Canadian Challenge: The Stories Will Live On

It has been a long day.
Anxiously awaiting the return of three mushers and their incredible athletes.

Darren Haas with six dogs from Controlled Chaos came across to claim his sixth place finish at 1:27 this afternoon.  It was his first race of any kind, and for a rookie did brilliantly.

Christina Traverse followed shortly at 2:05 with eight dogs on the line meeting up with her lead dog, Gogi, and catching that seventh place.  With her race times between Stanley and La Ronge being as fast as they were, she and her team had an amazing run into La Ronge.

Coming in to blow out the red lantern Friday night at 23:20 and close the 20th anniversary of this years Canadian Challenge is Steven Laviolette.  The mountain man with his Siberians from Quebec ran a race they had been dreaming about for a few years now.  He made it here AND he crossed the finish line.

Red Lanter, Steven Laviolette
Photo Credit: Kandis Riese

Every musher who has run the Canadian Challenge over the last 20 years has a story or two to tell. Some are exhilarating tales, many end with a laugh, and each of them share their stories with an enthusiasm that draws you in like a warm blanket on a cold day
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Distance mushers with their dry cracked hands, are a tough breed. They spend days on the runners in the cold brutal wind, chewing on frozen granola bars, and try to keep their drinks from freezing by holding them inside their jackets under their arm pits.  When nature calls, it doesn't care that it is -30 or colder, and that alone makes the tough even tougher.
Yet when they bend down to thank their dogs for working as a team their voices become soft and their hands gentle as they massage tired shoulders and hips.   There is a bond, and a trust between dog and musher that runs deep.  You can see it in the dogs eyes as they look up with unconditional love, and a look that says, I will run for you wherever you want to go.

Spending hundreds upon hundreds of miles together, alone in the wild with 8, 12 or 16 of your best friends doesn't mean you're tough, it means you're lucky.

I have been waiting all day to write, and had wanted to talk about the awesome volunteers, race officials and vets  Everyone who worked hard at putting on the race this year.
However I've decided that, that can wait until tomorrow as the last three mushers coming home was much more important.

Good night everyone, rest well.

Photo Credit: Kandis Riese

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: Steven Laviolette

Steven will be making his way across Canada from Ste Lucie de Laurentides, Quebec with his partner Melissa and 12 Siberian Huskies from his kennel, Tuuluuwak Sled Dogs.

When I asked how long he has been involved in dog sledding, this 46 year old replied, 47 years.  I'm not sure he was actually born on the runners, but he was most definitely born to run dogs.

His grandfather used strays to build up his team of dogs... Not for racing, but out of necessity as they could not afford horses. The dogs were used as their main mode of transportation to take them to church, shopping, run his trap lines and haul wood.

Stevens dad continued to raise dogs but ran them more out of a hobby than a need. 

When Steven grew up and moved out he knew he too wanted to run dogs, but wasn't content to do so as a hobby.  By starting up a touring business he found a way to run his dogs full time and still support his family.

It is not unusual for him to hook up his team and leave for impromptu trips that could last a few hours to many days.

He says he loves the freedom to go any distance at any time.

I asked him if he had a dog that stood out, and he was quick to talk about a dog named Kinu.  He is grandson to a favorite dog who has since passed on.  It's been 10 years and up until now he had yet to meet another dog like her. 

He told me about the time he and a friend had gone off on a quick run that could have turned deadly when they were caught in a blizzard without any provisions, including a headlamp.   Darkness fell and he was unsure where to go as the trail had all but blown in.  Deciding to put this yearling in lead was a good choice as it was he who got them all home without any trouble.  Kinu, he says, is pure magic and has his heart and soul.

Steven admitted to me that racing dogs was never the direction he intended to go.  In fact he discovered a challenge in how he will camp at the race.  He is used to packing up a sled full of gear that would include a large cook stove and tent, and now he is learning how to race.

So what got him into racing?

His oldest daughter, Laquasha was the driving force for this idea and Dad supported her in training, working along side of her.   Laquasha recently graduated school and has at the moment head out into the world to do some traveling,  leaving Dad to race the dogs.  

You could say that Dad is following in his daughters footsteps.

 Although racing was never in his plans he is looking at using the Canadian Challenge as a qualifier since he now dreams of running the Yukon Quest one day.      He would love to meet and run along side with those that he has read about and other like minded mushers.

"It's like coming home when you are with others who share the same passion."

Photo Credit: Stevens Facebook page