6th Hudson Bay Quest starts March 21, 2009 in Churchill, Manitoba
March 25, 2009 - 9:00pm - Update...
Everyone is still heading north and the weather is still not letting up. By 4:30pm, Darryl Baker, Dave Daley, Johnny Mamgark, Peter Sr., Harry Towtongie and Barney Kalluak had all check in at Big River checkpoint and were planing on waiting out the weather. The racers banquet has now been reshceduled to Thursday, March 26th.
March 25, 2009 - 12:00pm - Teams and Rangers Nearing Big River
Mushers, dogs and Canadian Rangers are all travelling north to Arviat with the banquet still scheduled for tonight. According to the last spot check, the teams are just south of Big River. Catton Lake rangers are back in Churchill, safe and sound.
While official confrmation will be made tonight by Race Marshal Jack Batstone, the final race standings will reflect team arrivals in Nunalla:
- Darryl Baker
- Dave Daley
- Ernest Azure
- Philip Kigusiutnak
- Johnny Mamgark
- Peter Mamgark Sr.
- Ed Olbrecht
- Jamie Kablutsiak
- Harry Towtongie
- Barney Kalluak
Official purse and related awards will be posted after the race banquet.
March 24, 2009 - 12:00pm - Blizzard Wins 2009 Quest
The sixth Hudson Bay Quest has been officially halted as the blizzard continues to rage north of Churchill. A helicopter is waiting in Churchill to fly out with supplies once the weather clears. Charlie Lundie, Morris and Mike Spence and the Catton Lake rangers are headed back to Churchill, travelling together. Stay tuned for more updates at 2pm CST.
March 23, 2009 - 3:00pm - Racers, Rangers Safe At Nunalla; Waiting Out Blizzard
Nunalla reporting blizzard conditions with high winds and whiteout conditions. Jack Batstone, race Marshall has reported that all racers and dogs have hunkered down and are resting with no plans to leave until the weather improves. Weather reports are grim for the next 12 hours or more with winds expected gusting 50-70km tonight and letting up early tomorrow.
Extra dog food and fuel supplies are being mustered at Arviat for transfer by snowmobile to Big River but weather is hampering all efforts for the time being.
Once the weather breaks, teams will likely be released from Nunalla at short intervals with time adjustments, based on the time that the race was temporarily suspended, applied in Arviat. When it resumes, it will still be a close race for first given that Darryl Baker took an extended rest in Nunalla before the race was officially suspended, unofficially leaving him with maybe a three or four hour lead instead of twelve.
The next race update is scheduled for 9:30am Tuesday, March 24th.
March 23, 2009 - 9:00am - Whiteout Blues
The race is still on hold as whiteout conditions are locked in at Nunalla checkpoint. The storm is just now reaching Churchill so conditions will hopefully let up in Nunalla later in today. However, a weather warning remains in effect for Arviat and the race finish line.
Late last night, Harry Towtongie finally arrived in Nunalla. Between Catton Lake and Nunalla, Harry missed the trail and Nunalla checkpoint. Once he realized his mistake, he turned his team and headed south to look for the checkpoint. He is now listed in ninth place, dropping from third.
Both Moses Kigusiutnak and Jamie Kablutsiak have arrived at Nunalla around 7pm. Barney Kalluak is still in the race, with a newly repaired komatik, arriving in Nunalla around 11:30pm. Charlie Lundie and Moses Kigusiutnak have officially withdrawn from the race.
Seal River rangers have returned to Churchill and Morris Spence has travelled north with one of the Wat'Chee Lodge vans to resupply the Catton Lake checkpoint.
March 22, 2009 - 4:30pm - More into Nunalla
Peter Mamgark Sr. has reported in from Nunalla at 2:50pm with Ed Olbrecht spot checking shortly after (3:32pm). Communication is sporadic so it is likely that Harry Towtongie is in Nunalla as well although no official confirmation can be made at this point. As well, Jamie Kablutsiak is expected at Nunalla this afternoon.
Morris Spence is headed north with fuel and parts to assist the Canadian Rangers. Seal River checkpoint will soon be closed and the posted rangers will return to Churchill.
March 22, 2009 - 3:00pm - Waiting Game
Johnny Mamgark is officially reported into Nunalla at 2:00pm, putting him in fifth place on the Hudson Bay Quest. Unofficial reports indicate that Charlie Lundie is withdrawing from the race and requesting assistance four kilometres out of Catton Lake. No information regarding Harry Towtongie, the musher leaving Catton Lake with Philip, has been received to date.
