The ups and downs of Day 3


Today was a long but interesting day for the dog teams participating in this year’s challenging Ivakkak edition. As they left their camp just above the Tuttutuuq River, the mushers and their loyal companions soon found themselves manoeuvring through narrow trails made up of soft snow within the trees. No less than 40 miles or so later, as they finally reached their new outpost, this time just across and up from Whale River, the game was a totally different one (see results below).

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Willie Kulula Sr., of from Quaqtaq, tied himself to his sled as he left this morning, making sure his dogs didn’t run away from him again in case of another unexpected fall, a tactic that served him good today. Known as Atanarjuat, the fast runner, to his peers since the 2003 Ivakkak race, Willie also ran along his dogs quite a bit and caught up to Ivakkak 2004 champion, Peter Kiatainaq, of Kangiqsujuaq, who is still in the lead this year. Willie’s athletic performance certainly paid off, as he passed Charlie Watt Jr. of Kuujjuaq and Aisara Kenuajuak of Puvirnituq, whom have now dropped behind him in the overall ranks. Even Novalinga Novalinga, also of Puvirnituq, will have to watch his back, as his advance from the first day seems to be wearing off, Willie now being less than a minute behind him.

Unfortunately for Adamie Qumaq, his better performance today didn’t have the same effect. Although he passed two teams today –Lucassie Alayco of Akulivik and Johnny Arnatuk of Quaqtaq– he is still a couple of hours behind them overall. Perhaps the one who looks like the fugitive Osama Bin Laden will have to use his sozie’s tactic and take short cuts through the bushes to catch up…

But it will be hard, as the trail seems to get narrower and narrower, and the snow deeper and deeper. A few support crew actually got stuck in this soft snow made heavy under this afternoon’s warm sunrays. Sometimes stuck right in the middle of the trail, the snowmobiles were an obstacle to the dog teams trying to get ahead. But not to worry, their times were adjusted accordingly, the guys making sure to check the ticking clock on their pocket watches.

As if the emotions were not strong enough, a rollercoaster ride awaited the mushers on their sled before they could finally rest their dogs. A steep hill lead the dog teams down to the Whale River bank, raising the mushers’ adrenaline level to a high as they tried their best to slow down their sled in fear of sliding right into their dogs who couldn’t keep up with gravity. But all in all, most enjoyed the ride… That is until they got to the other side of the river, where a long steep climb awaited them. As they finally reached the top, it wasn’t cold sweat that streamed down their face, but rather a warm feeling of achievement.

Fortunately, everyone made it safe to camp just before snowflakes started blurring the trail. Last night’s starry sky where northern lights enjoyed dancing is long gone, as a blizzard warning is in effect for the area tonight. Hopefully, it will have cleared up by tomorrow morning and the dog teams will be able to make it to Kuujjuaq, just 30 more miles away.

Rank Racer Today’s Time Total Time
1. Peter Kiatainaq 5h 35 m 51s 12h 44m 52s
2. Novalinga Novalinga 5h 59m 12s 13h 18m 14s
3. Willie Kulula Sr. 5h 29m 26s 13h 18m 57s
4. Charlie Watt Jr. 5h 49m 21s 13h 22m 05s
5. Aisara Kenuajuak 5h 50m 00s 13h 31m 47s
6. Willie Cain Jr. 6h 13m 54s 14h 29m 59s
7. Tamusi Sivuaraapik 6h 07m 06s 14h 55m 13s
8. Adamie Inukpuk 6h 53m 13s 15h 20m 16s
9. George Annanack 6h 44m 14s 15h 32m 36s
10. Juusipi Qisiiq 6h 45m 42s 15h 40m 13s
11. John Jack Séguin 6h 37m 19s 15h 52m 39s
12. Masiu Nassak 6h 44m 44s 16h 07m 01s
13. Simeonie Elijassiapik 7h 10m 00s 16h 29m 56s
14. Nutaraaluk Iyaituk 6h 57m 20s 16h 48m 05s
15. Harry Okpik 6h 55m 11s 16h 50m 01s
16. Lucassie Alayco Sr. 7h 40m 44s 17h 56m 10s

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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 (...).

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