Canadian Challenge: It Ain't Over Yet

The front runners are in and whether they are racing for a photo finish to cross the line or have hours ahead on their competition it is always exciting to see how it all unfolds.

Personally sadness washes over me when I see the crowds disperse and the followers on line disappear. Comments about how it's over and see you next year appear.

NO!  It's NOT over, not by a long shot.

Under cover of the dark early morning, Randy Mackenzie crept over the thresh hold at 3:01 to claim fourth place, and well deserved too.  If you check his run times they are in the top 3, way to go my man, well done.

Randy crosses for 4th
Photo Credit: Jim Williams

The coldest part of the morning at 5:56, saw Remy Leduc make his way happily across the finish line claiming fifth place.
 After traveling all the way from New Brunswick he must be feeling pretty pleased with himself.  Excellent work Remy, Congratulations!

There are still mushers out on those trails.

Darren Haas is on his way to La Ronge for a sixth place finish in his first race ever.  He still has about 14 miles to go, and just checking his tracker he has stopped.
I picture him snacking his team, giving them their final pep talk, maybe at this point removing any booties to give the dogs freedom to grab at the snow and ice as they make their way home.

Christina Traverse resting in Stanley Mission opted for a long break over night to run in the light of the day for a secured seventh place.

Christina is still working her way home
Photo Credit: Kandis Riese

And the original mountain man, Steven Laviolette, sits in the red lantern position having arrived at Stanley Mission early this morning at around 4:30.  I suspect he will be home to La Ronge just in time for dinner and to blow the lantern out closing the 20th anniversary of the Canadian Challenge.

The back end of the race is to me what distance mushing is all about.   Yes, it would be amazing to be in the top end of a race, what an incredible feeling that would be.
Working with a champion team and seeing them cross that finish line in first place is a fantastic feeling, I cried tears of joy.  (actually I cried at everything at that particular race, so it's a little unfair that I say this)  In any case, it IS a pretty fantastic high.

There is just something about the determination and drive that keeps mushers and their teams running the trails when the spectators have left and only a few scattered well wishers line the trail.
It has nothing to do with racing anymore, at least not against any competitor.  It has everything to do with that inner feeling of accomplishment.  To say they did it.

Which now brings me to the heart ache that is left out on the trails as well.
Joshua Lichti scratched  at Grandmothers Bay having arrived just after midnight with 10 dogs on the line.   Something had to be amiss as it took him almost 15 hours to arrive.
Word is Joshua and his dogs are all doing well.  Sometimes the dogs decide when it is time to end a race, they've had their fun and a good musher will be able to see that in his team, a better musher knows when to let them finish.

The race is not over, so much can still happen out there.

Good luck to the remaining teams
See you back in La Ronge!

Canadian Challenge: Thursday Night Update

Second Place 12 dogs are in, and it's Girl Power!!
Congratulations Jennifer Campeau and your puppy team, 11 dogs still running strong.

Jennifer as she leaves the start
Photo Credit: Kandis Riese

I had been wondering if she would leave her husbands side, then almost 2 hours from the finish she pulled ahead, leaving Jason and his team of 6 a good 5 miles behind to take third place.

In fourth place will be Randy Mackenzie and his team of 9, running at a good pace they are about 30 miles from finishing as I write this.

Remy made it into Stanley Mission at 5:21 with 10 dogs where he will take his 5 hour mandatory rest.   All the previous teams have been able to take extra long breaks here at Stanley as their finishing places were secured for the most part.
Remy however may want to keep to a strict 5 hour break if he wants to keep his fifth place standing.

You see there is a girl running just behind him!  Christina came into Stanley 2:27 hours behind Remy, and although that sounds like a good lead (and it is), it doesn't give much room for Remy to take a nice long break.
AND Darren pulled in just behind Christina with 6 dogs.

So we have a race for fifth, six and seventh place.  We'll see how the teams rest up and when they actually get on their runners to leave.   Could be a fun finish to watch for.
Guesses? As the sun starts to come up over the horizon we could see the first of these three running to the finish line.

In the meantime, Steven, if all goes well with his 8 dogs, is sitting in eighth place  If his run to Grandmothers Bay, where he now comfortably rests for a bit, is any indication of things to come he could very well hold that spot.

