Yukon Quest
The Yukon Quest , officially the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race , is a long-distance dog sled race that was launched in 1984 and runs over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) through Alaska and Canada between Fairbanks (Alaska) and Whitehorse (Canada). The race takes place every February. In even-numbered years it leads from Fairbanks to Whitehorse, in odd-numbered years in the opposite direction.
The Yukon Quest recalls the historic role the trail played in exploring the North American and Canadian regions, and the gold miners, trappers and mailmen who opened up the country without the aid of modern means of transport.
It is considered the toughest or most difficult dog sled race in the world and competes with the Iditarod , which is considered the longest dog sled race. Participation is subject to the condition that the musher and his team become a "self-sufficient unit" capable of taking on the challenge of the hostile environmental conditions in a different terrain.
At the 2011 Yukon Quest, which started in Whitehorse on February 5, 23-year-old Yukon Quest rookie Dallas Seavey was the first to cross the finish line at Fairbanks on February 15 . This makes him the youngest ever winner. Sebastian Schnülle was second with a gap of 33 minutes. The last participant arrived four days later.
history
The first Yukon Quest did not take place until 1984, but it has its origins in the times of the Klondike Gold Rush in the second half of the 19th century. The Yukon River , with over 3,000 km the ninth largest waterway in the world, became the fastest and most important connection between the Klondike River in the Yukon and the gold claims in Inner Alaska. Where the prospectors struck gold, settlements emerged like Circle City , Fourty Mile and, over time, cities like Fairbanks or Dawson . Whitehorse was an important transshipment point for the supplies of gold prospectors.
In order to maintain the connection between the individual settlements, the frozen river was used as a transport route and above all as a postal service route with the dog sledge. Postal operators, such as Percy de Wolf and Charlie Biedermann , transported the freight by dog sled from Eagle (Alaska) to Dawson and to the smaller settlements, all year round, in all weather conditions and at temperatures as low as −50 ° C. A path developed, the "Trail", which ran from Fairbanks in Alaska over a mountain range to Circle City, from there on the Yukon River to Dawson and over another mountain range to Whitehorse.
With the advent of air transport in the 20th century, which supplemented the newly created railroad routes, the dog sleds could soon no longer compete and so the journeys became less and less until they were finally stopped completely. The last official trip took place in 1963. The historic trail would have been forgotten had it not been for the chemical engineer from Fairbanks Roger Williams and his colleagues LeRoy Shank, Ron Rosser and Willie Libb developed the Yukon Quest in early 1983. The first race took place on February 25, 1984 and was won by Sonny Lindner .
Surname
Already in the 1970s, Alaska was repeatedly thinking about establishing another dog sled race as an alternative to the already existing long-distance dog sled race Iditarod . They decided to name the race “Yukon Quest” in order to emphasize the enormous importance of the Yukon River , also known as the “Highway of the North”. "Quest" is the English name for a treasure (but also a search for meaning).
Route
The race takes place annually in February. On odd years it leads from Whitehorse to Fairbanks, on even years in the opposite direction, from Fairbanks to Whitehorse. The route follows the historic path of the Klondike Gold Rush , which largely runs parallel to today's Klondike Highway . The route leads over frozen rivers, four mountain ridges and through isolated settlements. There are crevasses on some sections . The temperature at this time of year drops to -60 ° F (-51 ° C), the wind can reach speeds of 50 miles per hour (80 km / h) and more at higher altitudes.
The length of the route is around 1,016 miles (1,635 km) and the race lasts ten to 14 days, depending on the weather and the condition of the mushers and their teams.
Whitehorse - Braeburn
(Distance: 160 km, time: average 12 to 18 hours)
The starting line is on First Avenue in Whitehorse, near the White Pass and Yukon Route building that now houses the Yukon Quest administration. The trail initially leads along roads, then through wooded areas with slopes and sharp curves. Even at temperatures of −30 ° C or even lower, some areas can be covered with knee-deep water. Then a spring or a river blew up the ice surface there. This phenomenon is called "overflow" and is typical of this first section, even if it also occurs on the others.
The first checkpoint is Braeburn Lodge, where many mushers do not take a break.
Further sections
The other sections lead from Braeburn to Pelly Crossing over 124 km, from there to Dawson over 323 km, on to Eagle (237 km), from there to Central (375 km) and finally over Two Rivers (85 km) to Fairbanks.
