Yukon Quest 2013 – Day 14
Dyan Bergen (19) left the Chena Hot Springs/Two Rivers checkpoint at 5:13AM CST for the final leg of the race and she has the trail to herself until she gets closer in, where snowmobilers and local mushers will be out and about. She is more than a third of the way in moving at better than 6 miles per hour. It is in single digits in Fairbanks with overcast skies and the sun won’t be up for a couple of hours, so her headlamp is all the light available. That said, the glow from the lights in Fairbanks should be visible, and she is on the river, so the trail isn’t too tricky.
She obviously has won the Red Lantern if she finishes and will be in time for the banquet to receive it. This is down to a personal goal for herself and her puppies, which is the biggest reason I always hang in for those in the back of the race.
Update: The Yukon Quest ended at 8:18PM CST [5:18PM AKST] when Dyan crossed the finish line.
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4 comments
congratulations, dyan!
She almost got wiped out by a herd of caribou crossing the trail, and had to change leaders near the end because her dogs are shy around people.
This is it for her. She wanted to prove she could do it, and she did, so she doesn’t need to do it again.
Wow, that must be a weird feeling to be out at night with just the lone headlamp for light. But it’s better than sharing it with caribou and moose! The people and dogs are just amazing!
She aurora many nights, and like a lot of remote places without the light pollution that hides the sky at night, she got to see the stars in a way most people never will. There are rewards for running the trail alone, as well as drawbacks.