New Snow May Impact Gunflint Mail Run

GRAND MARAIS, Minn. - Northland mushers are bundling up for the 100-mile Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race that kicks off this weekend. In Grand Marais, the trails are groomed and snow is on the way, which is good and bad news for mushers preparing for the first big race of the season. “It ran for a few years -- basically the Beargrease came in and took it over,” explained co-director of the Gunflint Mail Run, Jack Stone. “That's kind of where the Beargrease got started with the Gunflint mail run.” The first race was back in 1977 and was on somewhat of a hiatus until 2012, which was the year the John Beargrease Sled Dog Race was cancelled. The Gunflint Mail Run is an early season race that many mushers call a Beargrease warm-up. “This is great for some people who haven't even been on snow yet because parts of the state don't have a whole lot of snow,” said Stone. Due to lack of snow, the Voyageurs Classic Sled Dog Race set to run January 15 and 16 in Nortome has been cancelled. The Gunflint Trail has plenty of snow and experts say the trails are near perfect. “It's been cold so that the track has been somewhat icy,” said Stone. “If that's the case then the dogs should be running hard and the sleds should be gliding quite well.”If the forecast holds true, there's a few more inches of fresh powder on the way. And while beautiful, it may turn into a problem for the mushers. “If we don't get any snow, this track is really going to be quite fast,” said Stone. “If we do get the snow that is predicted, it's going to slow down.” The race beings at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail. Fourteen mushers will run the race in less than 24 hours -- all in hopes of winning a piece of the $5,000 purse. For live updates on this weekend’s race, you can follow the Gunflint Mail Run on Facebook. Mushers are expected to cross the finish line sometime Sunday afternoon.