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Huskies, malamutes, Greenland dogs, and sled dogs love to dance. And Copperdog’s organizers are dancing alongside the howling hounds.
Recently CopperDog 150 opened the 2025 volunteer portal. This year’s race will take place across the Keweenaw peninsula from February 28th to March 2nd. The Copper Country’s premier sled dog race starts in the village of Calumet and sends teams along the region’s snowmobile trails to Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor. Throughout the weekend CopperDog relies on several hundred volunteers to set up road crossings, organize and handle teams at race starts, and check equipment, serve as timers.
Volunteering with Copperdog brings individuals directly to the action of the weekend. Anyone interested in volunteering with Copperdog but has not signed up in the past should join organizers during a special training opportunity closer to race weekend. The training teaches new and familiar volunteers skills and strategies for working with dog teams and mushers. As well as how to handle vehicle traffic at road crossings and much more.
Those interested in volunteering with the Copper Dog 150 in 2025 can find more information below.
CopperDog Volunteer Registration is OPEN for our 2025 race that will be taking place on February 28th, March 1st and 2nd. We need YOUR help to pull this off again this year!
Please visit https://copperdog.org/volunteer-opportunities/ to sign up!! Then simply click on the ‘VOLUNTEER NOW’ button, browse and sign up for JOBS!!!
Here is a quick description of some of the jobs that require the most volunteers:
Crossing Guards – Help to create a safe crossing where the trail intersects a road or snowmobile trail.
Timers – Records times and bib numbers at crossing to track racers progress and make sure no one is off course.
Bag Checkers – Checks items in a bag carried by mushers against a list of wilderness survival supplies.
Snow Fence Installation (and Removal) / Banner Installation (and Banner Removal) – Carries, unrolls, and sets up snow fence along 5th Street in Calumet. Zip tie sponsor banners to the fencing along 5th Street.
Snow Road Security Guards – Help to create safe crossings for pedestrians along 5th St during the start of the race.
Dog Handlers– Helps lead dog teams up to or away from the start/finish at each checkpoint. This is a very physical job, particularly at the start on Friday night!
I’ll also be looking for Crossing Coordinators again this year so if you’re interested in being a coordinator please contact me to let me know.
What are the responsibilities of a Crossing Coordinator? They are as follows:
1) You are the point person to pick up and return the supplies for your crossing –
-bibs
-snow fence (if your crossing requires fencing)
-timing sheets (if your crossing has timers)
2) Provide me your cell phone number so I can easily reach you for updates and changes
