Category — Yukon Quest
They’re Off
The first of 29 teams left at 11:00 AM local time on the trail to Fairbanks. The current conditions at race time were partly cloudy and -9 °F, so the trail should be fast. The time difference between the teams is made up at the Dawson City layover.
You can get Race Updates here, and this is the official trail map.
The Daily News-Miner has a Google map, but they haven’t updated it for this year, although they do have a web cam for current conditions in Fairbanks, a stifling 19°F. The temperature is expected to return to the normal 0° high next week. [Note: that is hot for February in Fairbanks, and it means taking off a set of long underwear.]
The list of mushers is below the fold, with the R indicating first time competitors. In addition to Canada and the US, Austria, France, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, and the UK are represented.
February 14, 2009 Comments Off on They’re Off
Move Along Big Doggies
One thousand miles From Whitehorse, Yukon to Fairbanks, Alaska on the Goldrush/mail route – the Yukon Quest.
Here’s the official site, and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner site.
Only a quarter of century old, the start alternates between Whitehorse [odd years] and Fairbanks. Lance Mackey who has won the Quest for the last four years and doubled by winning the Iditarod the last two, has pulled out of this year’s race, but there are plenty of first rate teams in the running, including Lance’s brother, Jason.
February 13, 2009 5 Comments