Which leaves Joshua as our red lantern holder in ninth spot.  Joshua as I write this update is sitting at almost 10 miles out of Grandmothers Bay.

Good luck everyone, and Congratulations to all.

I wont be awake to see Randy cross that finish line, but I'll be there in spirit.

Canadian Challenge; Randy Mackenzie

I met Randy for the very first time 4 years ago in the Yukon 3 days before the start of the Yukon Quest.

I was replacing his handler who was unable to make it at that time.  Under most circumstances most people would be in a state of panic.  Not only does Randy have to make sure everything is in place for himself and the dogs, attend meetings, and all those little logistics that are last minute, but now he is having to get to know a new team member.   It could have been chaotic, and maybe it was, but what I met was a calm, collected laid back musher.

I never asked where his kennel name comes from, but Controlled Chaos is perfectly suited.

Randy started this whole dog mushing business 20 years ago now.

He was into sprint racing and skijouring at the time, and although he enjoyed being on the back of a sled he started to feel that sprint was way too quick which was why he moved on into distance.

It helps that he loves camping, it was a good fit.

 Randy keeps on coming back to the Challenge as he enjoys the camaraderie and friendliness of the people and the volunteers.  He says it is nice to go back and meet those that are just as passionate about the same things as he is.  

His most memorable Canadian Challenge was in 2015.  

It was a race that should have ended before it even began.  He had major mechanical issues with his trailer driving from Fort McMurray to Prince Albert and luckily found someone on a holiday Monday to make permanent repairs.   

At the Anglin Lake checkpoint, which was the first one in the race that year, Randy arrived to discover that his truck, having blown the clutch, was being crippled back to Prince Albert and he wondered aloud if he should be scratching. 

You would think that all the troubles up to this point are what made the trip memorable, and although they are hard to forget that is not what he remembers the most.

It was how everyone stepped up to help out that stands out.

 After his dogs were settled down in beds of straw (as the dog truck was now gone) Randy was sent inside to warm up and get a meal.   I approached Dave Smallwood the Race Marshall that year asking for assistance, he was very accommodating and calmly took charge.

Help arrived by the name of Steve Taylor and his truck.  He was there that year cheering his daughter on, one of Randys competitors, but willingly hooked up his truck to our trailer and became Randy's new driver all the way to Stanley Mission. 

It was also discovered that all of Randy's snacks and drinks were left under the front seat of the truck, but thanks to Sarah DeBrion, Jillians handler, she made sure that Randy left with a hot drink from Grandmothers Bay. 

Randy took it all in stride and did famously.

In fact he is very proud of his two big accomplishments that year.  Finishing the race with 12 healthy dogs, 10 on the line, and being presented with the vet award.

Randy deserves all the good that comes his way.  When you are yourself a caring giving person it is only natural that it comes back to you ten fold.

It has been a tough year for Randy as he lost his home and his dog kennel in the fires of Fort McMurray last summer.   He hates bringing up the memory of the fire, but it has to be done when he would like to make mention the actions of an incredible person.

Luck was on Randy's side as he did not lose any animals to the fire, and there were many that needed to be evacuated.   However he did lose all of his dog sledding equipment.

The only two items that survived were his sled and one dog blanket that his mom had made for his dogs.

Karen Ramstead, not only found room at her kennel and in heart for some of his dogs to stay while rebuilding took place, but also made sure that Randy could run dogs again this year. 

From harnesses, to gang lines, to booties, right down to a sleeping bag, Karen ensured that Randy was well equipped once again.

Without her help he would likely not be racing at the Challenge this year and cannot thank her enough for everything she has done for him.

I know she will be on his mind during the race this year.

Dirk will be running again with Randy, his ever faithful leader.   Dirk, the team motivator, is his happy,  go to, all around great dog.   Dirk was the one that led them over the mountains in the Quest  and will continue to run with Randy no matter what he has planned next.

He enjoys the way he has been running dogs for the last 15 to 20 years, and will continue in the same fashion, without a lot of pressure. 

Randy just wants to sit back and enjoy the passion of running dogs

Photo Credit: Edmonton Journal