Dog teams and support crew get ready to hit the trail


After a warm welcome from the community of Inukjuak this past weekend, the participants in the fourth edition of the dog team race met with the race officials and support crew this morning to discuss race logistics. Partner in the organization of the Ivakkak dog team race, the Federation of Cooperatives of Northern Quebec (FCNQ) then opened the doors of their brand new Co-op super store for all participants and support crew to shop for en route supplies in the afternoon.

____________________________

The FCNQ also provided each dog team with two 20 kg bags of dry dog food, a much appreciated contribution that will be repeated in the other communities along the way, in Umiujaq, as well as in Kuujjuaraapik. High in nutrients, the food is a good complement to the customary country food diet that Inuit huskies are used to, and makes for a lighter load while traveling on the land.

While the musheurs later tended to their dogs and fined tuned their sled in preparation for the big day tomorrow, the support crew filled up on gas and oil, getting their snowmobile and qamutik ready to hit the trail.

Weather permits, all will be leaving tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM from Inukjuak, to cover their daily average of 40 miles, heading south towards Umiujaq. May the sun shine high and bright!

Search

RSS

Subscribe now!

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 (...).

Read more...