Six of the 27 teams taking part in Cain’s Quest — a 1,500-mile race across the Canadian wilderness, are from Maine.
The race takes place March 12-19, taking teams from Labrador City, Labrador, to Kuujjuaq, Quebec, to Churchill Falls, Labrador, and back to Labrador City.
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The race course was altered to avoid coastal areas where there may not be enough snow or frozen ocean. The race was canceled in 2010 because of lack of snow.
In 2009, three teams from Maine placed among the top 10 finishers. First place was won by Tim Lessard of Monmouth and Eric Hall of Jackman. Their Grip ‘N Rip Racing team will race again this year.
“We go straight north about 500 miles on this year’s course into a really remote area. I heard a story a few years ago about snowmobilers who did a similar trip (not part of Cain’s Quest) and ended up losing toes and fingers because of frostbite,” said Lessard.
“To prepare for extreme conditions and the tundra, we will be bringing those chemical packs used by hunters and skiers in their gloves and boots. I’ve also been working out and spending a lot of time on the rowing machine,” he said.
One of the reasons Lessard and Hall won in 2009 was because they used smaller snowmobilers (600cc engines compared to 800cc) and didn’t have to make the last fuel stop. This year, they are using new 800cc machines that are almost as fuel efficient as the smaller sleds.
Because of the remoteness of the course, race officials require racers this year to tow toboggan sleds behind their snowmobiles to carry extra gas and emergency gear.
“We have to tow at least 30 gallons of gas. We had to strengthen the backs of our snowmobiles and do modifications to make sure they can tow,” said Lessard. “We are also bringing a lot more gear.”
The snowmobilers have to be prepared for extreme weather conditions and emergencies in one of the most rugged areas of Canada.
“Things can turn pretty sour, pretty fast. They all need good gear and need to be self-sufficient in case of a storm,” said Todd Kent, co-chair of Cain’s Quest. “We do have a lot of safety pieces in place.”
Some of those pieces include first-aid trained Canadian rangers at all nine checkpoints as well as a helicopter that will follow the snowmobilers, with a television crew — and if need be — an emergency medical crew.
“We haven’t had any serious injuries since we started the race in 2006,” said Kent. “The guys who signed up for this race are not novices. They are extreme adventure seekers and this is the main thing Cain’s Quest provides — lots of adventure in rugged conditions. This way they can enter a race and have backup in case something goes wrong.
“They get to see a lot of the country. Over the years, friendship is what a lot of people take back with them. It is not an easy race by any stretch of the imagination. Nighttime riding is hard physically and emotionally,” Kent said.
In 2009, second place went to Team Maine, whose members were Rich Knipping of Monmouth and Rob Gardner of Norridgewock. A third team from Maine, with drivers Fred Whited of Blaine and Darrell McCrum of Mars Hill, placed ninth.
In addition to Lessard and Hall, the Maine teams racing this year are:
• Skip Heald and Tom Farley from Rockport
• Russ Griffin of Jackman and Bill Coppersmith of Windham
• Lance Robinson of Brunswick and Kevin Norcross of Oxford
• Rich Knipping of Monmouth and Robert Gardner of Mercer
• Mike Perrino of Freeport and Peter Ouellette of Portland
The race’s name goes back to the European exploration of the New World. When French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the shore of Labrador in 1534, he commented on the brutality of the landscape.
He said the land was “stones and rocks, frightful and rough for in all the coasts of the north I did not see a cartload of earth. I really believe that is the land that God gave to Cain.”
This story gave birth to the name Cain’s Quest, illustrating the raw and rocky landscape on which the race takes place. The land is as harsh and challenging as the weather, stretching the limits of rider and machine.
The race is tracked via satellite and the progress of teams can be followed online at www.cainsquest.com, where viewers can monitor their favorite team in almost real time as they progress along the course.
The goal of all racers is to finish the race, since only about 50 percent of the racers are able to do that.
“I think we have a good chance of winning, as long as we don’t have any engine trouble,” said Lessard. “These snowmobiles are so high-tech, there are a lot of things that can go wrong.”
Cathy Genthner is a registered Maine Guide licensed to guide snowmobile trips. She owns River Bluff Camps in Medford, located off ITS-83. She can be reached at:
riverbluffcamps@maine.rr.com
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