Day 4 Results


After some long hours of mushing in the first three days, this fourth day proves easy. All eleven mushers make it to their next stop under 4 hours, George Annanack and Harry Okpik catch up with the rest and everyone makes it to Aupaluk.

In their third stop at Simialuk half the mushers stayed in a hunter’s cabin while the other half slept in an igluq. The night skies were clear and the stars and northern lights showed off beautifully. The temperature in the igluq was reportedly warm, and the POV men were able to call their wives in Puvirnituq on their HF radios.

On this fourth day of the Ivakkak trail, the morning temperature is at -37 degrees Celsius with blue skies. The Ivakkak trail finished easily as it was flat all the way from Simialuk to Aupaluk, which was 15 land miles long; it made for fast mushing. From the 10 am departure, the quickest Ivakkak came from Junior May who arrived in only 1 hour and 31 minutes followed very closely by Charlie Watt Jr who arrived within only 1 minute.

Taamusie and Bobby, still remaining close to one another, arrived with a 4 minute difference and remain in their initial positions also. Willie and Charlie Inukpuk follow very closely and remain in 5th and 6th positions overall.

Most Ivakkakers arrived before lunch and took the opportunity to make repairs, tune their sled runners, and rest their dogs and themselves before the latter part of the race would start. The next leg of the race is from Aupaluk to Kangirsuk with a stopover at Nuluartalik along the way, which will be about 25 miles.

Here are today’s results in the order of their positions:

Junior May 1h31 13h55

Charlie Watt Jr 1h32 14h08

Taamusie Sivuaraapik1h43 16h11

Bobby Novalinga 2h12 16h18

Willie Kullulaaq 1h49 18h13

Charlie Inukpuk 1h47 19h06

Adamie Inukpuk 2h43 23h10

Massiu Nassaq — 23h32

Simionie Elijasiapik 3h54 36h05

George Annanack Back in the Race

Harry Okpik Back in the Race

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The return of the Inuit Dogs

At the end of the last century, the pure-breed Husky dog was nearly extinct in Nunavik. Nowadays, Inuit people mostly travel by snowmobile. Yet, the memories of another time when dogs were man’s most reliable partners are not so far behind. Long known to be man’s best friend, dogs were once essential to the survival of Inuit in the merciless arctic environment. In fact, only a few decades ago, sled dogs were a foundation of the Inuit nomadic way of life.

These brave allies were central to seasonal Inuit movements, especially in the winter.Strongly built with a thick fur, huskies can withstand bitterly cold temperatures and are capable of lugging their share of supplies during long hours travelling across the endless tundra. Harnessed to a sled or simply keeping pace alongside their master, dogs made it possible for Inuit to cover great distances in their search for game to provide for their families, and to transport heavy loads (...).

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