The Yukon Quest

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Rick P

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Apr 30, 2011
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Palmer Alaska
The quest starts tomarow! The Yukon quest is a 1,000 mile dog sled race that starts in white horse Canada and ends in Alaska. The race follows the river most of the way and winds through some of the toughest terrain on Earth! The Iditarod can Brag all they want it's a show race compared to the Quest. Anyhow here is a informative link. I'll wait and see how much interest there is before posting more.

Yukon Charley Rivers National Preserve - Yukon Quest Mushing Gear (U.S. National Park Service)
 
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I lived in Whitehorse for 2 years and the Quest is a big thing. I was there the first year Fulda tires sponsored the race and provided the booties for the dogs. The starting line, also known as 2nd avenue was littered with booties that came off the dogs feet. The Fulda reps were mad because the mushers were switching to their own booties that didn't say Fulda on them and the booties were part of the required promotional gear. The general response from the mushers was the booties didn't stay on, and wore out quickly. Fulda threatened to fine the mushers or possibly pull their sponsorship. The mushers said they didn't care. Their dogs feet were more important than a very, and I do mean very generous sponsor. Fortunately Fulda realized that this wasn't a fight they could win and backed down. Mushers are very protective of their dogs.
Mushers who run both say the Ididarod is more glamorous and famous but the Quest is a real test of man and dog.
Sorry Rick, I have to say it.
Alaska, where the men are men and the women win the Ididarod. :biggrin:
 
The Quest and the Iditarod are both great tests of endurance. I had the great pleasure of meeting Jeff King two years ago and Susan Butcher many many moons ago. I follow these events every year.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
Displaced Canadian......true but you got to admire DeDe Jonrowe. She always crosses the line looking like she is ready for a big dinner party, even the years she won, even right after recovering from breast cancer. We see her on the trail from time to time, her pink team always brings a smile to our faces. The Quest is the race I really care about. The Iditarod is just not as much of a challenge. Especially now that the iron dog runs threw first..........if you cant follow a 1/2 mile wide snowmachine trail there is something not right!

Jimmy, Jeff is a great guy and the world lost one of the toughest, sweetest women to have ever lived when Susan passed. The world and dog sledding is a less interesting place without her. She was one of the firsts to run the Iditarod with old Joe Redington when the race was still more about guts than luck. Lance Mackey is an amazing character too, uses medical weed. The other mushers bitched that he was using a performance enhancing drug. Following year he dried up for the race and won in record time..........performance enhancer my ass!
 
I'll be spending Monday breaking camp and taking down trail markers for the Don Bowers memorial dog sled race. It's a 300 mile qualifier for the Quest and the Iditarod. Its a small family run race near Talkeetna Alaska that is tuff as nails and growing in popularity among the mushers. Next year I'll be spending a week at a remote check point for the race, gonna be lots of fun working with the racers and the dogs!
 
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Rick P said:
I'll be spending Monday breaking camp and taking down trail markers for the Don Bowers memorial dog sled race. It's a 300 mile qualifier for the Quest and the Iditarod. Its a small family run race near Talkeetna Alaska that is tuff as nails and growing in popularity among the mushers. Next year I'll be spending a week at a remote check point for the race, gonna be lots of fun working with the racers and the dogs!
Click to expand...

Congratulations Rick on making the check point for next year. I envy you.
Charles
 
Stopped racing in 96. Dogs were getting old (me too) I live in a city so all I had was a 4 dog sprint team. I could not farm em out to pet homes like a lot of serious musher do when they get a little old to compete. Plus I did show them also, Mine were purebred Siberians. They worked hard for me for years, so their retirement home was here. I only did races here in Michigan, often thought of moving into a rural area & increasing the # of dogs. I salute your working on the race.
 
Thanks Charles! Im honored I was asked to man the check post. Its a big responsibility and very important to the race and the safety of the mushers and dogs.

Ren Lathe: Loosing 16 of our closest freinds is the only reason we dont run a team now. My friend Dave has 4 dogs from his team left and it is still very tough on him when one passes. We are more into the weight pull side of it with our own dogs, we mostly have them work around the house. When I was recovering from my back injury our dog Sitka was a god send! She'd sit and wait while I loaded wood one stick at a time. Some times she would sit for 45 minutes tail gently wagging waiting for me to finish with the sled and holler "Pull" then off to the house she'd go.......only to wait an hour while I unloaded the sled one stick at a time. Sitka allowed me to regain my sence of worth and not feel like a burden to my family much faster than I could have on my own. She passed after a long battle with bone cancer this past memorial day.......we all miss her very much.
 
Sitka like most dogs is more of a friend than most humans. I had to put my last one down about 3 years ago broke my heart. I am still trying to convince my wife to get another.
 
Amen to that brother!..........and if they dont like someone I DON'T like them! They are far better judges of character than I am.
 
A pet becomes a more important part of your heart than any of us wish to admit. Even a cat will select someone to own and often guard that person to the end. A dog even more so. I care not how much we try to keep one of them out of our soul, they find that tiniest little part of a crack and claw their way deeply into your being. Your dog, as Rick stated, will sit patiently and lovingly waiting for it's master to give it the go ahead and then work it's heart right out trying to please. They seem to live for that kind word or jester from the one they love. Having had to part with so many great friends over the years, I can relate to your loses. No, living in Kentucky, I never had sled dogs. I have had many working dogs and even a few biscuit eaters as well. Ye gotta love 'em all, each and everyone. I can't remember ever having two alike either. So many different personalities. Better quit now before I run out of formu space. One of my many favorite topics.
Charles
 
Current stats were just posted and two of my favorite mushers are leading......Lance Mackey and Hugh Neff. Old school vs new hotness, this race just got a bit more interesting!
 

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No I dont know any of the guys personally though I have met more than a few of them. I am more than a bit of a loaner and so are most mushers.
 
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