One Thousand Miles - The Yukon Quest

Photo:  Katie Orlinsky
Temps During Race -50C - Winds up to 80kph

It is time, once again, for the Yukon Quest which is celebrating its 31st year. The Quest is a 1,000-mile international sled dog race along an old Gold Rush trail in North America, named from the "highway of the north."  This trek travels what was once known as the Klondike Highway, the route that sled dogs used to deliver mail during the age of the Gold Rush.  Besides transporting the mail, prospectors, adventurers and supply carriers traveled between the gold fields of the Klondike and those in the Alaska interior.

The Quest's route is considered tougher than the 

Super Bowl of sled dog races, the Iditarod.

In 1983, four mushers were sitting in the Bull's Eye Saloon in Fairbanks, talking about sled dog racing and the what-ifs of it following a historical trail. In 1984, twenty-six teams left Fairbanks and over sixteen days, twenty teams arrived in Whitehorse. Sonny Lindner became the first champion, completing the race in just over twelve days.

The Quest alternates start locations each year.  This year, it's Whitehorse's turn to host the 2015 Quest run festivities.  Low temps in the Yukon are expected to approach -40 this weekend, adding an element that has been missing from the Quest's start for several years.   

Celebrations such as "Meet the Mushers" and the Start Banquet took place yesterday, allowing for final team preparation before the start tomorrow morning, February 7, 2015.

Painstaking preparations have been made by many for this race. The Yukon Quest Food Drop occurred on January 24, 2015.  Each musher must decide what supplies will be waiting for them along the trail.  Weeks of sorting dog food, winter gear and equipment are bundled up in 40 pound mesh bags, and dropped off at Summit Logistics in South Fairbanks.  From there, the bags are scattered at checkpoints throughout the race course, offering fresh batches of supplies as the mushers arrive.

The trails are clear (thanks to the Canadian Rangers) 

and the dogs are ready.

Photo:  Wild & Free Mushing

We have been following "Wild & Free" Brent Sass, who drew Bib #2 last night and is sponsored by Braeburn Lodge, home of the "huge" cinnamon bun. The local Braeburn Airport is also known as "Cinnamon Bun Airstrip" because of them.

Born in Excelsior, MN, Brent and his 60 sled dogs are based in Eureka, AK, and is also a wilderness guide, builder of custom cabins, and maintains a rental cabin neighborhood in Alaska's Goldstream Valley.                               

                              Photo:  Katie Orlinsky

The sled dogs are the heart and soul of the Quest, bred from stock that survived and thrived during the Gold Rush era.  No animal on earth can match them for endurance, dedication and ability to perform in the extreme conditions of the North. Vets examine each dog at least six times from pre-race to the finish line.  In addition checkpoints provide vets to monitor each dog's well-being throughout the race, with removal from the competition if necessary.

In the draft horse world, we know "no foot - no horse." 
The same goes in the sled dog world.

Brent Sass's working team players this year are:  Sound, Rosie, Cat, Basin, Heath, Yukon, Braeburn, Bato, Chulo, Neon, Krypton, Merc, Copper, Carbon and as an alternate, Chica. The Alaskan Huskies are a type of mixed breed that is the preferred racing dog choice.

Sass is a fan favorite due to his willingness to assist other mushers at times of need, despite losing time for a potential win.  If a musher receives outside assistance during the run, they will be automatically disqualified; however, mushers can help other mushers. Last year, Brent had to withdraw from the Quest after falling asleep, tumbling from his sled and hitting his head on the surface of a frozen lake 100 miles from the finish line. This year, he's taking precautions against another concussion and will be wearing a helmet.

Dawson City is a mandatory 24-hour layover at the half-way point. We'll be cheering the mushers on and look for Brent to hopefully achieve his first Yukon Quest win. Last year's purse was about 15,000 Pounds Sterling / 20,000 Euros / $22,674 USD, which hardly covers the costs incurred.  But as we know in the draft horse world, we don't compete for the money either.  

Keep up with the Sass adventure on his Facebook page: 

"Wild and Free Mushing."

Terrific video of the start of the Yukon Quest 2013