Moses is probably still on the trail, with reports of his withdrawal at Hubbard Point incorrect, and would then be still in contention. We will be awaiting an official update on his status. Of course, this is usually how things work with Moses... so we'll see.
Catton Lake rangers have been dispatched to assist Barney Kalluak. Reports have come in that his sled has been repaired and he will continue on to Nunalla.
For those of you watching the spot check, Nunalla is located at N59,55,44, several racers should be nearing this checkpoint. Canadian Rangers have reported that the storm is starting to build along the coast.
March 22, 2009 - 12:00pm - Race and Blizzard Update
Reports are coming in that Philip K. and possibly Harry Towtongie have reached Nunalla, however, there are no official times as of yet. Two racers have scratched and called in for assistance. Barney Kalluak damaged his sled just south of Catton Lake and has requested a pickup while Moses, formerly reported through Catton Lake, is now being reported as stranded at Hubbard Point - south of Catton Lake - and waiting for assistance.
As well, news has come in that Darryl Baker has not left Nunalla, reportedly staying longer to let his team recover from the long, hard run on day one. After being on the trail for seventeen hours, there is a real possibility that his team may have run itself out. With Baker still at Nunalla, this opens the door to the other front-runners to compete for the title.
Ed Olbrecht and Jamie Kablutsiak have reached Catton Lake with an unofficial time of 10am, March 22. After camping last night, their dogs should be capable of reaching Nunalla this afternoon.
Howver, Race Marshal Jack Batstone has temporarily suspend the Quest while the blizzard, evacuations and fuel issues are sorted out.
March 22, 2009 - 11:00am - Azure into Nunalla
Ernest Azure is the third musher to reach Nunalla, arriving at 10:25am. Towtongie and Kigusiutnak should not be too far behind probably arriving within the hour, followed closely by the next group of three. Dave Daley, currently in second place, will be eligible to return to the race course by 2:50pm. As it looks right now, the only thing that can stop Baker is a broken komatik...
South winds have picked up today and you can feel the blizzard starting to build. It could be a long night for teams out on the race.
March 22, 2009 - 9:30am - Baker Closes in on Championship
After a late night run to Arviat, Darryl Baker is poised to win the 2009 Hudson Bay Quest. Arriving at 1:57am, Darryl was able to camp and utilize his mandatory six hour rest. He now effectively has a twelve hour lead on the rest of the pack.
Reports are now coming in from Catton Lake. Dave Daley has just arrived at Nunalla, after leaving Catton with Ernest Azure at 5:30am. Ernest is expected to check in shortly. Harry Towtongie and Philip Kigusiutnak are reported out of Catton Lake early in the a.m, heading out in the darkness sometime between 4:00 and 7:00 am.
Charlie Lundie, Peter Mamgark Sr. and Johnny Mamgark are reported out of Catton Lake bound for Nunalla. As well, Moses Kigusiutnak has moved up through the pack and has just reached the second checkpoint. He immediately left and headed for Nunalla. Ed Olbrecht, Barney Kalluak and Jamie Kablutsiak are still due into Catton Lake.
And of course, the annual Hudson Bay Quest storm is headed our way. While temperatures are predicted to hit -13C, the wind will gust up to 60 kilometres per hour, resulting in a -30 windchill. Heavy snow is predicted to start tonight and continue through tomorrow. With many racers laid up at their six hour mandatory rest in Nunalla, the race is poised to resume end in the midst of a blizzard.
The bombardier, additional Canadian Rangers and race veterinarian have all reached Nunalla, however, several checkpoints are now reporting to be low on fuel due to the rough trail conditions and longer than expected travel times. It is likely that Rangers stationed in Churchill will be sent out with additional fuel caches for the race.
March 21, 2009 - 10:30pm - Leaders Arrive at Catton Lake; Baker Heading to Nunalla
Darryl Baker is now both first to the Catton Lake checkpoint and official leader of the Hudson Bay Quest, arriving at 8:37pm. Dave Daley running in second is twenty minutes behind, checking in at 9:05pm. Charlie Lundie and Ernest Azure both arrived at 9:30 with Harry Towtongie only four minutes behind. Once again, adjusted for official start times, Harry Towtongie is running in third place. At the time of posting, more lights were spotted on the trail so several teams should be camped at Nunalla by now.
Darryl Baker has left for Nunalla. Once at Nunalla, all teams are required to have a six hour rest and veterinary check by race veterinarian, Dr. Drew Allen. Indications are that Daley and Azure will camp near Catton Lake. If Baker is the only racer to reach Nunalla, he will have a stranglehold on the championship of the 2009 Hudson Bay Quest, barring any unforeseen disasters...
