Chasing down a legend

In the late day gloaming of a warming mid-January day 25 miles north of Boston, Col. Norman Vaughan's New England and Alaska heritage was revisited in a sled dog race that covered six miles, less than one one-hundredth the distance of the Iditarod, in which he raced 12 times.

In the Norman Vaughan Memorial main event of the New England Sled Dog Club race held Jan. 16 in Vaughan's hometown of Hamilton, Mass., Ed Clifford, 44, won in smart fashion by more than two minutes. For being first to claim victory in a competition that hadn't been staged for 42 years, he won a ribbon and small cash prize. Both were presented by Vaughan's sister, Janice Vaughan Snow, 99 years old, with Vaughan's brother, Col. Jerry Vaughan, from Charleston, S.C., standing by.

Clifford, who maintains 25-dog Clifford Kennels in Raymond, N.H., recalled being with his father when he ran this race, which Norman helped organize, in 1967.

"I was along for the ride of course, but I'm sure it helped plant my passion for mushing," he said.

The weekend dog races were staged from the Myopia Hunt Club, the oldest country club in the U.S., along six miles of mostly wooded horse trails. The mushers were to have gone 11 miles, but a sudden thaw on race day saw temperatures topping 40 degrees after two weeks of steady cold. In the warmth, what had been a nice, 6-inch base of snow went first to corn snow and then sugar snow, forcing race organizers to cut the main event down, first to eight miles, and finally six.

Conditions would only get worse through the weekend. Though volunteer snow shovelers managed to keep the trail in shape on Saturday, organizers realized late that day they lacked enough snow for the planned Sunday races. In the end, they were canceled, disappointing both racers and spectators.