Kuskokwim 300 Race Manager Paul Basile raises the flag that will signify the mass start of the Akiak Dash. | Image: Josiah Swope, Article: Samantha Watson, KYUK - Bethel, Alaska 
Bethel sled dog mushing season opener postponed
The opening race of Bethel’s sled dog mushing season has been postponed due to a lack of snow. While the Season Opener – the first race of the regional Delta Championship Series – was set to kick off on Dec. 14, Kuskokwim 300 Race Manager Paul Basile said that this kind of rescheduling doesn't come as a big surprise.
“We have a pretty good record of getting all seven of our races in every winter,” Basile said. “And we're able to do that just by being flexible and just having races when there's snow and, you know, just kind of bob and weave with the weather as it comes as it's pretty expected.”
Basile said that routes for the opening 32-mile dash and others throughout the season are picked based on conditions at the time and can vary depending on weather. As for this weekend, while the Kuskokwim may be on track to freeze up, Basile said that it's the lack of snow that’s cause for postponement. It’s also about giving the teams a chance to train.
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