>> AS WE NOTED EARLIER, WARMER WINTER TEMPERATURES THIS YEAR ARE SETTING RECORDS IN THE STATE.

IT'S ALSO BEEN A CONCERN FOR BUSINESSES DEPENDENT ON SNOW.

TWO ANNUAL SLED DOG RACES UP NORTH WERE CANCELLED FOR LACK OF SNOW, THE JOHN BEARGREASE AND THE GUNFLINT MAIL RUN.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE WENT TO COOK COUNTY TO FIND OUT HOW LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE FARING.

>> SO LET'S SEE, HO GETS A TREAT.

SHALE?

AND RYDAN.

AND AGATE AND YABBA.

>> LINDA NEWMAN LIVES IN THE WILDERNESS IN THE FAR NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE STREET WITH HER 23 COMPANIONS.

IT IS.

>> IT'S EVERY SINGLE DAY, ALL YEAR ROUNDS, THE DOGS.

>> >> SHE OWNS POINTS UNKNOWN, A SLED DOG ADVENTURE TOURS AND LODGING BUSINESS.

SHE SPECIALIZES IN FOUR-DAY EMPOWERMENT RETREATS FOR WOMEN.

IT'S ALL ABOUT XIONG WITH NATURE AND THE DOGS.

>> I'VE GOT A RARE LINE OF TRADITIONAL ALASKAN HUSKY, THEY ARE DIFFERENT TO RACING DOGS.

THEY WERE DEVELOPED PURPOSE-BRED FOR TRAMPOLINE TEAMS IN ALASKA AND ASSISTANCE LIVING.

>> IN WINTER, THEY USUALLY PULL SLEDS.

>> THIS WINTER, I DON'T EVEN KNOW -- I'M SPEECH-LESS AT THE MOMENT.

>> THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN RECORD LOW SNOW, ONLY ABOUT 20-SOME INCHES ALL WINTER.

>> THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE HAD, GOSH, WELL OVER 150 INCHES.

AT THIS POINT YOU COULDN'T SEE OUT THE WINDOWS HERE, TOTALLY BOOKED FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND -- SO WE HAD TO CHOP AND CHANGE REALLY FAST.

>> WE ARE THE LOWEST SNOWFALL WE'VE EVER HAD TO DATE AT THIS TIME.

>> AT LEAST SINCE THE FIRST U.S.-RECORDED HISTORY IN THE 1880s.

>> IT IS ABSOLUTELY STRANGE, ESPECIALLY SINCE LAST YEAR WE BROKE OUR RECORD FOR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL, O JUST TO HAVE THAT WEAPONLASH AND ALL OF THAT'S CAUSED BY EL NIÑO, WARM EQUATORIAL WATERS THAT DISRUPT THE JETS STREAM AND CAUSE IT TO SINK, MUCH MORE SOUTH THAN OUR AREA AND BASICALLY TAKES AWAY ALL OUR MOISTURE SOURCES AND KEEPS US WARM.

THIS IS THE STARTING POINT OF THE GUNFLINT MAIL RUN DOG SLED RACE.

THERE IS SOME SNOW TODAY BUT LOCALS SAY, IT'S STILL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO HAVE SAVED THE RACE THIS YEAR.

>> THEY RUN BY, THEY DO A BIG TURNAROUND FURTHER UP THE TRAIL.

>> WHITE PINE LODGE ON POPLAR LAKE HAS A PRIME VIEW OF THE MAIL RUN RACE, WHEN IT WAS CANCELED, LOCAL BUSINESSES BANDED TOGETHER TO HOST A SCAVENGER HUNT AND BORNE FIRE.

>> I HANDED OUT MORE SUMMER HIKE' MAPS HAN EVER BEFORE SO GO OUT AND DO WHAT YOU WOULD IN THE SUMMER.

>> ON THE GUNFLINT TRAIL, BUSINESSES THAT MAKE THEIR MONEY OFF THE SNOW OR FEELING THE HEAT.

>> HOW MUCH HAS IT BEEN DOWN?

>> >> WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SAY 50% OR BETTER, AT LEAST FROM LAST YEAR.

>> THE LODGE HAS BEEN IN THE FAMILY SINCE 1970, THANKFULLY, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE DO ROLL OVER SOME REGULARS RESERVATIONS TO NEXT YEAR.

>> WE'RE NOT GETSING THE DAILY TRAFFIC COMING IN TO THE BAR AND RESTAURANTS AND BUYING GAS, NO SNOWMOBILE RENTALS YET THIS SEASON.

>> PEOPLE THAT HAD LREADY BOUGHT TO COME UP HERE MOSTLY ARE COMING BUT, YOU KNOW, THE PHONE'S NOT WRINGING LIKE IT NORMALLY WOULD DO.

>> AND THAT MEANS PIVOT, LIKE RIDING BEHIND A CLYDES DAILY HORSE.

>> WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS FIND THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO DO.

IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SNOWMOBILE, CAN WE GET THE SLEIGH RIDES OUT, RIGHT?

IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SKI, CAN WE GET THE SKATES OUT.

SO I THINK THERE'S STILL LOTS OF THINGS TO DO UP HERE, JUST DIFFERENT THINGS.

>> THESE COUSINS WEREN'T DETERRED.

THEY BOOKED THEIR POINTS UNKNOWN TRIP LAST FALL.

>> WHO WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SNOW RIGHT NOW IN EARLY FEBRUARY, IN ALMOST CANADA.

I WASN'T REALLY DISAPPOINTED, I STILL WANDED TO GET THE EXPERIENCE WITH THE DOGS AND JUST LEARN ORE ABOUT SLED DOGS AND SEE THE PLACE OUT HERE AND BE OFF-GRID.

>> WHAT THEY LEARNED INSTEAD WAS HOW TO OUTFIT AND RIDE A UTV PULLED BY THE DOGS.

AND HIKE THROW THROUGH A RIVER CANYON ON A SECRETS TRAIL TO A FROZEN WATER FALL.

MEMORIES TO LAST A