2017 Hudson Bay Quest - Gillam, Manitoba, Canada

It’s that time of year again and with snow already down on the west side of Hudson Bay. The HBQ committee awaits the opening day of registrations.

On Nov 1st, 2017 at 12 noon (CST) the registration process opens. As mushers in the Churchill, Manitoba stand outside waiting for the door to be unlocked, mushers from across Canada and the United States stand posed with their finger on the send button.

This unique sub-arctic race usually has its 15 starting positions full within the first 36 hours of accepting applications. This year the race will start in Gillam, Manitoba and proceed north up the west coast of Hudson Bay to Churchill. As mushers travel the HBQ trail with all their food and equipment (no drop bags at checkpoints) they change from tree covered land to sub-arctic muskeg to finish on the mighty Churchill River as they enter town. The weather is quite a challenge also as storms can move into the area furiously and can change within 2 hours from a nice sunny -2 C day into a -40 C with 50 mph winds and vertical blowing snow. This is what happened 2 years ago, trapping the final competitor only 12 miles from the finish line and forcing him to set-up camp, feed his dogs and hunker down till the storm blew through and the Canadian Rangers could pick them up and bring them to Churchill.

The HBQ is not a long race, its only 220 miles. But when asking competitors that have finished the HBQ if there is a race out there that can be used as a qualifier. The response back was not even the Iditarod or Yukon Quest can compare to the experience of running this race and that’s why the HBQ has been attracting so many mushers from across North America for the pass 12 years.

Get your applications ready and maybe this is the year you can cross it off your bucket list.

Submitted by:
Jim Cunningham
HBQ Race Marshal