Clear blue skies reigned over Payne Lake all day today as ten more teams and their dogs arrived at the half-way point of the course of Ivakkak 2006. Counting all the racers, officials and organizers present, 34 people have turned the three-cabin Payne Lake Outfitting Camp into an instant village. And while this brief home away from home may be short on sleeping space, none of the other most basic comforts are lacking: caribou stew is kept simmering on the stove and there is plenty of tea, coffee and bannock, not to mention good company. The only teams being impatiently awaited now are those of Johnny Arnatuk and Adamie Qumak. Both are expected tomorrow.
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Beginning this morning, several more participants in Ivakkak 2006, Nunavik’s annual dogsled race, drew up at intervals, in pairs or small groups, to the half-way checkpoint set up at the east end of Payne Lake. The first to arrive were Harry Okpik followed closely by Matthew Nassak, shortly after 9 a.m. While these two racers were close to the checkpoint last night, due to a nearby open water hazard, both decided for safety’s sake to spend an extra night on the land and await daylight to travel. Next, sometime after 10 a.m., a little over an hour later, Novalinga Novalinga and Willie Cain Jr. made their appearances at the camp. The third group pulled up to the camp only late in the afternoon, sometime shortly after 4:30 p.m.; this group included Peter “Boy” Ittukallak, Adamie Inukpuk and Jani-Marik Beaulne. Finally, Poasi Kenuajuak, Simeonie Elijasiapik and Jusipi Lucassie reached their destination just before 7 p.m.
It should not be left unsaid that the members of each of these four separate groups spent a tiresome day jockeying back and forth for the lead over their closest rivals and working hard to keep the noses of their dogs focussed on the task at hand, which is to say the race. It seems that some caribou recently passed through the area, leaving behind them tracks and a tantalizing odour that would surely have distracted the dogs, if not for the constant calling of “Uit, uit” by their mushers. After three nights of sleeping out on the land in the harsh cold, every single one of the day’s arrivals is looking forward to a good night’s sleep in the heated cabins at the camp.
But even as these latest arrivals begin to savour their well-deserved rest, Peter Kiatainaq, Tamusi Sivuaraapik and John Jack Séguin are gearing up for the final leg of Ivakkak 2006. This final leg should prove to be a gentle downward run, as the race course follows for the most part the Payne River. Kiatainaq is scheduled to depart at first light on Friday morning, which is to say at 4 a.m. If the good weather holds and the snow remains hard packed, the racer is confident that he will be in Kangirsuk before nightfall on Saturday. As for Sivuaraapik and Séguin, their departure will take place approximately four hours later and should be very exciting as only six minutes currently separate these two racers.
| Rank |  |
Racer | |
Start | |
Arrival | |
Arrival date | |
Total Time |
| 1. | |
Peter Kiatainaq (#2) | |
10:51:00 | |
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| 2. |
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Tamusi Sivuaraapik (#15) | |
11:03:00 | |
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| 3. |
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John Jack Séguin (#8) | |
10:57:00 | |
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| 4. |
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Harry Okpik (#5) | |
10:54:00 | |
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| 5. |
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Matthew Nassak (#16) | |
11:04:00 | |
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| 6. |
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Novalinga Novalinga (#3) | |
10:52:00 | |
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| 7. |
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Willie Cain Jr. (#6) | |
10:55:00 | |
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| 8. |
|
Peter Ittukallak (#1) | |
10:50:00 | |
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| 9. |
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Adamie Inukpuk (#4) | |
10:53:00 | |
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| 10. |
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Jani-Marik Beaulne (#12) | |
11:01:00 | |
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| 11. |
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Poasi Kenuajuak (#10) | |
10:59:00 | |
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| 12. |
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Simeonie Elijasiapik (#9) | |
10:58:00 | |
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| 13. |
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Jusipi Lucassie (#11) | |
11:00:00 | |
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| 14. |
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Johnny Arnatuk (#14) | |
11:02:00 | |
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| 15. |
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Adamie Qumak (#7) | |
10:56:00 | |
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