The newly repaired bombardier is still heading towards Nunalla after a tea break at Catton and is scheduled to arrive at Nunalla tonight. Canadian Rangers are already posted at Nunalla and awaiting the arrival of teams late tonight or early tomorrow morning.
March 21, 2009 - 4pm - Baker Leading at Seal River Checkpoint but Towtoongie in First Place...
Some of the mushers did not press their spot check when they arrived at Seal River so here's a slight update to the update...
Daryl Baker has overcome a broken sled and a thirty minute delay at the starting line to reach Seal River checkpoint first. Its another close race this year with Baker checking in at 2:32pm with Dave Daley only one minute behind at 2:33pm. Harry Towtongie is running only minutes behind arriving at 2:37pm but with starting times adjusted Harry Towtongie is officially in first place.
Ernest Azure has passed several teams to arrive fourth at 2:50pm, followed closely by Jamie Kablutsiak, Charlie Lundie and Peter Mamgark Sr., all within fifteen minutes of each other. With official start time adjustments, Jamie is listed in fourth place followed by Ernest, Peter and Charlie. Okay, maybe a little complicated... but there can be no doubt that it is a tight race this year.
Other reported arrivals include Johnny Mamgark (3:23 pm), Barney Kalluak (3:37pm), Ed Obrecht (3:41pm) and Philip Kigusiutnak (3:41pm). With the adjustments for starting times, Johnny Mamgark is less than ten minutes behind Peter Mamgark Sr. Moses Kigusiutnak was the last musher to reach Seal River at 4:47pm.
From Seal River, mushers continue along the coast to Catton Lake checkpoint. Given the 2:30 arrival times at Seal River, it appears that a Nunalla arrival of 11pm is not out of reach. Although the trail is rough, it is not slowing the leading teams down. However, the worst conditions, from Nunalla to Big River, are yet to come.
March 21, 2009 - 3pm - Official Unofficial Update
Race Marshal Jack Batstone just returned to Churchill, flying back from unloading fuel barrels and taking a quick aerial detour over the Hudson Bay Quest. He sighted an Inuit sled out in front of the field, one hooked to a fan hitch. This could mean that Philip K., Moses K. or Harry Towtongie are out in front.
Following behind is a small group of racers appearing to be Charlie Lundie, Dave Daley, a komatik team in traditional caribou skins (either Philip K. or Harry Towtongie) and one other team off the trail a bit. These teams were closing in on Seal River, past the point (Point of the Woods on the map) and should have arrived at Seal River checkpoint by now. We are awaiting official times from Canadian Rangers to confirm the leaderboard.
Teams are almost on schedule coming into Seal River, maybe an hour behind other years. If this pace keeps up, the leading group should arrive in Nunalla close to midnight tonight. Race marshal Jack Batstone has headed out by snowmobile for Nunalla. The last reports indicated an eight hour trip between Churchill and Nunalla but judging by the look on Jack's face today, he'll probably be there in six.
We are now watching to see when Ernest Azure and Darryl Baker will arrive at Seal River. They both have fast teams and should be able to make up their delayed starts. They are expected to round out the leaderboard by tonight, provided Baker's newly rebuilt sled holds up on the rough trail.
Once again, the Hudson Bay Quest looks poised to split into two fields - those competing for the top five positions and everyone else. The Seal River crossing will be the first major detour in the race. Depending on conditions, this could also affect the standings. It is a complicated river delta with several snowmobile trails running nearby. Two years ago, Dave Daley was competing for a top five position when his dogs took a wrong turn at Seal River and eventually forcing his withdrawal.
Seal River to the next checkpoint, Catton Lake, is likely another five to six hours. Leading teams are expected into Catton around 8pm.
Gerald Azure has withdrawn from the Hudson Bay Quest, citing health problems with his lead dog, Thunder.
March 21, 2009 - Smooth Starts and Less So
The 2009 Hudson Bay Quest is underway with all thirteen mushers out on the trail. Churchill residents lined the starting chute, some watching from the sidelines, some from two Tundra Buggies parked beside the trail serving hot chocolate. Naturally, there were a few complications, with some mushers missing their gate times and a fairly major disaster for Darryl Baker's team.
Heading to the starting gate, Darryl's racing komatik broke as it crossed the railway tracks in Churchill. With the front ski completely broken, Inuit handlers and helpers quickly descended on the sled to repair it. James Tagalik, deputy race marshal replacing Jack Batstone, worked on the sled and somehow I ended up getting elected as last minute race marshal for a second year in a row... so not too many pictures this year!
