INUVIK
Ten skiers took part in a marathon overland tour from Aklavik to Inuvik over the weekend.
Annah Hanthorn, left, and Ruth Hanthorn of Fort MacPherson were two of the participants who completed a ski trek from Aklavik to Inuvik from April 5 to 6. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo
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The trip was the brainchild of East Three teacher and Inuvik Ski Club member Dave Halpine. He also made the tour with the group that included two rising stars on the national ski circuit, Anna Hanthorn and Ruth Hanthorn.
Halpine said the trip was a dream jaunt that proved perhaps a bit more difficult than he was expecting.
During an interview April 7, the day after completing the two-day trek, Halpine was nursing a few aches and pains.
He said he was having trouble with an Achilles tendon and some other minor issues, including a bit of frostbite on his face.
"The trip was wonderful," he said. "The weather on the first day was a bit windy, but the second was beautiful. You know, people were tired but no one was cranky. People were just enjoying themselves and being out.
"The skiing wasn't fast but it was good," Halpine added. "It was a bit difficult on the first half of the trip from Aklavik to the ice road, where it was a newly-laid Ski-Doo trail. It was soft and it was silent, which was kind of neat."
The tour included support from some snowmobiles, he said. One of the machines was actually grooming the trail ahead of the skiers, which was a big help.
"That said, we still had a couple of people who took 10 or 11 hours to ski the 46 km we did the first day."
An additional three skiers joined the party for the second day, Halpine said.
The skiers arrived in Inuvik between 5 and 7 p.m. on April 6, which was a bit later than expected.
The route was as close to a straight line as possible from Aklavik to Inuvik, Halpine said, and followed a snowmobile path that had been broken for the party.
The Hanthorn sisters, although experienced ski racers, said it was a unique experience. It was the longest trip they had ever made on skis.
"It was long but it was a great time," said Ruth.
The sisters had just returned from the national championships in Whistler, British Columbia.
"The tour is a lot more relaxing, that's for sure," said Annah. "I think my favourite part was double-poling on the ice, where we could go really fast and we could see through. It was very cool."
"My favourite part was coming in to the finish where I could say I did all those kilometres," Ruth said. "I'm glad I did it."
The sisters weren't too worn out to enjoy some of the other activities of the Muskrat Jamboree, though.
They both planned to run in the snowshoe races later on the afternoon of April 7. Later that evening, they took first place in the talent show as well.
