Update: As of 11:30 p,m, Tuesday night, Jesse Terry of Sioux Lookout, Ont. was in the lead, followed by Rhonda Heerschap of Nolalu, Ont.
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And they’re off.
Eight 10-dog teams left Elk Ridge at noon as part of the annual Canadian Challenge Dog Sled Race – a 288 kilometre trek into northern Saskatchewan. As of 5 p.m., 2022 winner Jesse Terry was in the lead near Weyakwin followed closely by Rhonda Heerschap.
The mushers are wearing GPS and their progress can be followed on the Canadian Challenge website.
“I would expect the front teams to be in [La Ronge] probably early Wednesday morning, mid-morning perhaps, but we will be seeing teams coming in through the day because there are some that are a little bit slower,” race president Dan Kirkup said.
The eight-dog race , which is 161 kms long, starts at Highway 969 Wilderness Camp on Thursday at 10 a.m. and the six-dog race (80 kms in distance) begins in La Ronge on Friday at 10 a.m. Kirkup explained both races will resume/start 10 a.m. on Friday in La Ronge and the public is invited to Patterson Park beforehand to see the dogs.
Every race this year will end in Missinipe.
Over the years, the Canadian Challenge has obtained the recognition of being a world class-sporting event and is the nation’s longest sled dog, which starts, runs and finishes in Canada. The race has attracted teams from across Canada, the United States, Australia, Germany, Serbia and Belgium. It has been a qualifier for the Yukon Quest and Iditarod.
Kirkup mentioned Monday’s vet checks in Prince Albert were successful with all dogs given the go ahead to compete. He also noted the vast majority of the trail is in good shape with only small sections where mushers will need to pay closer attention.
“Unfortunately, we can’t make the trail perfect everywhere, so there are a few spots that are a little bit more attention-needed [like] crossing a creek that’s flowing again after last week’s warmth, but we are expecting it to better now,” Kirkup said.
“The trail is in good shape overall. These colder temperatures the last few days have really helped out to solidify that trail, which has been a big help for us.”
Environment Canada currently has an extreme cold warning in effect for La Ronge. The daytime high on Tuesday is -23 C with a low of -36 C. The wind chill, however, is expected to make it feel like -46 C overnight.
Cold temperatures are also forecasted on Wednesday and Thursday with highs of -25 C and -22 C with lows of -36 C on both nights.
“It certainly takes a lot more energy. The dogs need a little bit more fat in their diet to be able to keep warm. They will be adding that in,” Kirkup said.
“Everything that seems minor when it’s warm, becomes more difficult when it’s cold. You have to wear bigger mitts to handle the cold, then you can manipulate your hands and fingers as you want to. Everything just takes a little bit longer and some of the vehicles will run more than they might have otherwise just to have a place to stay warm. We are really lucky in Weyakwin to have the community hall available where we can get inside, and everyone can stay warm there tonight.”
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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com
Twitter: @saskjourno