Daryl's sled was repaired within thirty minutes and he headed out on the trail at 9:37am just ahead of Ed Obrecht, the final musher to cross the starting line. Other mushers leaving late include Barney Kalluak, Jamie Kablutsiak and Ernest Azure. All teams are cleared by race veterinarian, Dr. Evan Fisk, and will be checked again at the halfway point, Nunalla. Teams are all running nine or ten dogs.
Race headquarters are located at the Churchill Chamber of Commerce booth. All teams are carrying spot check GPS units to allow race HQ and Canadian Rangers to track their progress. Special thanks to volunteers Leeann Fishback, Marie Belanger, Heather Macleod, Gerry Mobey, Jess Lankshear, Dennis Compayre, Robert MacDonald, Brian Ladoon and Bill Dingwall for making sure the race start ran... relatively... smoothly. Also a big thanks to Churchill's Junior Rangers for coming out and helping with starting line security!
Conditions are clear and cold, -27C with -40 windchill, pretty good for mushing. The temperature is predicted to rise to -17 and then -11 tomorrow with flurries. This should present reasonably good conditions for mushing, somewhat offsetting the rough trail. Yesterday, reports from the Canadian Rangers came in that they had only made it to Catton Lake by 9pm, usually the arrival time at Nunalla. Parts were also sent out last night to repair the ski on the Bombardier, Rangers should be resuming their trek to Nunalla checkpoint today. Trail master, Claude Daudet, is on the trail travelling ahead of the teams.
March 20, 2009 - Countdown to Number Six
All mushers and teams have arrived in Churchill, including Ed The Sled Obrecht, a late and somewhat ragged entrant. At the mushers banquet, held last night at the Royal Canadian Legion hall, all teams have selected their starting order. This year, the bib numbers were picked by date of registration with the first team registered, Charlie Lundie from Churchill, Manitoba, picking first and picking the first bib... He will start the race at 9:00am March 21st at the Churchill River Flats, followed by teams at two minute intervals.
Race order is as follows:
- Charlie Lundie, Churchill, Manitoba
- Ernest Azure, Churchill, Manitoba
- Dave Daley, Churchill, Manitoba
- Darryl Baker, Arviat, Nunavut
- Peter Mamgark Sr., Arviat, Nunavut
- Philip Kigusiutnak, Arviat, Nunavut
- Barney Kalluak, Arviat, Nunavut
- Harry Towtoongie, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut
- Johnny Mamgark, Arviat, Nunavut
- Moses Kigusiutnak, Arviat, Nunavut
- Jamie Kablutsiak, Arviat, Nunavut
- Ed Obrecht, Ladymith, Quebec
- Gerald Azure, Churchill, Manitoba
Trail conditions are reported to be very rough, possibly the hardest trail to date. James Tagalik, this year's deputy race marshal (Race Marshal Jack Batstone has been delayed out on the land and may not return before race start.. there's always a Plan B in the north and C and D...), just arrived from Arviat by snowmobile last night. He gave a trail report that is very grim. The trip that usually should be less than twelve hours took sixteen and worst of all, that was without any stops for tea! To further emphasize this point, as he recounted his trip, a report came in that the Canadian Rangers had broken a ski on the Bombarider at Seal River...
The run from Churchill to Seal River is considered fair to rough. Heading north to Nunalla, the halfway point, teams will encounter crystallized snow, a combination of frozen rain and a layer of fresh snow, a crust which essentially breaks apart as the mushers pass over top. Most teams will have to put booties on their dogs to navigate this part of the course. With a trail being cut through the crust, this may be the only part of the trail that favours the racing sled mushers, with the tandem teams, over the teams running traditional komatiks and fan-style hitches.
However, most of the trail this year will favour the Inuit and their traditional komatiks. The komatik is a flat wooden sled which the musher simply lies or sits on top of their gear which is strapped to the sled. It is best suited to the tundra of northern Canada.
The trail heading north from Nunalla is very rough, with many sharp, cement-like snowdrifts between Nunalla and Big River. After Big River, the trail is relatively smooth, allowing for a well-deserved sprint to the finish once mushers near their goal. The usual overflows have been reported at Big River and Gellini, at which points, the trail will likely curl inland to avoid the glare ice.
Leading teams are not expected into Nunalla until late tomorrow evening, with a strong likelihood that most teams will have to camp on the trail before hitting the mandatory eight hour rest at Nunalla. It is pretty unlikely that a new race record will be set this year...
At this point, the contenders include Darryl Baker (2nd 2008), Ernest Azure (3rd 2008), Philip Kigusiutnak, Harry Towtoongie, Charlie Lundie and Dave Daley. Philip K., the first inductee into the HBQ hall of fame, has had the fastest sprint team in Arviat this year, beating Darryl Baker's team in the short distance, 15-20 mile, races. However, Darryl is also coming off a 60 mile win in recent weeks.
