Lack of snow has prompted the third cancellation of the Sheep Mountain Lodge 150 Sled Dog Race in the last six years, race director Zack Steer announced this week.

Steer said he canceled the two-day race, which was scheduled to start Saturday and sported a full, pre-registered field of 60 mushers, to give mushers and volunteers time to make other plans. Steer said he is looking into possibly rescheduling the race for March or April, after the Iditarod.

The race, which four-time Iditarod winner Jeff King won last year by two minutes over Aily Zirkle, is run in the area of Sheep Mountain Lodge and Eureka Lodge, which are along the Glenn Highway.

"It is unfortunate that Mother Nature has not cooperated this year,'' Steer said in a press release. "We had a great group of volunteers lined up to put on the race and the local Glacier View community really looks forward to seeing this event happen.

"Veteran mushers use this race to see how their teams are doing mid-season and rookies use the race to gain experience and possibly qualify for Iditarod. It's just a really fun event and I hate to have to cancel it, but there really was no other choice.''

The race also was canceled in 2009 and 2007 because of a dearth of snow.

Four-time Iditarod winner Lance Mackey has won the Sheep Mountain Lodge 150 three times -- in 2010, 2006 and in the inaugural running in 2004.