As we put the Hudson Bay Quest to rest for another year, here are some more incredible northern lights photos from Nace Hageman ! Enjoy these parting shots from the trail. Churchill is still buzzing from the successful race finish.
Northern lights above the tent. Nace Hagemann photo.
Northern lights over the boreal forest treeline. Nace Hagemann photo.
Northern lights in the boreal forest. Nace Hagemann photo.
Swirling aurora in the Churchill skies. Nace Hagemann photo.
The 12th Annual Hudson Bay Quest was a resounding success. Martin Massicotte has been crowned this year’s winner and the official results are as follows:
1st Martin Massicotte
2nd Denis Tremblay
3rd Ryan Anderson
4th Peter McClelland
5th Jennifer Freking
6th Jesse Terry
7th Shawn McCarty
8th Blake Freking
9th Dan DiMuzio
10th David Daley
11th Justin Allen
DNF Charlie Lundie
DNF Tom Terry
Here’s a video by Katie DeMeulles of Team Wapusk and musher Dave Daley finishing off the race. Justin Allen and his team are also in the footage. Enjoy!
I was going to do a wrap – up on the Hudson Bay Quest but just couldn’t resist sending these along to everyone. These photographs of incredible northern lights by Natural Habitat’s Alex De Vries – Magnifico are magnificent!
The increased solar flaring last night is supposed to continue over the next few days so keep looking up. If the sky is clear, the southern part of Canada as well as some regions of the United States should get a glimpse of the aurora.
Natural Habitat’s Aurora Pod in Churchill with amazing northern lights. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Spectacular full sky display of northern lights. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Northern lights shimmering above the boreal forest. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Natural Habitat photographers outside the aurora pod in Churchill. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Northern lights above the aurora pod. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
All the gee’s and haw’s have drifted across the tundra upwards to the northern lights have ceased for another year as the 2015 Hudson Bay Quest has finished in Churchill. This year’s champion is Martin Massicotte from Trois Rivieres, Quebec.
2015 Hudson Bay Quest champion Martin Massicotte. Courtesy Hudson Bay Quest.
Martin runs a paving contracting business in Quebec and dreamed of being a dog musher since age eight when he trained the family St. Bernard. In 2003 martin placed 6th in the Yukon Quest, a race that runs 1000 miles from Yukon to Alaska. He has aspired to run the Hudson Bay Quest and the Iditarod in a few years. he can now check off the Quest in a big way…with a first place prize and trophy!
His passion for the sport of dog mushing is summed up succinctly by this quote: “In leisure time, I run dogs, I think about dogs and I talk about dogs!!!”
Congratulations to Martin and all the other hearty mushers that competed in this year’s race. See you all next year!
2015 Hudson Bay Quest winner Martin Massicotte. Courtesy Hudson Bay Quest.
Canadian Rangers from the Lamprey checkpoint won best checkpoint. Courtesy Hudson Bay Quest.
2015 Hudson Bay Quest mushers. Courtesy Hudson Bay Quest.
The Hudson Bay Quest has finished with unofficial results posted. Tom Terry was the last musher heading into Churchill after being caught in a ground blizzard yesterday and the official word is that he scratched from the race. Tom arrived into Churchill today and the other mushers were there to welcome him in.
Tom Terry safely into Churchill. Courtesy Hudson Bay Quest.
Overall the mushers had good weather over the course of the race. Some had to battle through the ground blizzard that blew in at the tail end of the race. While time results have been posted, the official place finishes will be revealed tonight at the mushers banquet at 5:30 pm in Churchill.
I won’t speculate as to the 2015 winner at this point as the times can be adjusted by the race marshal for different infractions over the course. Stay tuned for final results in tomorrow’s post!
Mushers Dave Daley #3 and Justin Allen #4 arrive at the Churchill finish in this year’s Hudson Bay Quest. Courtesy Hudson Bay Quest.
An eager participant of this years Hudson Bay Quest. Laurie Dingwall photo.
Justin Allen in bib #4. Laurie Dingwall photo.
An avid fan congratulates her grandpa at the finish in Churchill. Laurie Dingwall photo.
Musher Dave Daley congratulates one of his race dogs. Laurie Dingwall photo.
2015 Musher Justin Allen and sled dog post race. Laurie Dingwall photo.
