Showing some love and getting some back is Hovland musher Frank Moe, who was spending time caring for his dogs during the mandatory layover at the Gunflint Mail Run. Moe ended up in fourth place in the tough field, and was the top local finisher in the 12-dog 100-mile sled dog race. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
Ryan Redington of Skagway, Alaska was the repeat winner of the 100-mile 12-dogteam Gunflint Mail sled dog race held last weekend.
Redington’s speedy dog team covered the distance in 8:26:35. Ryan Anderson of Ray, Minnesota finished second in 9:02:56, with Erin Redington, Skagway, Alaska, placing third in 9:16:51.
Hovland musher Frank Moe was the top local finisher. Moe placed fourth with a time of 9:38:17 narrowly beating Blake Freking of Finland, Minn. by four seconds.
The 12-dog, 100-mile race included two runs of approximately 50 miles each over two days with a rest layover in between.
Mushers started and finished at Trail Center Lodge. The first musher started across Poplar Lake at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5.
Started in the 1970s, the Gunflint Mail Run was discontinued when the John Beargrease Race began in 1980. The Mail Run was brought back in 2012 when the John Beargrease Race was cancelled because of a lack of snow. The race was replaced with the Gichigami Express Sled Dog Race for two years before once again coming back in 2015.
The low 30s F weather was balmy for a sled dog race, but the warmer than usual temps were nice for the large array of spectators who were on hand to cheer on the mushers and the dogs. Some snow fell Saturday afternoon while mushers and their dogs rested. Not enough snow fell to slow the teams when they went back out on the trail, but the falling snow created a surreal snow globe effect.
The following teams and their finishes are: Sarah Keefer, Minneapolis, placed sixth in 9:50:51; Ward Wallin, Two Harbors, Minn. 09:58:40; Jennifer Freking, Finland, Minn. 10:29:05 Dennis Tremblay, Saint-Micheldes Saints, Quebec, Canada 10:32:30; Mary Manning, Hovland, 10:32:49; Erin Altemus, Grand Marais, 10:33:06; Daman Ramaker, Fountain, Minn. 11:53:06; Cindy Gallea, Wykoff, Minn. 11:53:24; Lynn Dohrmann, Wykoff, Minn. and Dusty Klaven, Togo, Minn. (scratched)
Schouweiler wins 8-dog team race
Martha Schouweiler of Irma, Wisconsin won the hotly contested 65-mile 8-dog race in 5:39:10, just edging out Joanna Oberg of Grand Marais who was two seconds behind.
Rita Wehseler of Tofte placed third in 5:56:03 and Brian Bergen of Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada was fourth in 6:10:55.
Placing fifth was Andrea DeBoer of Grand Marais in 6:34:39; Julia Cross, Hovland, was sixth with a time of 6:36:37; Steve Peterson, Granby, Colorado placed seventh in 6:49:12; and Matt Schmidt, Grand Marais, placed eighth in 6:59:23.
Gunflint Mail Run race director Sarah Hamilton said, “The weather was fantastic for the spectators. The dogs would have preferred it colder, but they did great.”
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