Changes in the route
The 1984 route was different from today. There was only one dog change point at mile 101. Instead of passing through Braeburn Lodge , the route went 60 miles (97 km) between Whitehorse and Minto across Lake Laberge . Originally there was also a checkpoint at Chena Hot Springs near Fairbanks. This stop was relocated near Angel Creek after mushers complained that the hot springs were a threat to the dogs getting wet, which in the extreme temperatures posed a health hazard to them. In 1994 the checkpoints Biedermann's Cabin ( Slaven's Cabin replaced) and McCabe Creek were added. In 1995 the destination in Whitehorse was relocated from Lake Laberge to the Takhini River , there was a route change at King Solomon's Dome south of Dawson and the introduction of a dog change point at Scroggie Creek on the banks of the Stewart River . In 1996 the route passed through Pelly Crossing , where another checkpoint was set up; the Lake Laberge route has been replaced with a path through Braeburn and along the Dawson-Whitehorse Overland Trail . In 1997, the mushers were due to the dam project Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project of the city of North Pole diverted in Alaska before it went on to Fairbanks. This diversion was canceled in 2009, the route now led through Two Rivers instead . In 2010, the dog change point at Mile 101 was turned into a full-fledged checkpoint.
regulate
The mushers have to transport their equipment themselves on the sled and are not allowed to receive any outside help (with the exception of other mushers). Only in Dawson , where about the middle of the route is, a mandatory break of several hours has to be taken. The mushers must pass the individual checkpoints at which provisions can be deposited and must not deviate from the specified route. In the event of rule violations, you risk a time penalty in the form of a compulsory break, a reduction in the award bonus or, in the worst case, disqualification .
The mushers can carry up to 250 pounds (113 kg) of equipment and food for themselves and their animals to survive between checkpoints. You are allowed to leave dogs behind at the checkpoints and designated other places ( dog drops ), but you cannot replace them. The sleds must not be replaced either.
The mushers may only accept help from other participants, with the exception of Dawson, the place of the compulsory break.
Veterinarians are present at all checkpoints and dog changing points to ensure the health of the animals and look after dogs that have been left behind. The race director or a race judge are present at each checkpoint; they are entitled to take dogs out of the race prematurely for medical or other reasons.
winner
The winner of the first race in 1984 was Sonny Lindner in a field of 26 teams.
The longest race took place in 1988 when Ty Halvorson was the last to cross the finish line after 20 days, 8 hours and 29 minutes. Aliy Zirkle became the
first woman to win the race in 10 days, 22 hours and 57 minutes in 2000.
In 2007, Lance Mackey became the first musher to win both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod Trail, an accomplishment he repeated the following year. He was also the first to win the Yukon Quest four times. Hans Gatt was the first to succeed three times, and in 2010 he also achieved his fourth victory.
In the 2009 race, two teams crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, with Sebastian Schnülle beating second-placed Hugh Neff by just four minutes.
The fastest race took place in 2010 when Hans Gatt , who came from Austria, set the new record time of 9 days and 26 minutes.
The youngest winner to date is the 2011 winner, 23-year-old Yukon Quest newcomer Dallas Seavey .
| year | Musher | origin |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Sonny Lindner | Delta Junction, Alaska |
| 1985 | Joe Runyan | Tanana, Alaska |
| 1986 | Bruce Johnson | Atlin, British Columbia |
| 1987 | Bill Cotter | Nenana, Alaska |
| 1988 | Dave Monson | Manley Hot Springs, Alaska |
| 1989 | Jeff King | Denali Park, Alaska |
| 1990 | Vern holder | Trapper Creek, Alaska |
| 1991 | Charlie Boulding | Manley Hot Springs, Alaska |
| 1992 | John Schandelmeier | Paxson, Alaska |
| 1993 | Charlie Boulding | Manley Hot Springs, Alaska |
| 1994 | Lavon Barve | Wasilla, Alaska |
| 1995 | Frank Turner | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 1996 | John Schandelmeier | Paxson, Alaska |
| 1997 | Rick Mackey | Nenana, Alaska |
| 1998 | Bruce Lee | Denali Park, Alaska |
| 1999 | Ramy Brooks | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| 2000 | Aliy Zirkle | Two Rivers, Alaska |
| 2001 | Tim Osmar | Clam Gulch, Alaska |
| 2002 | Hans Gatt | Atlin, British Columbia |
| 2003 | Hans Gatt | Atlin, British Columbia |
| 2004 | Hans Gatt | Atlin, British Columbia |
| 2005 | Lance Mackey | Fox, Alaska |
| 2006 | Lance Mackey | Fox, Alaska |
| 2007 | Lance Mackey | Fox, Alaska |
| 2008 | Lance Mackey | Fox, Alaska |
| 2009 | Sebastian Schnülle | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 2010 | Hans Gatt | Atlin, British Columbia |
| 2011 | Dallas Seavey | Willow, Alaska |
| 2012 | Hugh Neff | Tok, Alaska |
| 2013 | Allen Moore | Two Rivers, Alaska |
| 2014 | Allen Moore | Two Rivers, Alaska |
| 2015 | Brent Sass | Eureka, Alaska |
| 2016 | Hugh Neff | Tok, Alaska |
| 2017 | Matt Hall | Two Rivers, Alaska |
| 2018 | Allen Moore | Two Rivers, Alaska |
| 2019 | Brent Sass | Eureka, Alaska |
swell
- For the description of the route was u. a. the report by Klaus Scherer: Under the spell of the Yukon - with dog sled drivers through Alaska. (NDR) used.
Web links
- Official German-language Yukon Quest site
- Yukon Quest International. "Musher Hall of Fame"