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Cross Canada snowmobile ride a success

Thirty women on snowmobiles, 48 days on the road and more than $160,000 raised for breast cancer. Some would say that the Polaris Industries Way Out Women Relay across Canada was a rousing accomplishment.

Thirty women on snowmobiles, 48 days on the road and more than $160,000 raised for breast cancer.

Some would say that the Polaris Industries Way Out Women Relay across Canada was a rousing accomplishment.

"It was a successful mission," said Whistler local Heather Gamache, one of the three women who rode for five days on the last leg of the trip across B.C.

"It proves that we can be out there participating in a winter sport and fundraise for an excellent cause."

The WOW Relay kicked off in St. John’s, Newfoundland in January and wound its way through the Maritimes, throughout Canada’s flat plains and into the Rocky Mountains.

They rolled into Squamish on Friday, Feb. 28, marking the end of their 48-day adventure.

The highlight of Gamache’s trip was the ride through the Kakwa provincial recreation area in northern B.C.

She recalls that above them were flawless blue skies, below them pristine white snow and all around them were huge majestic mountains.

"It was just so beautiful," said Gamache, who had never seen that part of B.C. before.

"The scenery was stunning."

The women were helped along the way by tremendous support from the local communities across Canada.

"The local clubs whose areas we passed through groomed their tails and made us lunch on the trails," she said.

As for the challenges of spending five days on a snowmobile, Gamache said for the most part it was really quite easy. There were no real physical or geographical challenges. Then again, she is also a seasoned rider who has been snowmobiling for the last 10 years and is also a member of the Pemberton Valley Snowmobile Club.

Of course, the first day when the women left Grand Prairie, Alberta, it was a chilly minus 29 degrees. Gamache said that was definitely a challenge!

The tally to date from the pledges raised during the WOW Relay is more than $160,000, which is going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Gamache raised $1,500 personally.

The women were sponsored by Polaris Industries.