2008 RACE UPDATE
[January 20, 2008]
The 6th annual La Ronge Neckbone wrapped up Sunday, January 20, at Weyakwin. This year, entries were down--possibly due to the cold weather forecast. However, the 8 mushers who entered were all able to complete the race. The competition for top spot was strong. Things ended with with Stefaan de Marie of Christopher Lake taking 1st place with a combined 2-day time of 9:06:09. Gerry Walker of Pierceland took 2nd place with total time of 9:18:30. Stefaan and Gerry have now both won the Neckbone twice.
Day #1 started with a mushers' breakfast put on by the Stanley Mission community at the old High School. Mushers loaded up with ham, bacon and sausages to get ready for the day. At the same time, Race Marshal Tom Charles gave a short briefing on the day's route.
On Day #1, the temperature threatened to be a factor when mushers harnessed up to leave Stanley Mission. The temperature was -- 36 degrees C. Fortunately, when the team got out onto Lac la Ronge and started moving between the islands at the north end of the lake, the wind was dead calm. Mushers could relax a bit and just watch the spruce trees march by.
All the teams were into La Ronge by 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. The final kilometre to the finish line was also a ski plane runway. Both Single Otter and Twin Otter de Havillands were coming and going as the mushers came in. But the pilots kept well clear of the mushers heading for the finish.
For Day #2, the temperature moderated considerably. It was still -- 21 degrees C., but that seemed positively balmy compared to the day before. The Day #2 trail was quite different from the day before as it was mainly on land. Teams started from Highway 165 (about 30 km south of La Ronge) and then headed south on the new Canadian Challenge trail. Soon after mushers turned into the bush, they got to see the remains (mainly just hair) of a moose killed by a wolf pack a couple weeks back. They then headed south-east towards Molanosa Lake. On the way there, the main challenge was a section of trail through an old burn where snow drifts had dogs wallowing up to their bellies. Gerry Walker's dogs were leading the race at this point, so they had their work cut out for them. The trail got better in the mature timber. Teams eventually made their way out and across Molanosa Lake, across the north end of Montreal Lake, and then down a final 8 km of bush trail to reach the finish at Weyakwin.
At Weyakwin, the community hosted a wind-up supper for the mushers. Both Race Marshal Tom Charles and Weyakwin mayor, Stella Brown, congratulated all the finishers. The meal following was excellent, so all the calories burned off during the day were soon gained back by mushers. Cash awards were then handed out, and the top 3 finishers--Stefaan de Marie, Gerry Walker and Bart de Marie--also received plaques. Mushers then headed for home to start getting ready for the Canadian Challenge.
[January 15, 2008, 11:00 p.m.]
Race Marshal Tom Charles has now laid down a trail that will take mushers from Stanley Mission to La Ronge on Day #1 of the Neckbone (Saturday, Jan 19). The trail will head south from Stanley Mission for 11 km through a series of small lakes to reach Lac la Ronge. A decision has been made to take the Neckbone west to the small community of Sucker River. From where the trail comes onto Russell Bay on Lac la Ronge, it is 47 km west to Sucker River. It is then another 24 south to La Ronge. Total Day #1 distance will be 82 km or 51 miles.
Mushers will be able to stay at the old High School in Stanley on the evening of Friday, January 18. We will try to have early registration at the old High School from about 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening. Registration will continue at the school the next morning, starting at 7:30 a.m., for mushers coming up on Saturday morning. To get to the old High School, follow the road into Stanley without turning until you come to a kind of T junction as you approach the Churchill River. The Northern store will be just ahead of you and slightly to your left. But you turn to the right (more or less south). You will then come almost immediately (half a block from the turn?) to the old High School on your right. It has some kind of octaganol or hexagonal pods coming off a central area. It is pretty easy to identify.
Teams will start at 10:00 a.m. sharp on Saturday morning. We are looking at dual starts which will have two teams starting side by side with the next two going after a set interval, etc. We will likely be starting on the main street in front of the Band Hall. Teams will run about a kilometre before leaving the street to head for the bush. The street has a hard surface of snow and ice. It should be good for sled runners. But hooking down in the first kilometre might be hard. We will try to have help available to stand on a brake in an emergency.
The lake travel across the north end of Lac la Ronge will have trail marked with sticks and branches. As of January 15, storm conditions on the lake were pretty fierce. But we will endeavour to have the trail dragged again in advance of the race. We hope to supply mushers with a laminated map showing the lake portion of the trail.
We will have a dog drop at Sucker River. Right now, the plan would be to have dog handlers ready to pick up dropped dogs at Sucker River. The Neckbone will not have much in the way of resources for looking after dogs left behind. There are 2 entrances into Sucker River that lead east off Highway #2. Be sure to take the entrance south of the bridge if you are going into the community.
