A musher and his 12 Alaskan huskies have reached the halfway point of their 3,000-kilometre dog sled trek from Manitoba to his home province of New Brunswick.
Justin Allen left Churchill, Man., on January 22 and arrived in Moosonee, Ont., earlier this week after travelling roughly 1,700 kilometres through the tundra, down tree-lined trails and along Hudson Bay.
READ MORE: N.B. man begins dog sled journey across Canada
Allen, who spends hours caring for his dogs every day, says there have been many challenges thus far, including sledding through waist-deep snow and over icy roads.
Get daily National news
He says his team – J.T., Bella, Goldie, Howler, Mouse, Acer, Alpine, Ash, Juniper, Sequoia, Tamarack, and Willow – are happy and healthy, but are a bit confused given this is the longest they’ve ever been away from home.
WATCH: NB dog sledding tour company loses business due to a lack of snow
- London, Ont., community members mark five years since deadly attack on Muslim family
- Stéphane Dion says Canada needs more diplomats to build ties with Europe
- Claude Lemieux’s death sparks renewed focus on CTE as family donates brain to research
- Quebec single mother welcomes triplets after years of fertility struggles
Until now, the longest trip he has taken with the dogs was about 380 kilometres, but he says they ran thousands of kilometres in their training for this trek.
The 34-year-old man has been stopping in communities along the way, talking with kids in schools about dog sledding and the benefits of living an active outdoor lifestyle.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.