Yukon Quest
For me the next week or so is Superbowl sunday, or the World series! The Yukon Quest sled dog race is on. Its a race from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to Faibanks, Alaska. (alternate years its the other way). Think Iditarod on steroids!
IMO this is the toughest sled dog race in the world. Compared to the iditarod there is rougher more remote terrain with fewer checkpoints. I think there are eight checkpoints to the iditarods 22. Right now the racers are in a trackless 200 mile stretch of wilderness. I have been following the race on the official website Yukon Quest. But the mushers are on their own right now until first racers arrive in Dawson somtime around noon today. There are no updates untill then. During this long 200 mile stretch the mushers have to pack extra food and figure out the best strategy of run and rest to get to Dawson ahead of the competition.
Some teams are steady marchers that move slower but rest less frequently. Others move faster and stop and rest more frequently.
The person I am rooting for is a Minnesota musher Blake Freking. He is last years winner of the Beargrease sled dog race and the only one to have won it with purebred siberian huskies. He has been holding steady in tenth or eleventh place. Will he pull ahead in the long stretch between Pell crossing and Dawson? Stay tuned!
Links:
Yukoner and fellow blogger, Stacie, with the inside scoop:
Chaos Kennel 13
KUAC radio Fairbanks where you can listen to audio clips of race coverage:
KUAC
Some cool video clips of the race:
Video Album
IMO this is the toughest sled dog race in the world. Compared to the iditarod there is rougher more remote terrain with fewer checkpoints. I think there are eight checkpoints to the iditarods 22. Right now the racers are in a trackless 200 mile stretch of wilderness. I have been following the race on the official website Yukon Quest. But the mushers are on their own right now until first racers arrive in Dawson somtime around noon today. There are no updates untill then. During this long 200 mile stretch the mushers have to pack extra food and figure out the best strategy of run and rest to get to Dawson ahead of the competition.
Some teams are steady marchers that move slower but rest less frequently. Others move faster and stop and rest more frequently.
The person I am rooting for is a Minnesota musher Blake Freking. He is last years winner of the Beargrease sled dog race and the only one to have won it with purebred siberian huskies. He has been holding steady in tenth or eleventh place. Will he pull ahead in the long stretch between Pell crossing and Dawson? Stay tuned!
Links:
Yukoner and fellow blogger, Stacie, with the inside scoop:
Chaos Kennel 13
KUAC radio Fairbanks where you can listen to audio clips of race coverage:
KUAC
Some cool video clips of the race:
Video Album
posted by Ted Heistman at 6:18 AM
4 Comments:
Hey Ted!
Thanks for the KUAC update on SDC -I can't get them!!! Argh!! Anyways, just wanted to say, on CBC they just said the same thing. Actually Sebastian came in saying Neff ran the dogs for 14 hrs without a rest!! Oy! He better be careful this year...
Keep me updated on the kuac scoop please!
Stacie,
I think that was a stupid move on Neff's part. They said his dogs all looked tired with their tails down and one was limping. In contrast Little showed up and all his dogs were up wagging their tails and jumping around.
Little got lost and ran nine hours straight but then took eight off so even though he got off of his five on five off schedule he is still nearly 50 % rest still.
Dave Dalton has 14 dogs still though. what an exciting race!
Ted
Hey Theo, it is exciting!! My neighbors are coming back with loads of Dawson pics (will be after the teams leave... oh well), and I'll post them asap.
Got to a computer where I could see the video/kuac reports and am so impressed. I think Jon is running a really smart race (as is Willomitzer, Kleedehn and Dalton) - his attitude on kuac after he got to Dawson was admirable. He knows there is a long way to go yet, and mentioned how you have to be patient... something I don't think Neff has learned yet.
Good shot of your guys btw!! Nice looking boys!
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