Matthew Nassak’s dogs hurry home to Kangirsuk


68_ID_2006It was Matthew Nassak’s turn to make it to Kangirsuk late this evening. Arriving home, a crowd of many friends and relatives of the local musher welcomed him back to town, as well as his partner, his nephew Etua. Meanwhile, Harry Okpik and partner Willie Kulula Sr., whom Nassak passed and were still trying to get to the finish line, but getting tired, decided to stop shortly after midnight and settled camp only 10 miles away from the Ungava Bay community. Novalinga Novalinga and his partner Adamie Angiyou did the same a few miles back. Both teams are expected to arrive early tomorrow morning, as they will be competing for the fifth place and related prizes. They should be followed by a couple of other teams later in the morning, and some more in the afternoon, while the last teams could arrive late tomorrow night or the next morning, in time for the race’s closing ceremony, which should take place on Tuesday night. Stay tuned; the race is not over yet…
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A light snow having covered all trace of human, or dog, activity this morning, race official Jackusie Ittukallak and one of the safety patrol member had to open the trail ahead of the dog teams remaining in the race. The rest of the safety patrol crew stayed behind at Qinguaq, one of the great local ice fishing spots. With the current there on the river, where Arctic char usually feed, it’s no wonder the area is a favourite of many Kangirsumiut. But for the dog teams who had yet to pass, it was no fishing party. An icy slope leading above the river valley, combined with open water down below, made for a very dangerous climb. Warned by Ivakkak champion Peter Kiatainaq, who had been the first to pass there yesterday, the safety patrol decided to stick around. Fortunately, by noon, four teams had gone through safely, and by five o’clock, another foursome was also out of danger, moving on up above. Only the last four teams still have to go through the precarious passage. The safety patrol will hence be on the look out again tomorrow morning.

After having gone through this obstacle earlier this morning, Matthew Nassak’s dog team, who fasten the pace as they smelled home, passing a couple of teams on the way, finally pulled in Kangirsuk late this evening. The musher, who is from this community, was welcomed back to town by a crowd of many friends and relatives who had gathered had the finish line, anxious to see him arrive. After many hugs and handshakes, the musher and his partner, his nephew, Etua Nassak, were hoisted up by the crowd, who proclaimed them their own heroes. Etua, who was celebrating his eighteenth birthday, was also treated to the usual Happy Birthday song, before him and Matthew went on home with the dogs. Happy birthday Etua!

As the crowd started to head back home, the race officials were still unsure if the next mushers, who were following Matthew by a few miles, were actually going to make it tonight. A call from Harry Okpik to the race coordinator, Isabelle Dubois, at one o’clock in the morning settled the matter, as he reported having set up camp, some 10 miles away from town. Everybody was hence able to go to sleep without having to worry to miss the one-legged musher’s arrival, as he and his partner, Willie Kulula Sr., tired, decided to stop for the night and rest their dogs to arrive in Kangirsuk tomorrow morning in the best of shape. Five miles or so further down the trail, Novalinga Novalinga and his partner Adamie Angiyou were doing the same. Competing for the fifth position and related prizes, the two teams should leave their respective camp at the crack of dawn tomorrow, trying to be the first one to make it to Kangirsuk. Since they don’t have much distance to cover, people better get up early if they want to see them cross the finish line, which they could do as early as seven or eight o’clock.

Simeonie Elijasiapik’s team, who is just a little further behind them, closely followed by Adamie Inukpuk’s team, should also arrive sometime in the morning, as well as Willie Cain Jr. and his dogs, who stopped early today to rest after the long climb up, falling behind a bit in ranks, which he hopes to make up for by getting started as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. As for Peter “Boy” Ittukallak’s team and the Beaulne brothers, they should be arriving sometime in the afternoon. The rest of the pack –Jusipi Lucassie, Poasi Kenuajuak, Johnny Arnatuk and Adamie Qumak– should follow either that same evening, or the next morning. Meanwhile, the safety patrol will be watching out for everybody, as more small rivers up above the Payne River valley, are starting to leave their icy beds and flowing freely across the land, blocking the trail in some parts. This early flood is due to the unusually mild weather Nunavik has been experiencing this winter, proof that global warming has even reached the normally cold far North. This early meltdown certainly ads to the challenge of this year’s already demanding edition of the Ivakkak dog team race.

NOTE: All the dog teams’ start times from Puvirnituq were adjusted back to 10:50 AM during their mandatory rest at the Payne Lake camp. For example, if they had left one minute after 10:50 AM, they were allowed to leave the halfway checkpoint one minute earlier. If they had left two minutes after 10:50 AM, they were allowed to leave two minutes earlier, and so on. This was done so that the teams would arrive in the order of their actual rank at the finish line in Kangirsuk.

IMPORTANT: Please also note that the race official are still using Eastern Standard Time (EST), as adjusting their clock one hour later to Daylight Saving Time (DST) would have made the total times of the dog teams during this race one hour too long. Instead, using the standard time, it is really reflecting the actual time that they took to make it to from Puvirnituq to Kangirsuk.

Rank Racer Start Arrival Arrival date Total Time
1. Peter Kiatainaq (#2) 10:50:00 AM 6:11:48 PM April 1 5 days 7hrs 2min 48sec
2. Tamusi Sivuaraapik (#15) 10:50:00 AM 0:07:40 AM April 2 5 days 13hrs 17min 40sec
3. John Jack Séguin (#8) 10:50:00 AM 1:03:00 AM April 2 5 days 14hrs 13min
4. Matthew Nassak (#16) 10:50:00 AM 9:58:22 PM April 2 6 days 11hrs 8min 22sec
5. Harry Okpik (#5) 10:50:00 AM
6. Novalinga Novalinga (#3) 10:50:00 AM
7. Simeonie Elijasiapik (#9) 10:50:00 AM
8. Adamie Inukpuk (#4) 10:50:00 AM
9. Willie Cain Jr. (#6) 10:50:00 AM
10. Peter Ittukallak (#1) 10:50:00 AM
11. Jani-Marik Beaulne (#12) 10:50:00 AM
12. Jusipi Lucassie (#11) 10:50:00 AM
13. Poasi Kenuajuak (#10) 10:50:00 AM
14. Johnny Arnatuk (#14) 10:50:00 AM
15. Adamie Qumak (#7) 10:50:00 AM

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