Two days ago, on the same Saturday that Alaska’s classic Iditarod race also heard the starting gun, the Can-Am dog sled races began in chilly Fort Kent, at Maine’s northern tip.
The signature race runs 250-miles deep into the North Maine Woods.
Don’t miss the excellent photos which accompany the article! Caleb, Jim & Megan
“Despite the temperature hovering at minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit, fans lined both sides of the street, which was packed with plenty of snow overnight to create the runway for the races…
“The staging area near the starting gate was filled with more dogs than people as mushers prepared their gear and hooked up their dogs before the races…
“’At the first checkpoint it’s important that we put down straw and lay them down, and give them a rest,’ she said. The mushers also get a chance to warm up and get something to eat at each of the four checkpoints on the 250-mile trail. The course heads southeast from Fort Kent to Portage, then west into the North Woods before turning north again in the wilderness up through Allagash and back to Fort Kent.”
