From Fairbanks to Two Rivers

It’s an emotional experience for the spectators, and one can only imagine the emotions which must be coursing through each musher as he or she advances to the starting chute of the Yukon Quest. It’s a visceral feeling, and one can feel the hot breath of history right there on the Chena River, under many of the very same buildings which mushers passed by many decades ago with burdens of freight and mail, passengers and supplies…

Twenty-four mushers pulled their teams into the starting chute on Saturday morning, to the loud cheers and best wishes of a crowd which lined both banks of the river and two big bridges – one just behind the starting chute, the other just at the end of it – and every team went off with loud and enthusiastic roars of support for the long trek ahead. Broadcast over it all was a running commentary and descriptions of each team, with their race histories and special mushing achievements duly noted. Details of interesting points were shared with the crowd:

“Snowmachines attached to the rear of the sleds hold the dogs back and help the mushers and handlers bring their supercharged teams to the starting chute…”

“Those little booties will stay on the dogs’ feet all the way to Whitehorse, and the musher will change them at every checkpoint. Figure 12 to 14 dogs and four feet per dog times nine checkpoints… That’s a lot of booties!”

“See those spreader bars in this musher’s harness? They help distribute the weight the dogs are pulling in a different way…”

“This race is run entirely by volunteers, and it takes 1,000 people to help these teams run 1,000 miles…”

Just before the 2010 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race began Saturday morning in Fairbanks, a pancake feed brought mushers and their fans together at the Elk’s Lodge on the bank of the frozen Chena River. After the hearty meal all attentions were turned to the teams waiting outside in the dog yard, with mushers posing with fans for photos and the fans extending their heartfelt final best wishes for a safe trip. Warming temperatures and a bright sunny morning had everyone enjoying the pre-race fun!

Just before 11:00 a.m. rookie Abbie West lined up her team in the starting chute on the Chena River, under the Yukon Quest log cabin headquarters. A one minute warning, then at the end of a quick countdown the crowd cheered loudly and sent Abbie and her team on their way to Whitehorse. Team number two, Quest veteran Zack Steer, was next, and then began a slow but steady stream of teams at three minute intervals, each accompanied by loud cheers and best wishes: David Dalton, Sam Deltour, Gerry Willomitzer, Katie Davis, Terry Williams, Jocelyne LeBlanc, Cindy Barrand, Normand Casavant…

And then the obvious crowd favorite and four-time Yukon Quest champion Lance Mackey led his team to the starting line, and loud roars of approval swelled from the crowd. In his typical manner Lance was still stepping to the fence to greet fans even as his team was jumping in their harnesses to hit the trail for Whitehorse. A quick last look over the dogs and he swung onto the runners and was off!

More favorites, more rookies, and other past champions filed under the Cushman Street bridge and into the starting chute: Brent Sass, Hans Gatt, Bart De Marie, Kelley Griffin, Jennifer Raffaeli, Ken Anderson, Mike Ellis, Pierre-Antoine Hertier… And the winner of the very first Yukon Quest in 1984, Sonny Lindner. The final handful of teams: Joshua Cadzow, Dries Jacobs, Hugh Neff and rookie Peter Fleck. The 27th running of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race was under way!

By early afternoon the teams were passing under the Nordale Road bridge, several miles up the Chena River, where a large group of fans had gathered to watch the teams pass by. The first mushers reached the Pleasant Valley Store on Chena Hot Springs Road by early afternoon, where another appreciative crowd of fans and photographers met them. Then for the next few miles the trail paralleled the road and cars pulling over to snap photos were a common sight. Groups of photographers clustered at especially photogenic points, and not long after a quick jag across the road near mile 26 the teams reached the first checkpoint, Two Rivers. The Yukon Quest web site reported the first arrivals:

“Zach Steer and his team took the turn down the embankment and into the Two Rivers checkpoint after four hours and 11 minutes on the trail. He arrived with one dog in the basket, but quickly added her back to the line. Then it was over to the dog yard for some rest, as he laid out the straw and some food for the dogs.

Abbie West followed closely behind and also parked her team for a rest alongside Steer. While he may have started 11th, Lance Mackey picked up some pace and was the third musher to arrive in Two Rivers. He joined the others, resting his team in the dog yard.”

Many of the mushers passed through the Two Rivers checkpoint pretty quickly – none as quickly as Hugh Neff! – and many others took advantage of the amenities offered and gave their dogs a rest. For a complete Two Rivers checkpoint report check out the Yukon Quest site.

From Two Rivers the teams head cross-country for the first two mountain summits, the 3,640′ Rosebud Summit and 3,685 Eagle Summit. They’ll have a mandatory two hour layover at the Mile 101 checkpoint before the steep climbing begins. The first mushers are expected to arrive at Mile 101 around 6 am on Sunday.

For more reports and photos from the trail check out Alaska Dispatch’s Team & Trail.

All photos by Helen Hegener, Northern Light Media.

Tags: Bart De Marie, Brent Sass, Cindy Barrand, David Dalton, Gerry Willomitzer, Hans Gatt, Helen Hegener, huskies, Jennifer Raffaeli, Jocelyne LeBlanc, Katie Davis, Kelley Griffin, Ken Anderson, Lance Mackey, Mike Ellis, mushing, Normand Casavant, Northern Light Media, Pierre-Antoine Hertier, Sam Deltour, sled dog race, Sonny Lindner, Terry Williams, Yukon Quest, Zack Steer