Dog Days of Winter and sled races

    BROWNVILLE JCT — On Saturday, Jan. 25 the town of Brownville and the Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club will present the fifth annual Brownville Dog Days of Winter and Distance Sled Dog Race.

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    HUSKY BUT STILL ABLE TO RUN FAST — On Saturday, Jan. 25 the town of Brownville and the Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club will present the Brownville Dog Days of Winter and Distance Sled Dog Race. The day will include races of 30 and 20 miles, starting from the end of Railroad Avenue, and other events in the morning and afternoon in Brownville Jct.

    The day begins with breakfast at the American Legion on Railroad Avenue starting at 5 a.m. and going through 9:30 with breakfast sandwiches and beverages being served. Mushers arrive from 6-8:30 a.m. and equipment checks will take place from 8-9:45 a.m.
    Dog sled teams will start the 30-mile race at 10 a.m., departing from the edge of Railroad Avenue with teams scheduled to be on the trails until the middle of the afternoon. The 20-mile race starts at 10:30 a.m.
    The trails are on a scenic out-and-back course, traversing varied terrain. Race entry forms can be found at www.mainesleddogclub.com.
    The Brownville Snowmobile Club maintains the trail, assists with marking the route and is providing sweep sleds for the safety of mushers. The Piscataquis Amateur Radio Club is manning radio communications safety checkpoints along the trail.
    A mushers’ fun run starts at 11 a.m., and lunch will be served at the American Legion from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    The Dog Days of Winter will include a number of other events during the early afternoon along Railroad Avenue, such as turkey bowling sponsored by the American Legion with participants trying to hit frozen bottles of soda with a frozen turkey; snow art competition, also sponsored by the American Legion; scavenger hunt sponsored by DeWitt-Jones Realty; snow sledding sponsored by the General Store and More; the Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club’s human mushing to drive and pull a sled as a team; and one dog event as participants of all ages are invited to try their hand at mushing.   
    The day will conclude with a public dinner and musher awards ceremony taking place at the Brownville Jct. United Methodist Church from 3-5 p.m.
    For more information on the Brownville Dog Days of Winter and Distance Sled Dog Race, please call the Brownville Town Office at 965-2561 or go to www.trcmaine.org/dogdays.