For many years Tom Bauer and the Otter River Sled Dog Kennel have been a local champion of the Copper Dog race. This year Bauer will step aside, and lend his teams to the Mushing Club at Michigan Tech. For just as long as the mushing club has promoted the sport among students, the club has worked with the Otter River Sled Dog Kennel to train and learn about dog care.
But I’m going to pass on the torch this year to some very fine, young dog mushers. Haley Bonk will be running my main team in the Copperdog 150 and Ben Amat, the president of the mushing club at Michigan Tech is going to be running Uh, another group of eight dogs out of my kennel and the Copper Dog 80. – Tom Bauer, Owner, Otter River Sled Dog Kennel.
In a recent episode of Copper Country Today, Bauer shared a little bit of the immense pride he has in seeing his teams and the Michigan Tech students take up the reigns and continue the sport. Ben Amat recently completed the UP 200 in Marquette.
It started snowing at seven Friday night when they took off and never stopped. And they went through enormous amounts of powder. He was out there for a nine-and-a-half-hour run, 66 miles a person. He just ran an amazing, an amazing race out there. But he said it well that, you just, get out there and you’re with your dogs and you do your best as a team to carry on. – Tom Bauer, Owner, of Otter River Sled Dog Kennel
Copper Country Today Host Todd Van Dyke and Tom Bauer shared more insights into Copper Dog and the connection between mushers and their dogs last Sunday. Listen for Todd’s updates all weekend throughout the race on 97.7 the Wolf and 102.3 K-Bear. Or join him and CopperDog at the starting gate Friday night in Calumet.
The opening ceremony will begin at 6 pm. The street party starts at 5 pm tomorrow. Find a schedule of activities for the opening night of the 2025 Copper Dog 150 online. Some activities will begin the afternoon with attendees at the Big Annie Warm-Up at the Elks Lodge. Following the final team out of town CopperDog will light fireworks to celebrate to start to the 15th annual seld dog race in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Find details here.
Listen to Tom Bauer and Todd Van Dyke discuss Copper Dog and dog sled racing in the Copper Country’s backyard here.
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