ASHLAND NEWS
by Susan Feeney Hopkins
The 21st Can Am International Dog Sled Race took place over the weekend of March 2 beginning on Main Street in Fort Kent on Saturday, with the first of the three races beginning at 8 a.m. The Can Am International Dog Sled Race has three competitions: a 30-mile, 60-mile and the 250-mile race.
Mushers and their teams travel from all over Maine, the United States and Canada to participate in this thrilling event. The 30- and 60-mile race teams typically complete their races on the same day (as the start) taking anywhere between 3-5 hours for the 30-mile race and 6-10 hours for the 60-mile race. The 250-mile race takes an average 48 to 72 hours to complete.
The trails weave within the forest of northern Maine, circling back to the finish at the Lonesome Pine Ski Lodge, also in Ft. Kent. There are many factors that play into race and finish times such as the weather, snow pack conditions and overall trail conditions. The weather this year served the teams well with some late season snow pack assuring excellent trail conditions.
The Can Am 250 is the longest dog sled race in the eastern United States and is a qualifying race for the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod. Of special interest, bib 13 in the 250 race, Denis Tremblay of Quebec actually had just completed and placed 14th in the Yukon Quest, a 1,000-mile dog sled race taking place in the wilderness of the Yukon and Alaska. Mushers typically take 10-16 days to complete this race. Tremblay then traveled all the way to northern Maine for the Can Am event. Tremblay finished second in the 250-mile Can Am race.
The Portage Lake checkpoint was bustling with its typical excitement for the arrival of the mushers and their teams. Seventy-five local volunteers were on hand at the Portage check point, and range from those setting up the sleeping quarters (for mushers and dogs), to the trail crews, dog handlers, veterinarians, medical staff and cooks who prepare and serve hot meals to the mushers and other volunteers. There is a lot of hard work and effort that goes on behind the scenes, all year long, to prepare for this race. Volunteers, who come from all over Aroostook County, as well as from other states, are vital to the success and smooth operations for a race of this magnitude.
Jessica Holmes, 22, of Portage Lake, ran her third consecutive and best ever Can Am race, finishing fifth (out of 12) in the 60-mile race. Her two previous pursuits were in the 30-mile race with a finish in 27th place last year. “It’s an amazing feeling. I am flying high,” Holmes said. This year’s race was an immense triumph for Holmes, not only professionally, but personally. Having only competed for three years thus far, a novice by all standards, each year Holmes has improved significantly in skill and knowledge. By placing as she has in the 60-mile race, she is now officially qualified to run in the Can Am 250. Not that it is her intention “yet.”
“While it is my dream to go long distance, I am going to stay with the 60-mile race for right now to get more experience,” she said. It is clear with this finish that she has gained the confidence, maturity and experience required in this sport, making her a contender in the sled dog racing circuit. I’m a huge fan and can’t wait to see where she goes from here. Sky’s the limit, Jess!
What has made this victory even sweeter for Holmes was she and her team dedicated her performance in memory of Jenny, her 16-year-old former lead dog, who passed away in 2012 from breast cancer and to Dennis, her 9-year-old cat, who passed away from lung cancer, also in 2012. Holmes will be donating a portion of her winnings to the Tails of Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps to pay for life-saving surgeries for animals with cancer, in honor of Jenny and Dennis. For more information or to make a donation, go to tailsofhopefoundation.org.
Winners of the 2013 Can Am International Races were as follows: Pepsi Bottling and Allen’s Coffee Brandy Can Am 30 – Rico Portalatin of Westhampton, Mass.; In Memory of Willard Jalbert Jr. Can Am 60 – Manon Moore of St. Gabriel de Brandon, Quebec; and Irving Woodlands Can Am 250 – Ryan Anderson of Ray, Minn.
Ashland Scouts compete in Pinewood Derby
Twelve enthusiastic Cub Scouts from Ashland Pack 179 gathered Saturday, Feb. 15 for the running of the 2013 Pinewood Derby. Over the past four years, Mapleton’s Scout Pack had graciously hosted Ashland allowing them to utilize their track. This year, Scout Pack 179 was able to bring the Derby back to Ashland thanks solely to the Ashland Masons of Pioneer Lodge 72, who provided the race track for the Scouts. It was a fun day with a good crowd of parents, grandparents, siblings and friends who were all on hand to root for their favorite Scout.
Scouts participating in the races were: Webelo I (Grade 4): Blayne Boutot and Creed Chasse. Bears (Grade 3): Dane Driscoll, Eli Walker, Dakota Sutherland, Clark Condon and Alex White. Wolves (Grade 2): Tyler Knight and Brady Cowett. Tigers (Grade 1): Daniel Higgins, Shaun Cowett and Blake Vincent.
The top four racers who represented Pack 179 at the District race, held Saturday at the Aroostook Centre Mall were: first place – Shaun Cowett, second place – Tyler Knight, third place – Clark Condon and fourth place – Dane Driscoll.
A Bobcat ceremony was held at the conclusion of the Derby with four Scouts receiving their badges. They were Shaun Cowett, Tyler Knight, Daniel Higgins and Blake Vincent. Before the Scouts can truly say they’ve completed the Bobcat Trail and earned their badge, they must perform a good deed or deeds and report to the Pack at its next scheduled meeting.
Scout Pack 179 would like to thank the Masons of Pioneer Lodge 72, specifically Marshall White, Chris Bessey and Ken White for their organization and participation in this Scouting event. Cub Master Julie Berry, of Pack 179, would also like to “thank all of the Scouts of Pack 179 who made and raced with some really awesome cars.” Berry also wishes “thanks as always, to parents who are involved in the Scouting events and to those who provided the baked goods and beverages for all to enjoy.”
Susan Feeney-Hopkins is the correspondent for Ashland, Portage Lake, Oxbow, Masardis, Garfield, Nashville Plantation and the surrounding areas. She can be reached at 227-7760 or Feenhop@aol.com.
