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PRIEST LAKE - This year’s Priest Lake Annual Sled Dog Race saw a healthy turnout of both participants and onlookers for the 53rd edition of the event. The race was presented by Inland Empire Sled Dog Association Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 1 and 2 and held at the USFS Airstrip, south of Nordman. As late as last Wednesday it was unclear whether there would be enough mushers for a full competition, according to Marcy Britt, community outreach spokesperson for the race.
Due to the lack of snow, last year’s race was cancelled.
In the end, organizers were happy with the turnout and fresh snow.
“Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all the participants who braved the elements and joined us for this exciting event,” Lani Wolf of Deer Park wrote in an Inland Empire Sled Dog Racing Association Facebook post.
This year the race attracted competitors from Oregon and Washington who competed in sled dog races, as well in skijoring, an event where racers on skis are pulled by dogs. They brought their individual strategies and years of experience, all eager for the beautiful terrain and the competition after missing it last year.
Spanning more than eight miles of groomed terrain, the course winds its way through snowcapped lowland mountains and dense forests.
Rory Frolick, 60, of Cle Elum, Washington, is known for his meticulous preparation and deep bond with his dogs. He aimed to race his pack of eight for the love of the sport. Frolick says that racing dogs was originally his wife’s idea. While she does still race from time to time, Frolick does most of the racing now. What started out as just a few dogs has turned into 24, Frolick says.
The leader of his pack is a Siberian husky named Munnin. The nearly 4-year-old dog is the powerhouse of the pack. Running the eight-dog sprint in Sunday’s race, he did nine miles within 48 minutes. Although Frolick did not win, he did knock off 20 minutes off his Saturday time.
Mikki Douglas, 63, also out of Cle Elum, lost everything when her home burned down in December 2024. She lost her sled dog team gear but was able to race after a Tech Sled was donated.
“I was thankful a sled was donated,” she says.
She ran her six-dogs sled team in the six-dog sprint, winning her class.
She’s been racing every year since 2007. She won fourth place in the world championship in Spain for dry-land racing. Dry-land dog racing is primarily for training dogs to prepare them for the winter dog sled races. The animals pull wheeled carts, bikes or just run with the owner and has become a popular sport in recent years.
On Sunday, Douglas returned to snow and raced her four-dog sled team. Douglas managed to run her team a little over four miles in 22 minutes even though her team had a bit of a tangle, according to Britt.
Grace Thompson and Logan Haymon, a younger couple from Naches, Washington, competed with a four-dog Siberian husky team. Thompson says she grew up with huskies her entire life and has just started racing her team the past couple of years, while this is Logan’s first year. They both ran the four-dog sprint race. Thompson and her team ran four miles within 58 minutes placing top of her class. Logan didn’t place but will return next season, he says.
The Priest Lake Sled Dog Race is a testament to the bond between humans and their canine companions. It is a celebration of resilience, determination, and the spirit that drives both mushers and their dogs to achieve greatness. The race is not just about winning, but about the journey, the challenges overcome, and the unbreakable bond forged between man and dog.
