After spending the past two days snowed in, the dog teams finally came out of their hibernation this morning, as strong sunrays scared the bad weather away at last. It is under a bright blue sky that the dog teams that were still behind on the trail dug their sled out of the snow and started to move forward again, to go meet with the others waiting for them at the Ippigituit checkpoint. With the new supply of Naphta, groceries and dog food brought in by a small snowmobile crew sent especially for this mission, everybody was able to finally get warm, dry up their clothes and get a good meal to replenish their energy. The dog teams should hence be on their again tomorrow morning, with one last checkpoint before they can reach Kangiqsujuaq, where they are now expected Sunday afternoon with a feast of country foods and games.

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Yesterday, after a distressed call from the race officials informing the race coordinator that the dog teams settled at the Ippigituit camp and along the trail behind were running out of Naphta to keep their tents warm, a small snowmobile crew, composed of Charlie Arngaq, Johnny Annahatak and Adami Alaku, was sent from Kangiqsujuaq, later on that day, after the weather somewhat improved, just enough to enable them to get closer to the group. That crew finally reached Ippigituit early this morning, and was welcomed with gratefulness for the supplies they were bringing in.

Meanwhile, trail leader Aquyaq Qisiiq and other members of the safety patrol were on their way to get the dog teams a little further behind on the trail, bringing Juusipi Qisiiq, Etua Lucassie and their young partners Tuniq Koneak and Stanley Tukkiapik to camp, where they would dry up their clothes and warm up before they went back to dig out their sleds and get to camp by dog team.

Another snowmobile crew of two, composed of George Angnatuk and Alec Aloupa, sent from Quaqtaq, was also on its way early this morning, after the blizzard finally died down, to bring Naphta to the teams that were the farthest from Ippigituit, and help bring them in along with the two safety patrol members, Epervik Parr and Johnny Luuku, that had stayed behind with the teams of George Nunga and Jackusie Alashuak, of Johnny Arnatuk and Johnny Tukkiapik, of George Kritik Jr. and Sammy Ooging, and of Johnny Angnatuk and his son Sammy, who was celebrating his sixteenth birthday today.
As for the teams of Novalinga Novalinga and Poasi Kenuajuak, and of Daniel Annanack and Leevan Etok, who were camped only a few kilometres from Ippigituit and had made it though the blizzard O.K., they decided to make it on their own to the checkpoint, without any assistance, and met up with everybody else just in time for lunch.

After lunch, finally warm, the six teams that had left their dogs behind went back for them, dug out their sleds and got on their way to Ippigituit with their dogs that were getting restless.

All the mushers and their partners are now camped together and their dogs settled at Ippigituit, where the race officials will meet with them to adjusts the past days’ results accordingly, which will be posted later on or tomorrow, when they are finished compiling them.

>The weather forecast looks more promising for the next few days, so the dog teams should be on their way again tomorrow morning, back in the race for the Ivakkak 2007 cup.