fun and getting to meet Mushers from all over was exciting. Lots from Minnesota ,Michigan ,Wisconsin ,Colorado ,Canada and more!! I had a blast!!! Thanks Joanna Oberg!!!
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