The trail into La Ronge will come through Nut Bay and then into McGibbon Bay. It will then follow a snowmobile trail that leads across the Nut Point Campground Road and then around a peninsula known locally as Police Point. The trail will then continue on to the Day #1 finish line on the lake ice adjacent to old Kitsaki Hall just past downtown La Ronge. To get to the finish, mushers will travel eastward on the ice in front of the downtown area. There is a skidoo highway here that is just about as wide as Toronto's 401. You can head east to the finish in any lane you want.
Mushers will be on their own for supper and accommodation in La Ronge on Saturday evening. That being said, we expect the old Kitsaki Hall will be open to serve finishing mushers something hot to eat and drink. It is also likely that the Race Marshal will give a short evening race briefing for Day #2.
On Day #2, Sunday, January 20, we anticipate that teams will re-start about 30 km south of La Ronge at the junction of Highway 165 and Highway 2 (there will be lots of parking on Highway 165) and then take the Canadian Challenge trail south to Weyakwin. The Day #2 distance will be about 80 km. We hope to have teams off Montreal Lake before dark and into Weyakwin in time for the neckbone supper.
Mushers can expect at least one dog drop on Day #2. We will likely have a dog drop off point on old Highway 969 at a distance of 34 km into Day #2 (after 18 km down the east ditch of Highway 2 and another 14.5 km eastward on a bush trail).
Mushers will be given floor space for sleeping at the local hall in Weyakwin on the evening of Sunday, January 20 if they wish to get a fresh start for home on Monday morning.
We are still not sure who is coming to the Neckbone. We expect 4 to 6 teams from La Ronge. And Detlaf Onderka from Alberta has plans to come. Stefaan de Marie and Bart de Marie of Christopher Lake are both coming from Christopher Lake. Gerry Walker of Pierceland has advised he is coming and hopes to have two teams. Gerry has won the Neckbone the last 2 years running. We are not sure who else might be coming from down south. If you are planning on coming up for the Neckbone, you could let us know (but advance registration is not required).
We hope to see you this weekend!
Neckbone Race Committee
2008 RACE INFORMATION
[updated January 12, 2008]
Neckbone organizers, on behalf of the Gateway North Sled Dog Association Inc., are now able to confirm that the Neckbone will go ahead on the weekend of Saturday, January 19 & Sunday, January 20. The Neckbone is intended to help mushers get ready for the Canadian Challenge race which will leave Prince Albert on Wednesday, February 13. The Neckbone is a weekend race and much shorter than the Challenge. However, it will let mushers see some of the trail that the Challenge will follow.
The main change to this year's Neckbone is that it will start in the community of Stanley Mission. Mushers will start from Stanley Mission on Saturday, January 19 at 10:00 a.m. They will then travel on the Canadian Challenge route leading to Lac la Ronge. They will then travel west and south over the ice of Lac la Ronge to reach La Ronge. The total distance will be about 80 km. The Day #1 distance will be slightly than in previous years, but we want to see mushers off the lake ice before dark.
It is 80 km by road from La Ronge to Stanley Mission. The first 30 km north on Highway 102 are paved. The highway is then gravel. About 40 km north of La Ronge, you turn east onto a gravelled secondary road and travel another 40 km to reach Stanley. This last 40 km is usually kept well graded, but the road has a lot of turns in it and you have to take it easy.
There are no hotels in Stanley Mission. However, we will be able to arrange floor space for sleeping for mushers who wish to get to Stanley on the evening of Friday, January 18. Mushers may also want to stay in La Ronge on Friday night.
On Day #2, mushers will leave La Ronge and head south to Weyakwin. The Day #2 re-start will be about 30 km south of La Ronge at the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 165 (the gravel road heading east to Creighton). The race trail south from Highway 165 will follow the Canadian Challenge trail. Cliff Jessup (the Canadian Challenge's trail boss) and his crews have been working hard to get the Challenge trail open between La Ronge and Weyakwin. Day #2 distance will be about 80 km (we do not yet have an exact measure of distance).
Basic rules and race schedule for the Neckbone are as follows:
In the past, the Neckbone has had the benefit of generous local support and sponsorship (please see sponsor page) which has allowed a modest purse to be offered to the top finishers. We can once again confirm a race purse of $3,000. Purse details are set out on the "Race Purse" page. In addition to the purse, plaques will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers. The winner will also have his or her name engraved on the Neckbone race trophy, a trophy generously donated by J. & E. Tomkins Sled Dogs.
For more information, mushers can telephone Race Marshal Tom Charles at (306) 425-2886 or Sid Robinson at (306) 425-2502. Inquiries can also be sent to Sid Robinson by e-mail at sid.hil@sasktel.net.
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