Sled dog races set for this weekend

The snow is packed, and teams big and small are preparing for the Flathead Classic Sled Dog Race this weekend.

The race takes place on Feb. 29-March 1 at Dog Creek Lodge and Nordic Center, about 3 miles north of Olney on U.S. Highway 93 North.

Races begin at 9 a.m. and end around 1 p.m. on both days.

Classes for this year’s races will be six-dog class and four-dog class, along with one-dog and two-dog skijoring and fat bike skijoring.

All classes will mush on the groomed Nordic trails surrounding the Dog Creek Lodge. Races are between 2.5 miles and 18 miles in length, depending on the size of the team.

In the past the Flathead Classic has included 12-dog races, but those were dropped from the schedule this year due to safety concerns, according to race organizer Brett Svetlik.

“We don’t have enough trails on this side of the highway for those teams to run on, and in order for those teams to run they’d have to cross the highway,” Svetlik said.

In addition, there will be a “pee-wee” class for the younger racers.

“We’ve got a very large pee-wee class. We’ve got five little kids lined up for the peewee races, which we’ll have for the end of the day,” Svetlik said.

As anyone who attends the races knows, the parking lot at the lodge can get a little busy.

To combat this, Svetlik is urging visitors to carpool. He said the lodge is also planning on running a shuttle from Olney to the lodge, though that is still coming together and will be announced later in the week.

“We’re trying to line up a shuttle right now. It’s going to be extremely challenging with the parking at Dog Creek Lodge, so we’re trying to get people to carpool as much as they can,” he said.

A percentage of the merchandise sales will be donated to K9 Care Montana, a facility near Philipsburg that provides service dogs at no cost and customized outdoor activities for wounded warriors as well as special needs children and their families.

For more information, go to flatheadclassic.org. The public is invited to attend. Volunteers are always needed and can sign up by emailing the.flathead.classic@gmail.com.