
Saskaloppet competitor skis to La Ronge along dog sled trails
An athlete from Camrose, Alta., arrived in La Ronge for the 36th annual Don Allen Saskaloppet yesterday after skiing to the community all the way from Elk Ridge.
Ilona Gyapay, originally from the Northwest Territories, left Elk Ridge for La Ronge Tuesday after being inspired to ski the distance by the Canadian Challenge Dog Sled Races. The 26-year-old said she skied about 70 kilometers to Weyakwin in the first day, before stopping at Kiskahikan School to meet the principal and local students. She also spent the night in Weyakwin, before travelling across Montreal Lake and along Highway 969 the following day.
“In the morning his 20 school children walked out with me to the highway, so that was a lot of fun,” Gyapay said. “The second day I did maybe 56 kilometers.”