Day 6 of Nunavut Quest is race’s longest day
Mushers travel 84 kilometres on trek from Arctic Bay to Pond Inlet
Tom Naqitarvik, wearing pinnie #8, of Arctic Bay, arrives first at the Day 6 checkpoint on April 21. (Photo by Leonard Siusangnark, special to Nunatsiaq News)
Mushers took on the longest day of the race in this year’s Nunavut Quest April 21 with a distance of 84 kilometres.
The wind in the Kangiq&uarjuk area is usually pretty strong, said elder Charlie Inuarak from Pond Inlet.
The morning meeting was a cold and windy one. The day’s route was discussed as there are many branches of trails from Kangiq&uarjuk to Pond Inlet. The plan was to block off the trails not being used to indicate to the mushers which trail to use.
Ten mushers are competing in the race that began in Arctic Bay on April 16 and will finish in Pond Inlet, approximately 370 kilometres away.
The plan is to hug the land on the left side of the fjord to take shelter from the wind as much as possible.
Charlie Inuarak took time in the morning meeting to recognize Moses and Zipporah Oyukuluk from Pond Inlet for being the founders of Nunavut Quest.
In 1999, the year Nunavut became a territory, it also gave birth to Nunavut Quest. The elder spoke about the lack of support at that time for such an event and the amount of dedication and commitment required to ensure the event could take place then and continues today.
He also spoke of his own wife and the wives of the mushers for raising their children, and how raising the children allowed for the men to work with dogs and hunt.
Today’s Nunavut Quest also brings the Qamutik Cup hockey tournament, a beauty pageant, and Hukki, or square dancing, competition to the finishing host community, said Inuarak.
All of this brings people from all around Baffin Island and Nunavut and boosts the spirits of the people and the economy, he said.
Most of the day had the dogs and mushers running into a strong headwind.
The order of arrival for Day 6 takes a shuffle as three mushers took a longer detour on the trails. Top three features a musher from each of the participating communities: Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet and Igloolik.
Order of arrival:
- Tom Naqitarvik (#8)
- Lee Inuarak (#2)
- Nanuraq Uttak (#9)
- Donovan Qaunaq (#4)
- Jeremy Koonoo (#7)
- David Oyukuluk (#1)
- Qiliqti Ivalu (#3)
- Apak Taqtu (#11)
- Daniel Inuarak (#5)
- Owen Jaworenko (#10)
This article and the accompanying pictures are the result of a partnership between Nunatsiaq News and Igloolik youth participating in the Nunavut Quest Field Course, a project sponsored by QIA and the Ilagiiktunut Fund.
Visit the Nunatsiaq News Features section to see recaps from previous days’ Nunavut Quest racing.
Some of the mushers and officials pose together on Day 6 of Nunvaut Quest, on April 21. (Photo by Cadence Amatsiaq, special to Nunatsiaq News)
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