During my visit I got to be part of
(happily, I was just rooting from the
sidelines) the 32nd annual Yukon
Quest International Sled Dog Race.
From what I could see, the “Quest””
makes the Iditarod look like a stroll
in the snow by comparison! The
Quest began in 1983, at the Bull’s
Eye Saloon, when musher Leroy
Shank and historian Roger Williams
envisioned the ultimate dog sled
race, one that would severely test
the strength and endurance of man
and dog over 1,000 miles of rugged
terrain. Unlike the Idtarod, which
only crosses one mountain range, the
Quest cuts through four mountain
ran
ith i ni ant
ation
changes, includes fewer checkpoints/
rest stops and has more extreme
temperatures. After talking to the
mushers and learning more about
their backgrounds I was reminded of
ABC’s Wide World of Sports slogan,
“the thrill of victory... and the agony
of defeat... the human drama of
athletic competition”.
10
Some of this year’s participants
included Allen Moore, who was going
for his third straight win in a row,
Ray Redington, Jr., the grandson of
an itaro o n r
ff in
considered the “Winningest Musher
in the World” who last ran the Quest
25 years ago (let’s hear it for the
older generation!) and my fave,
Brent Sass, the comeback kid from
Alaska. Last year he was neck and
neck with Moore for the win until he
a
n ar th na h
oint
t m
off hi
an hit hi h a
on the ice. He spent most of the last
year rehabbing from the resulting
concussion. His main concern was
that he let down his dogs, but as he
told us at the pre-event banquet,
“I’m feeling good now and ready to
go kick some butt!”
(Spoiler Alert: Brent Sass won
the 2015 Yukon Quest champion,
completing the 1,000 mile course
in 9 days, 12 hours and 49 minutes.
Yippee!)
Even the snowmen
welcome you with
open arms in the
Yukon!