The first major sled dog race of the winter in the Upper Peninsula has been canceled.
Organizers of this weekend’s Tahquamenon Country race said recent warm temperatures have packed the generous snowfall received around Christmas into a glaze of ice, making trail conditions unsafe.
Rescheduling the race was not feasible.
The Tahquamenon race was supposed to be the first leg in the new U.P. Triple Crown series, which also includes the U.P. 200 and Midnight Run in Marquette, and the CopperDog 150 and the CopperDog 80 on the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Mushers will still be able to take part in that competition at the remaining two events.
The winners will be determined by a points system based on the length and difficulty of the races undertaken, and finish positions.