Hudson Bay Quest

The Hudson Bay Quest is a 400km dog sled race linking Churchill, Manitoba with Arviat, Nunavut. For five years, it has brought together mushers and sled dogs from Canada's Polar Bear Capital of the World, some of the finest Inuit mushers in the Kivalliq and more than a few teams from 'outside'.

Designed as a self-sufficient dog sledding adventure, racers carry their own supplies and dog food for the duration of the race. Only one emergency food drop is available near the border of Manitoba and Nunavut.

It is a traditional race built on the history of the fur trade, the Hudson's Bay Company and the early days of Churchill, Manitoba. It harkens back to a time when 'There ain't no law of God nor man goes north of 53°’ was a common saying.

This year, Wapusk Adventures, will have two teams running in the Hudson Bay Quest. Dave Daley will run the 'Number One' team with Smoke and the usual top guns while Ernest Azure will participate in his first Hudson Bay Quest with a second team. Wapusk Adventures would like to thank Canada Goose Expedition Clothing for their sponsorship.

The Hudson Bay Quest is set for March 29th and invites racers from across North America to join in this celebration of arctic life and sled dog culture.

Crossing Big River (Thlewiaza) during the 2006 Hudson Bay Quest - Smoke and Ranger in the lead. Each year, Dave and the crew of HBQ volunteers work together to organize this 200 mile race from Churchill to Arviat... this past year (2009), the race ended up being called at the halfway point due to a three day blizzard!

Smoke takes a well-deserved break during the Hudson Bay Quest. Smoke is the resident lead dog at the Wapusk dog yard - second only to Dave. He's got a lot of miles on him with six Hudson Bay Quests and even more 'bear seasons' under his belt, a fact that he readily tells any new dogs in the kennel... in dogspeak, of course.