Leadville Has Gone To The Dogs

Pets Get Help Thanks to Elks

Earlier this month, the Leadville Elks Lodge 236 presented Planned Pethood Leadville (or PPL) with a $1,500 grant to support the organization’s mission of helping to provide medical care to animals brought into the Lake County Animal Shelter.

“We send enormous gratitude to the Leadville Elks Lodge, and especially Belinda Anderson, for procuring a $1,500 grant,” said Planned Pethood Leadville Board of Directors President, Christina Floyd. “The grant will further Planned Pethood Leadville’s work to help provide medical care to animals brought to the Lake County Animal Shelter. We are so grateful for this support.”

Man’s best friend will be one of many pets that will benefits from The Elks recent donation to Planned Pethood in Leadville. Photo: Danielle Orcutt

“We are happy to present PPL with our Anniversary Grant, which is named in honor of this year’s sesquicentennial anniversary. Nation-wide, Elks are celebrating 150 years of community service,” said Exalted Ruler of the Leadville Elks Lodge 236, Belinda Anderson. “If we can promote education on the importance of spaying and neutering or help our community members to adopt a pet, then that’s another way we can continue to help support Leadville,” she added. In addition to animal welfare, the Leadville Elks Lodge supports local veterans, youth programs, Lake County schools, and countless other local organizations. PPL already has plans to allocate some of the Elks Anniversary Grant funds toward dental treatment for one of the Animal Shelter’s current residents available for adoption, Noah.

About Planned Pethood Leadville

Planned Pethood Assistance, Inc., also known as Planned Pethood Leadville, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a goal to assist community members to care for their pets. Planned Pethood Leadville also aims to prevent pet overpopulation by providing assistance to individuals and other non-profit organizations, enabling them to afford medical and spay/neutering procedures for the animals in their care. Planned Pethood Leadville also provides community education on pet care and spay/neuter programs.

Dog Sled Races Return to Two-Miles-High

It’ll be the second weekend in February that Leadville’s local golf course will be transformed into a dog sled race course as the Colorado Mountain Mushers (CMM) return to two-miles-high for Part II of the Mt. Massive Mush. On the first and third weekends in February, these fast-paced, teams have returned to Lake County for some crowd-pleasing, canine competition that leaves everyone howling for more.

Spectators, dog-lovers and competitors are invited to join the fun this weekend Feb. 23-24, as CMM transforms America’s highest golf course and the adjacent US Forest Service property into a series of courses that loop and wind through spruce-lined trails which sit in the shadow of Colorado’s two tallest peaks, Mts Elbert and Massive. Started in 2016, the Mt. Massive Mush expanded quickly to include two weekends of racing. And in its third year expects to host some 30 sleddog teams at each event, according to Bill Bockstiege, CMM Director.

“We will have a number of different categories for racers,” explained Bockstiege. “Sled, skijor, fat-tire bikejor, canicross and novice classes will be offered.” The races will have separate distance races for each category. Sled category includes:

• 1 mile in novice
• 4 mile- 4 dog
• 6 mile- 6 dog
• 8 to 12 mile- 8 dog teams in the sled category

In addition, the competitions will include skijor, bikejor, and canicross which will have 1, 2, and 3 dog categories.

The Mount Massive Mush Dog Sled Event continues this weekend in Leadville. Photo: Brennan Ruegg/Leadville Today

About Colorado Mountain Mushers

Colorado Mountain Mushers has been involved with dog races since 1989, educating people about sled dogs. The club is an offshoot from the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club and looks to specifically highlight the family aspect of the sport. Every spring CMM holds an annual banquet, then during the summer they do a picnic for everyone to get together and socialize, and in early fall CMM hosts a group camp out at Camp Hale just north of Leadville. The club is very proactive in community outreach ranging from classroom visits at schools to canine community dog fairs.

The club also provides a public voice in relevant legislation that impacts dog sledding in Colorado. They partner with Mush With PRIDE, a coalition that fosters ethical treatment and raising of sled dogs. As they continue to grow they encourage more involvement from communities like Leadville and individuals with similar interests.

If you are interested in competing or volunteering for these races, please contact Bill Bockstiege by email at getupdogs@gmail.com or connect with the Colorado Mountain Mushers on their official Facebook page.

Springs’ Gazette Features Dog Sledding

It’s nice to see some of the “non-traditional” winter sports in Lake County getting some media attention. And this weekend’s Mt. Massive Mush dog sled race did just that when it ended up in the Colorado Springs Gazette on Monday, Presidents Day. It just goes to show that Leadville is and always has been a true #wintercity. From dog sledding to ice fishing to ski joring, America’s highest city has a strong and abiding heritage of knowing how to enjoy the colder weather season, the months when snow is possible. And at 10,152 feet in elevation, that could be any day of the years, any month in the season.

So get out there in the snow! Whether it’s watching some dog joring, strapping on the snowshoes, or firing up the sleds, get outside and enjoy winter – it’s a good one this year!