A raffle to raise funds for the upcoming Gichigami Express Sled Dog Race was held this summer with the winning tickets being drawn recently at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply. Jack Stone of Stone Harbor holds the bag while Jan Sivertson pulls the winners’ tickets. Sivertson was astonished that one came from Skagway, Alaska. The winner of the grand prize, a stand up paddleboard, was Laura Popkes of the Gunflint Trail. The stand up paddleboard was donated by Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply store.
With one organizational meeting under their belts, the committee in charge of setting up and running the 2014 Gichigami Express Sled Dog race is excited and looking for more volunteer help and sponsors as it proceeds with the second running of what could be called an impromptu (but very successful) inaugural race.
“Last year we had 18 mushers, and this year we are limiting the field to 30,” said one of the organizers, Jack Stone of Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply, who added, “And it doesn’t look like we will have any trouble filling up. We have had mushers from all over, including from Alaska, inquiring about this year’s race.”
The 2014 event will be held January 4-6 and start in Grand Portage and run to somewhere mid-Gunflint Trail before teams finish either at Devil Track Lake or in Grand Marais.
“A lot of where we start and finish will be dependent upon snow conditions,” Stone said.
Each stage will be held in daylight and not exceed 60 miles. Because the last place finisher will go out first the next day and the distance run will not be as great, sled dog teams will tend to be closer together than in longer races and the finishes will be closer and more exciting and fun to watch.
“We are trying to make this spectator-friendly. At some point we would like to include the West End and make it a four-day, four-stage race. That’s something for the future. Right now we are trying to grow the race and make it a great event for the mushers and the people who come out to watch and support them,” Stone said.
Underwriting the race is the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Stone said working with the band has been a blessing.
“I can’t say enough about how good Tribal Chairman Norman Deschampe and the Tribal Council have been to us,” said Stone.
Currently the committee is looking for someone to fill the volunteer race coordinator position. “That’s one or our biggest needs right now,” Stone said, adding, “but we need many more volunteers to help put this race on, so if you want to help out, please contact me at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply or contact me through our Gichigami Express Sled Dog Race facebook page.”
The Gitchigami Express Sled Dog Race was inspired by mushers of old who carried mail, news, information or gossip for the North West Company located in Montreal. The service was called “The Winter Express” and mushers traveled from the far northern fur posts in the Northern Abthabasca region to Montreal, and everywhere in between by dog sled. Express teams also carried letters on promotions, wages, law and regulations for the trade, and details, which affected agents and partners.
The rival Hudson Bay Company’s winter mail team was called the “Winter Packet,” which also carried news, gossip, and business letters. These dog trains, as they were called, covered almost 3,000 miles, and the Express used canoes to conduct company business at the summer rendezvous in Grand Portage.
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