Let me set the scene:

The first team of the 2019 Gunflint Mail Run, Bib #1, Frank Moe, is at the start line getting ready.

It seems like all of the Gunflint Trail has spilled out of their cabins, clad in Mukluks and Carhartt, to participate in this celebration of our history. Photographers are set up to catch the first moments. The local radio station is broadcasting live.

The sled dogs are howling like a pack of wolves; jumping and pulling on their harnesses. They’ve been waiting all winter for this day to come!

The musher, Frank, looks just as excited about the coming one hundred mile race as his howling team. He leaves his sled at the start line to check-in with the dogs. He touches each one, inspecting the harness and, I like to imagine, giving them a pep talk.

“Ok Susan, this is your day girl!”

“Bob, run like the wind big guy!”

“Roy, don’t screw this up man!”

I can’t be certain about the pep talk but after he has examined each of the twelve dogs, he returns to his sled and the countdown begins.

Boots planted in the slushy ice on Poplar Lake, I’m gripping the sideline railing in anticipation.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!

I couldn’t help but squeak in excitement as I watch Frank wave at the screaming crowd and mush on into the fog.

“Ahh that’s so cool,” I whispered to myself. The smile in my voice must’ve been obvious.

“Your first dogsled race, is it?”

I turn to meet Emily, a member of a dogsled team that would be prepping their eight dog team for the sixty-five mile course later that morning.

“How could you tell?” I sarcastically replied with a laugh.

This was indeed the first dogsled race I had attended and boy was I wide-eyed!

So…what makes this race the highlight of my winter (so far)?

It’s hard to forget such cute dogs but they weren’t the only component to this unforgettable equation. Here are the three things that made it so memorable:

The Energy is Off the Charts

From the second you step outside your car at Trail Center Lodge, where the race begins, you can hear the dogs howling. Not barking…howling.

They’re all tied up to team trailers in the parking lot as the humans get the sled and musher ready. There’s a whole lot of commotion and excitement in one small parking lot.

Looking around, the sight is everything you might expect. Big fur collars, fur mittens, long subzero jackets, racing bibs.

Even the name, Gunflint Mail Run, honors the history of the area. Sled dogs once played an important role in delivering packages and letters to the more remote locals in the region. Even more, sled dog teams were used for fur trapping, which was the lifeblood of the area at one time. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the mail run became a speed race.

Standing at the start line, you can feel the roots of history anchoring the event. You don’t have to stretch your imagination too far to envision a musher in 1920 on the lakes and trails all day and night bringing packages deep into the wilderness.

The cumulation of history, howling dogs, and excited onlookers creates an atmosphere quite unlike any other winter event I’ve been to in the Northland.

The Community Pulls Together in a Big Way

Although, not the largest in the state, the Gunflint Mail Run is still considered a big event, which means volunteers are needed to make the race possible.

Fortunately, the beautiful Trail Center Lodge hosts the event, providing a place for teams to set up camp, a restaurant for folks to gather in, and access to Poplar Lake for the start and finish line.

Teams start one-by-one Saturday morning through the afternoon and finish late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Volunteers are needed at both the start and finish to help ensure the dogs and mushers get to and from their trucks safely.

As you can see, the course covers a lot of territory, crossing roads and snowmobile trails. In order to keep teams safe, volunteers are stationed at each road crossing. Groups of four or more take six hour shifts until the very last team goes by in the early hours Sunday morning.

Ham radio operators volunteer their time at each road crossing so that folks at Trail Center can track the race.

Hedstrom Lumber Company donates firewood for each road crossing checkpoint to keep volunteers warm.

Trail Center Lodge feeds all of the volunteers a breakfast Saturday morning and Sven and Ole’s Pizzeria serves up free slices at lunchtime. Even our local brewery, Voyageur Brewing, supplies a keg to the volunteers.

All the volunteers show up no matter the weather conditions. Last year it was thirty below zero but the race still went on! Actually, the dogs prefer those colder temps.

Spending time outdoors with my family was the cherry on top

We weren’t sure what to expect when we signed up to volunteer at a road crossing but my Dad, cousin Zac, and I had THE best time together.

Our volunteer time was from 2:30 pm to 8:30 pm. After grabbing some pizza at Trail Center, we headed out to our checkpoint to report for duty where we relieved our neighbors, Matt and Cassidy, from their shift.

Soon, after bundling up and settling in, the first team came through and we had a front row seat! The sunset was putting on a show as team after team came through.

For many hours, we worked together with the other volunteer and ham radio operator at our checkpoint. During downtime between dogsleds, we shared stories around the campfire and welcomed folks who stopped by to cheer on their mushers.

A couple of hours before our shift was over, we were treated to a show of Northern lights off in the distance.

By the time 8:30 pm rolled around, our replacements had arrived for their shift, which would last until 2:30 am. I wasn’t too keen to leave but I could feel my toes freezing up so we packed our chairs and hit the road towards home, grins on our faces.

So There You Have It

The Gunflint Mail Run – an event worth going to if you’re in the Northland! You could get a few friends and volunteer at a checkpoint like we did or you could simply come for breakfast and a show. Choose your own adventure but I can promise you won’t be sorry!

Warm Wishes,