The Yukon Quest(s) Now Underway

Both the 1000 and the 300  mile versions of this race began Saturday, this year starting in Fairbanks, Alaska. Although a number of other races, several in the lower 48, were either starting or in progress, most of my readers here know my heart is in the Big Ones and those mushers. Of course those mushers also run in some of the mid-distance for many reasons. First, it is good training for dogs especially when they are bringing new young dogs into their teams. They may not run their top flight dogs--it all depends.   Another is a chance at some decent prize purses which help with the very expensive business of maintaining a kennel and keeping 20 to 50 dogs healthy, fed, doctored and fitted with harness and other equipment to say nothing of what the musher requires in cold weather gear and other supplies.  Serious sled dog racing is a bottomless money pit. Nobody is going to be doing it unless they love it fiercely and cannot envision a life this activity is not central to.

The fields in both the YQ races were small this season.There are a lot of reasons and issues behind this. Two young mushers who had signed up for the 1000 did not complete a needed qualifier when they scratched from the CB300. It was too late for them to change and run in the YQ300. There was some controversy over whether this was a fair and right decision but it stood. Then Matt Failor who had been running mid-distance races--no need to qualify for him since he has many races under his dogs' harnesses--also decided to try to pull out of the 1000 and run the 300 and again was not allowed. So in effect this actually reduced the contestants in both by three mushers. That left the fields at roughly fifteen for each race. That is enough competition to make each one a real race but it does reduce the purses some and probably gives PeTA and HSUS more ammo to twist and spin for their propaganda.

Anyway, as I write the 300 is nearing the close. At last count some nine or ten musher teams were in. Dave Turner won with Jeremy Traska close behind him. Madeline Rubida, a protegee of Tagish Lake Kennel, the home of Michelle Phillips and Ed Hopkins, got  third and Karolyn Bristol, working with and sponsored by SPK is shown on the tracker as 7th and Misha Wiljes as 8th. Misha ran the 1000 last year but lost a dog to aspirational pneumonia and perhaps did not think her team was up for the longer run. Three more are 'there' but not officially marked finish yet. The red lantern is either Leigh Strehlau or Deke Naaktgrboren. I had seen he had scratched but the tracker is not showing that yet. Two other racers did scratch earlier. Anyway it is virtually over and all remaining is the awards banquet which if memory serves is run in conjunction with the 1000 finish festivities, at Whitehorse this time.

So on to the big one. The leading group is at or out of Eagle Creek. Brent Sass is setting a scorching pace--I think he is really hungry for a third win. Giving him a run for his money is Michelle Phillips. She's run this race several times and it would be very neat to see her win. She'd be only the second female musher to do it. Aliy Z won in 2000, fairly early in her career.  Cody Strath, Torston  Kohnert and Allen Moore along with Ryne Olsen are hardly a safe distance back but not out of Eagle Creek per the tracker. That puts this group roughly a third of the way to the finish line. For now it is still a wide open race with a chance of a spoiler or two moving up though that gets less likely with each hour. Even at fast dog speed, twenty miles is a long way.

Two mushers scratched earlier today, and I am sad for them both.  Dennis Tremblay and Jason Campeau stopped for their teams welfare, they said. Of course that is the normal response but generally is is for real unless a musher is badly hurt or equipment too trashed to fix. Not much had been said but it appears the trail is pretty rough, icy, heavy snow, bare rock and all the extremes in various sections, rough on dogs, mushers and gear. Jason suffered a life threatening concussion two years ago and had worked and struggled for months to make a comeback so I feel especially sad for him. I hope he will have another chance in the coming years.

Bringing up the Red Lantern rear is Olivia Webster, actually Olivia Shank Webster Neff. I admit to mixed feelings about her. Her grandfather was almost the analog of Joe Redington as for as the Quest goes and naturally she wants to honor him. She tried last year and made it to Dawson (going west then) but with  controversial issues and problems. She ended scratching in lieu of being literally withdrawn by the judges. It was a messy situation and since I was not there and only heard different sides of the story which might all have been miles off the truth, I can't take sides. I do know her husband, Hugh Neff, is a very controversial figure and has been banned for alleged dog abuse and other issues. Again, what is fact versus rumor is hard to separate. I assume he is handling for her this time but do not know that for a fact.

I suspect she will scratch again but she is out of Slavin Gulch and still lugging along.  Just ahead of her are Dave Dalton and Pat Noddin. Dalton's name is familiar but not the other; not even sure if it is a guy or a gal as the name could be either. Need to go check the musher bios. They seem to be at a stop and she is less than ten miles behind them.

So the sled dog train is heading for Dalton and the 36 hour layover. Aliy is on her way there, handling for Allen as she usually does for the second half of the race. She kept tabs on Karolyn until the younger woman was heading for the last lap of the 300 but then did go on up to see Allen and the Black Team at the last checkpoint the road can reach. I bet she is in full mama mode this time not being distracted by running herself! She and Allen are very supportive and even protective of each other. I like that!I think Michelle and Ed are too and I know that fits Paige and Cody. Really admire these couples who are in it together and apply the musher teamwork to the max, even when they sometimes may compete. That is not usual although they may run a race together just to do it as Paige and Cody did the YQ a few seasons back.  Often one will run the A team while the other uses the puppy team in a learning role. Or they take turns running the two big races, one to each a year.

So now we follow the tracker and listen to the gossip and wait to see what happens next. Yep, it is still a dog race and **anything** can happen!! I reckon Lance knew that if anyone does!