MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET
Maren Vsetula long dreamed of competing in Nunavut Quest. But the reality was not what she had predicted.

Nunavut Quest competitor Maren Vsetula is still looking for two members of her dog team – Joshco, far left, and Sila, second from the left – after they went missing during the race. In a picture from the summer, Jon Frantz is exercising the dogs. - photo courtesy of Maren Vsetula

She pulled out of the race from Iglulik to Pond Inlet at the third checkpoint after losing six of her dogs in a blizzard.

"It was great to be on the trail with the other mushers. There were definitely some hardships but we were all doing what we love, which is being out with our teams. Some of us saw bears on route, including myself. That was challenging," said Vsetula. "The weather was challenging and that ultimately stopped me."

Vsetula had fallen behind in the drive to the third checkpoint and as the weather worsened she decided to set up shelter rather than continue to the next camp.

She started cutting blocks of snow when Joashim Aliarak, from her support team, appeared on a snowmobile.

They untied her dogs and hitched up her qamutiq. Two of the dogs were falling behind so she carried one and tied another to the dog sled.

The rest were to follow the snowmobile but they got lost in the blizzard and didn’t find their way to the camp.

"I never anticipated that would happen because they're used to chasing," said Vsetula. "They're very resilient dogs and I know that about my team and the breed. So I'm trying to be hopeful."

Two of her dogs – Sila and Joshco – are still unaccounted for but the rest have been found.

Vsetula, who is originally from Guelph, Ont., but moved to Iglulik in 2004, first became interested in dog sledding while volunteering for an outfitter located just south of Algonquin Park.

"I was always curious if dogs wanted to pull humans like that so I went and volunteered and it was really obvious that they do," she said, adding her experience was with tandem-hitch dog sledding. "It became my dream to have my own dog team.

"When I came here I decided to go for it. I had a team of puppies and I've always referred to them as my dream team."

She got her dogs from a musher in the hamlet nearly eight years ago and raised them.

She's active with the dogs all year round but stepped up training closer to Nunavut Quest by taking them on longer runs. Friends helped her build a qamutiq, prepare food for the trip and groom the dogs.

She also received a lot of encouragement from the students she teaches at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School. In part, she said, she entered the race for them.

"I wanted to show the students it's important to believe in yourself and pursue goals and dreams. Even if it's challenging, go for it. I wanted to be a role model," she said, adding she would consider entering the race in future. "I think things happen for a reason. I know this whole experience has made me a stronger person. Not just the dog sledding but everything – the journey with all the Ski-Doos and all the support crew. There was a lot of support on the trail and it's a really fascinating race."

Nunavut Quest is a great example of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles at work, she added.

Twice during the race one of the participants lost his dog team because of an equipment malfunction and both times another racer stopped to pick him up and tow his qamutiq.

Vsetula herself lent her lighter and newer qamutiq to a participant from Pond Inlet after she dropped out.

"I was happy to do that and that's what the race was about. There's definitely a competition element but people are out there helping each other."