A wintry Poplar Lake echoed with the barking of sled dogs poised for a heated competition. Recent snowfalls and warmer than usual temperatures made conditions friendly for mushers and race watchers. The 2019 Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race was held over the weekend with two classes, a 12-dog, 100-mile race and an 8-dog, 65-mile race. The event stretches over two days and attracts teams from across the U.S. and Canada.
“The weather was fantastic for the spectators. The dogs would have preferred it colder, but they did great,” said race director Sarah Hamilton in a news release.
The winners
Ryan Redington of Skagway, AK and his team won their third-straight 100-mile race, and Martha Schouweiler of Irma, WI won the 65-mile race. In the 12-dog race, Redington finished with a time of 8 hours, 26 minutes, 35 seconds; Ryan Anderson of Ray, MN came in second at 9:02:56; Erin Redington of Skagway, AK finished third in 9:16:51. In the 8-dog race, Martha Schouweiler won with a time of 5:39:10, followed by Joanna Oberg of Grand Marais in 5:39:12 and Rita Wehseler was third at 5:56:03. Full race results and video segments can be viewed on the Gunflint Mail Run Facebook page.
Keeping mushing alive
The race dates back to 1977 and a dedicated group of mushing enthusiasts – it honors the heritage of using dog teams in the winter to deliver mail, supply local residents and Gunflint Trail resorts, and a tradition that was integral to fur trappers and Native Americans. The Gunflint Mail Run was revived in 2012 after a long hiatus. The route begins and ends at Trail Center Lodge on Poplar Lake and runs within the Superior National Forest under a Special Use Permit from the U.S. Forest Service.
This year, a full field of 30 teams were slated to travel the route north and west along the Gunflint Trail – and while its not the most grueling distance race, it is a favorite of many and one of earliest. Race board member Cathy Quinn told Minnesota Public Radio News: “We’ve usually got good snow early in the season. I don’t want to call it a training race, but in a sense it might be. One-hundred miles is not terribly far for a lot of these folks, but in the beginning of January it could be depending on where you’re coming from, and how much training you’ve been able to complete,” Quinn said. “It’s kind of a kickoff to the season.”
More information:
More race photographs by Nace Hagemann
More about the Gunflint Mail Run Race on their web site here
