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Boreal Community Media

Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race coming this weekend

Jan 05, 2020 09:12AM ● By Editor

Photo: Gunflint Mail Run


From Visit Cook County - January 4, 2020


The very northeastern tip of Minnesota is Cook County, a land blessed with stunning beauty. We have Gichigami, glacially sculpted boreal forests, an immense network of lakes and streams plus cold weather and snow. We are blessed with cold weather and snow here. It is in this land of remote beauty that dog sledding became a way of life. And it is this way of life that we celebrate with the Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race.

The Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race is a continuous race consisting of two legs of equal distance, separated by a mandatory layover. 

There are two classes in the race: a 12-dog, 100-mile race and an 8-dog, 65-mile race. Races will start and finish at Trail Center, with a rest break halfway through (also at Trail Center). Mushers, Volunteers and Spectators always welcome! Vet check on Friday, races all day Saturday, awards on Sunday.

 

Spectator Information

Trail Center Lodge is another great place to watch the race. It’s fun to see the blessing of the dogs and the start of the race. And it’s just as fun to see the dogs as they arrive back. If you want to see the dogs on the trail, check out the north end of the trail: we have a spectator area at the Old Blankenberg Pit, where the 12-dog teams are turning around. Great viewing is also available at Big Bear Lodge and Rockwood Lodge. Big Bear Lodge is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Rockwood Lodge is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Please note that Rockwood Lodge does not have bathroom facilities in the winter. They do, however, have coffee and free WiFi.

Volunteer at the Gunflint Mail Run

You can be an active part of the sled dog race by volunteering. While specific experience is needed for some of the positions, others require no previous experience — we train you. If you want to volunteer for any of the following positions, contact Cathy Quinn, the amazing volunteer coordinator, at [email protected].

The Gunflint Mail Run is in cooperation with and under a Special Use Permit from the U.S. Forest Service.  For more information, go to the Gunflint Mail Run by following this link.  https://gunflintmailrun.com


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