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trip report: Hudson Bay Quest Dog Sled Race

Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
Recently returned from my annual trip north (it is great to go somewhere that refers to Minnesota as "down south".)

Race started in Gillam, Manitoba. We were welcomed by beautiful March weather: -8F.

landing in Gillam.jpg

Prerace health checks on the dogs the next day would have been ideal for the race: highs right about 0, slight breeze. But my the start, we added some new snow into the mix but temps remained ideal.

start chute.jpgstart 1.jpg

The race started on Friday the 13th, with 13 teams.
 
Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
Once the teams where on the trail, we had a few hours until we caught the train that night, so we toured a local hydroelectric dam. It is really cool how in the middle of it they let us get. Can't see any US plants doing that anymore!

turbine room.jpgturbine shaft.jpg

Loaded committee members, handlers (the important folks who help the mushers), rest of my vet team and lots of supplies onto the train and head north. Me and two others got unloaded at a small cabin about 100 miles outside town where we have our check point for the dogs.

Morning flag.jpgGillam station.jpgM'Clontock Morn.jpg

Saturday and Sunday morning's weather had me worried: temps in the 30s to pushing 40. Far too warm for the dogs, but much to the credit of the mushers they did well despite the weather.

A few shots of mushers on the trail:

Musher on the Deer.jpgleaving check point.jpgMush down Deer.jpg
 
Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
Only a couple dogs required treatment, and one musher was forced for health reasons to end the race at the check point. Early Sunday morning (3am) we loaded the dogs and some supplies on the freight train, then waited for a ride out via truck on the tracks later that day.

tired patient.jpgWaiting for tx.jpg

Passing the site of a derailment last summer:

train wreck.jpg
 
Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
About 3pm Sunday the weather changed: Breezy and 40F became 5F and 60 MPH winds in matter of couple hours. By late evening temp fell further to -5.

blizzard 2.jpgBlizzard 1.jpg

No real complaints, as we were in town by then. Most the rest the time until leaving Tuesday temps stayed below zero, with windchills even during the day of -40 to -50.

morning sundog.JPG
 
Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
Pile of parts said:
Nice. Do you run a team of dogs or just there for vet/spectator purposes?
Click to expand...

Head trail vet and member of race organizing committee.

I think over my years at the race dog sled is about the only mode of transportation available in the area I have not used in my duties (done old Bombardier snow coach, snowmobile, passenger and freight trains, trucks on the train track, helicopter etc)
 
UNSTUCK

UNSTUCK

But stuck more often.
Pretty cool. I used to enjoy watching the Iditarod in Alaska. Have you ever worked that one? Always amazed me that the dogs did better when the temps were below zero. I always did worse.
 
Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
UNSTUCK said:
Pretty cool. I used to enjoy watching the Iditarod in Alaska. Have you ever worked that one? Always amazed me that the dogs did better when the temps were below zero. I always did worse.
Click to expand...

I have only been to the Iditarod for their trail vet training course and to help with pre-race exams on the dogs. On my to-do list, and would be a fun way to see a lot of central Alaska.

I have found the dogs seem to perform best in the window of -10F to about 0. But even in the -30F range the dogs aren't too bothered (the mushers and vets don't fare as well in those conditions.)

This is what a night of -30 with 40+ MPH winds looks like (from the HBQ 2013). Was out checking dogs almost constantly from midnight to 5am.

frozen face.jpg

But the reward is sights like these:

Gillam lights.jpg
 
UNSTUCK

UNSTUCK

But stuck more often.
Nice pictures! It's amazing how well the dogs do in the cold. I've seen pictures where the musher is bundled up inside the sled, totally covered. The dogs were pulling the sled down the trail. They knew just where to go.

The northern lights are great. Most people only see the green colors. Seen any purples or reds? Those are even rarer. Driving through Canada one time we watched them dance all night long. It was pretty cool as they seen to only last a few minutes.

Talking about this stuff always makes me home sick.
 
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