Mushers began arriving long before sunrise Tuesday morning, powered by their team of dogs who were eager to eat, rest, and regroup at the Skyport Lodge checkpoint. Sleep-deprived racers, handlers, volunteers, and newscasters slowly paced around like zombies as more teams began to arrive throughout the morning.
Our kids were excited to skip the first half of their school day to watch the event with a few of our friends and family. We were all impressed by the mushers’ ability to control their sled while navigating our winding, back yard entrance from the lake, as if they had done it a hundred times before.
Anyone who has witnessed the start of a race can attest that the dogs are wild with energy, so eager to run they bark and howl while maniacally jumping against their leashed collars. Hundreds of barking dogs harmonize into a deafening melody of nervous energy, as they eagerly wait to run.
During the race, the dogs are worn out from the hard miles of hilly terrain, and much quieter. We had several dog teams pass our checkpoint without even waking us up – granted we were also slightly deprived of sleep, but I assumed the dogs were going to wake me up for the 5 a.m. breakfast buffet before my alarm clock did – good thing I set it anyway.
Once the last team departed, the winds picked up and left us with 5 inches of snow on Devil Track Lake. The snow was welcomed by everyone but the mushers I am sure, making their job much more difficult as visibility drops. The fresh powdery snow blowing sideways across the lakes and trails covered any evidence of the event, as another John Beargrease becomes a memory for Skyport Lodge.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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