Poor trail conditions have prompted a course change for the 25th Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, which starts Saturday.
Race marshal Doug Grilliot said teams will be trucked from the Chena Hot Springs checkpoint to the Mile 101 dog drop checkpoints to avoid a 42-mile stretch that includes a rocky and snow-parched Rosebud Summit.
“The trail conditions … are not adequate for safe travel of the dogs,” he said. “There’s not enough snow to control a dog team with 14 dogs.”
He said that made exposed, sharp rocks on the backside of the 3,640-foot Rosebud Summit particularly worrisome.
“With the snow up there, we probably could do it, but we’re going to err on the side of caution,” Grilliot said.
Once mushers reach Chena Hot Springs 99 miles into the race, five to six hours will be added to a mandatory two-hour break, Grilliot said, allowing them time to drive to Mile 101.
“From a rookie standpoint, I’m breathing a sigh of relief that the Quest has my dogs’ interests at heart,” said Julie Estey, the Quest’s former executive director.
The lost distance will not be made up, shortening the 1,000-mile Quest to about 960 miles.
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
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