The dog teams awoke to another beautiful day in the sun, as they prepared to get going this morning. The dogs having rested for two days in Umiujaq, they were anxious to get moving. No matter how many people were gathered at the starting line, the dogs went right passed them, leaving Umiujaq behind, as their masters waved the crowd goodbye.
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After covering close to 150 miles from Inukjuak to Umiujaq last week, the dog teams were on their way again this morning. Over 100 miles remain before they reach their final destination: Kuujjuaraapik.
The big Inuit huskies, Atsak, Kayuk, Papigatuk, Qirniq, Tarulik, Lassie, Eskimo, Eugene, Tumik, Pualuk, Ulluriaq, Qaku, Sinaaq and many others, are still in good shape. So much so that before the racers began this morning, the dogs had to be tied up to a snowmobile to prevent them from taking off without their masters on board. Obviously, the dogs were roaring to go! And by day’s end, they had easily covered 43 miles of rough terrain to reach Qilalugarsiuvik (a traditional summer hunting area) just south of the Little Whale River.
Since departing from Inukjuak, the race has travelled so far south that scattered stands of small spruce and larch now mark the rocky shoreline of eastern Hudson Bay. These trees are serving to make the racers’ tents a little warmer and more comfortable tonight; there is finally easily accessible fuel for the racers’ small wood-burning stoves. Outside the tents, the night sky overflows with stars and the dogs are howling at the radiant moon.
While the trail was very fast today, the mushers and their dog teams had to carefully pick their trail through the ridges, blocks and shards of treacherous broken ice created by the winds, currents and tides of late fall. At the end of the day, it was noted with amusement that Aisara Kenuayuak had, again this year, taken an unexpected tumble. When his sled was abruptly caught on a block of ice today, Aisara was thrown forward off his sled. Fortunately, unlike last year on the sea ice in front of Kangiqsujuaq, Aisara will not be wearing a black eye to show for this incident.
Unlike the mushers and their teams of dogs which passed through the rough ridges of sea ice with traditional skill and address, the support crew and race officials had a much harder time keeping pace on their snowmobiles. Two machines, in fact, took serious beatings and required repairs en route. Once again it has been proven that modern technology is never as reliable as the old ways.
| Rank |  |
Racer | |
Today’s Time | |
Total Time |
| 1. | |
Peter Kiatainaq | |
4 hrs 32 min 49 sec | |
20 hrs 56 min 37 sec |
| 2. |
|
Junior May | |
4 hrs 35 min 37 sec | |
21 hrs 00 min 01 sec |
| 3. |
|
Bobby Novalinga | |
4 hrs 37 min 08 sec | |
21 hrs 43 min 36 sec |
| 4. |
|
Harry Okpik | |
4 hrs 46 min 38 sec | |
21 hrs 49 min 51 sec |
| 5. |
|
Tamusi Sivuaraapik | |
5 hrs 02 min 59 sec | |
22 hrs 18 min 35 sec |
| 6. |
|
Adamie Inukpuk | |
5 hrs 43 min 24 sec | |
24 hrs 31 min 56 sec |
| 7. |
|
Aisara Kenuayuak | |
5 hrs 02 min 05 sec | |
25 hrs 11 min 00 sec |
| 8. |
|
Willie Kulula Sr. | |
5 hrs 36 min 01 sec | |
25 hrs 19 min 01 sec |
| 9. |
|
Juusipi Qisiiq | |
5 hrs 43 min 49 sec | |
27 hrs 05 min 35 sec |
| 10. |
|
Willie Cain Jr. | |
5 hrs 54 min 58 sec | |
27 hrs 44 min 03 sec |
| 11. |
|
Nutaraaluk Iyaituk | |
5 hrs 55 min 56 sec | |
27 hrs 47 min 20 sec |
| 12. |
|
Matthew Nassak | |
5 hrs 58 min 12 sec | |
28 hrs 31 min 12 sec |
| 13. |
|
Simeonie Elijassiapik | |
6 hrs 26 min 45 sec | |
30 hrs 34 min 55 sec |
| 14. |
|
George Annanack | |
7 hrs 09 min 32 sec | |
31 hrs 56 min 09 sec |
| 15. |
|
Adamie Qumak | |
7 hrs 52 min 04 sec | |
36 hrs 27 min 19 sec |
