Musher Aaron Peck arrives at a rest stop Wednesday during the Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race. (Facebook/Canadian Challenge)

By Teena Monteleone

Canadian Challenge

Peck leads Canadian Challenge sled dog race

Feb 19, 2020 | 5:12 PM

The northern lights were dancing as mushers and their sled dog teams made their way through the Boreal forest as part of the Canadian Challenge.

Amanda Grant from Unity, Sask. crossed the finish line first in the six-dog event, which is 72 kilometers long, with a running time of three hours and 52 minutes.

As of 3:30 p.m.Wednesday afternoon, Connor McMahon from Grande Prairie, Alta. travelled nearly 270 kilometres and was leading the eight-dog race, while Aaron Peck, also from Grande Prairie, was leading the 12-dog event.

Amanda Grant from Unity, Sask. celebrated her win Wednesday in the six-dog event. (Facebook/Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race)

The Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race is a continuous race that follows a route similar to that of the old sled dog trail used for years by trappers, the North West Mounted Police and the First Nations community to travel between Prince Albert and La Ronge.

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The first teams set off from Elk Ridge Resort near Waskesiu yesterday around noon. Participants in the 12-dog race will have to endure nearly 550 kilometres of trail across forest and frozen, open lakes as they make their way up to Grandmother’s Bay and then back to the finish line in La Ronge. The first 12-dog teams are expected to arrive sometime on Friday.

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panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow