Homer Alaska - Sports -

Story last updated at 8:21 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Mush! Dog teams off to fast start in Clam Gulch



By Aaron Selbig
Staff Writer

Two days after competing in last weekend's 70-mile Clam Gulch Classic dog sled race, Homer musher Jason Cameron was wiped, still recovering from his two-day ride through hilly country in sub-zero temperatures.

"That was a butt kicker," he said. "It catches me off guard every time somehow."

Still, Cameron, who races the Classic almost every year, was pleased with the performance of his team, which finished with total time of 7 hours and 20 minutes, good enough for a fourth place finish in a field of eight mushers.

"My team did really well," he said. "I just need to keep reminding myself that they are only 2-years old and they're not really serious yet. They see all the other dogs and they get this play mentality. I've just got to be a good human and wait for them to mature."

The Classic, a Peninsula Sled Dog and Racing Association-sponsored race, covered 35 miles on Saturday and Sunday with a start/finish line at Clam Gulch's Clam Shell Lodge.

Having the starting point at the "dog friendly" lodge was beneficial, said Cameron.

"We had a great time," he said. "I had 12 dogs that I brought and I was able to bring them into the room individually to check them for injuries. They held up really well."

Another south Peninsula musher, 16-year-old Rebekah Ruzicka of Anchor Point, came in second with a time just over six hours.

Ruzicka, daughter of MushHusky! Kennel owner Doug Ruzicka, was racing in her first Clam Gulch Classic.

"I'm very pleased with how I did," she said. "I just let the dogs do their thing and had a bunch of fun. It was pretty cold, but the dogs enjoy the cold weather, so I think that helped."

Kasilof musher Jason Mackey, brother of two-time defending Iditarod champion Lance Mackey, won the race.

Ruzicka next plans to tackle the 50-mile Junior Tustumena race, to be held in conjunction with the Tustumena 200 on Jan. 24.

Cameron is already preparing for the grueling T-200.

"We run out of Tustumena Lodge to Caribou Lake and then back, but you can only use 10 dogs and you have to carry all your own gear and food," he said. "It's definitely going to be a challenging race."

Aaron Selbig can be reached at aaronselbig.@homernews.com.

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