Low-key Ernest Azure is once again poised to make a high profile finish in the Quest. Last year, he was hot on the heels of Darryl Baker into Arviat (if the trail would have been another 20km, he would have taken second). Last year's fourth place finisher, Dave Daley has once again been bitten by the bad luck bug. With one of his main lead dogs injured in a fight, he will be starting with a less experience leader. This, included with the stress of putting this race together, he'll need a few lucky breaks on the trail to be a contender.
Charlie Lundie is once again fielding a very fast team, however, his challenge lies in keeping his speed down over the rough trail and the physical abuse that comes with managing a stand-up sled. Rankin Inlet's Harry Towtoongie looks to be a real threat this year with three of former HBQ champion David Oolooyuk's dogs on his team. As usual, Harry will be a wild card in this year's race, kind of matching his personality a little bit...
Other wild cards include Moses Kigusiutnak, Jamie Kablutsiak, Peter Mamgark and Ed Obrecht. Moses would have placed in the top five last year if he wouldn't have missed the first checkpoint, resulting in a twelve hour penalty. So assuming Moses hits the checkpoints... and makes it to the starting line... he should be a real contender. And, of course, Ed The Sled is another unknown, even after one HBQ under his belt. He's been pretty busy on the racing circuit this year and could be a factor... assuming he makes it to the starting line...
Well, we'll find out in the next few days how this all turns out. This year, it will be a battle of endurance and the usual race to Nunalla, likely with only three or four teams making it into the checkpoint the first day.
Quote of the Day: 'Its pretty flat out there, sometimes you wish you could see another team or something. You spend time just thinking, being alone... maybe doing standup comedy to yourself... trying to convince yourself you're not crazy.' - Harry Towtoongie, Rankin Inlet
6th Hudson Bay Quest begins in three weeks
The 2009 HBQ leaves Churchill at 9am, March 21st. Twelve teams are registered for the sixth running of the Hudson Bay Quest, all of them race veterans. This year's teams include:
- Charlie Lundie - Churchill, Manitoba - Sponsor: Aurora Inn
- Ernest Azure - Churchill, Manitoba (3rd place - 2008) - Sponsor: Wapusk Adventures
- Dave Daley - Churchill, Manitoba (4th place - 2008) - Sponsor - Canada Goose, Wapusk General Store
- Daryl Baker - Arviat, Nunavut (2nd place - 2008)
- Peter Mamgark Sr. - Arviat, Nunavut
- Philip Kigusiutnak - Arviat, Nunavut (5th place - 2008)
- Moses Kigusiutnak - Arviat, Nunavut
- Jamie Kablutsiak - Arviat, Nunavut - Sponsor: Spike's Dog Supply
- Barney Kalluak - Arviat, Nunavut
- Harry Towtongie - Rankin Inlet, Nunavut - Sponsors: Qimwksiktiit, Nanuk Lodge, David Oolooyuk, Arctic Heating and staff
- Johnny Mamgark - Arviat, Nunavut
- Gerald Azure - Churchill, Manitoba - Sponsor: BlueSky Expeditions/Bed&Sled, Ladybug Foundation
2008 race champion, David Oolooyuk, is not returning this year so a new champion will once again be crowned in 2009. Top finishers, Ernest Azure, Daryl Baker and Dave Daley are locked in and sure to be competing for the main prize. The HBQ's first hall of fame inductee, 75 year old Philip Kigusiutnak will be returning once again. Since the first Quest in 2004, Philip has run each race and perennially finished in the top five. It looks like it should be a close race in what's shaping up to be a Churchill-Arviat showdown.
This year, the Hudson Bay Quest is proud to announce that local trapper and outdoorsman, Jack Batstone, will be performing Race Marshal duties. Jack's father, Eddie Batstone, ran a trapline out of the Nunalla area in the 1930s. The Hudson Bay Quest race route runs through much of his traditional trapping area. The HBQ would like to extend our thanks and appreciation for Bruce Andrews, outgoing Race marshal and long-time supporter of the Hudson Bay Quest.
Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks...
The 2008 Hudson Bay Quest runs from Churchill to Arviat, starting at 9:00am, March 21, 2009. Trail logistics and support will be provided by the Canadian Rangers. Special thanks to race sponsors Calm Air, Gardewine North, Churchill Mitigation Trust Fund and Canada Goose.
2009 HUDSON BAY QUEST APPLICATION FORMS
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HUDSON BAY QUEST - 2009 TRAIL PROCEDURE
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