SPK Dog Log

Gerry Willomitzer wins the Yukon Quest 300!! He had a very nice run and finished at 9:23 pm PST with 10 dogs. He will be a force on the Iditarod this year.

Gerry Wins the 2011 Yukon Quest 300

By the Yukon Quest
From Official Yukon Quest Flickr Page

Aliy is out on the final leg of the Quest 300. We are estimating it will take her around 8 hours to make the 64 mile loop. We still haven’t heard the details of the tangle out of McCabe Creek, but now I found out she broke her sled running into Carmacks. Sounds like she is having an eventful run! The handlers are reporting that she is in a very good mood though, almost taking a “now what” attitude for the race. She should be finishing between 4 and 5 am PST. Hopefully she will catch Beck!

As they tend to lose Ryne, I’m not sure if she is already in Pelly. She should be there anytime now if she is not. I don’t know which dog she had to drop at Carmacks. Will get you that info as soon as I can. Doug said that during her stay at McCabe Creek, she told him she was having the time of her life. Northern Lights. Awesome views of the mountains and the rivers. She had a tired grin plastered on her face. Can’t beat that.

Allen is running in the middle of the front pack in the Quest. We won’t really hear too much about him for a while. Thank goodness they fixed his Spot! Scroggie Creek is his next check in point. It is a Dog Drop and usually reports some of the coldest temperatures on the trail. The nighttime temperatures have been hitting 30 below in the low lands and now they are climbing into the hills.

I linked to a nice video that shows him and the Black Team on the Yukon River near Carmacks. Looking good.

This is a video of mushers leaving the Yukon River near Carmacks. Allen is the 3 musher. It is cool to see how each musher, sled and dog team reacts to the camera and the trail.

Video from Official Yukon Quest YouTube Channel

Way to go, sis!!!

By the Yukon Quest
From Official Yukon Quest Flickr Page

Aliy & the Red Team Arriving at Pelly Crossing

By the Yukon Quest
From Official Yukon Quest Flickr Page

Aliy just arrived in Pelly in very good spirits. Report on dropped dogs: Bonita at Braeburn, Hunter and Roy at Carmacks and Cutter at McCabe Creek. All but Bonita was for wrist problems. That is equivalent to a twisted or sprained ankle and is nothing major. The trail has been hard and fast, which lends itself to those types of problems. Bonita had an upset stomach and is now eating well.

Ray reports that Aliy is currently putting straw out for the dogs to use as beds and taking off the dog booties. The water for their meal is heating up in her dog food cooker. As she waits for that, she will be putting ointment on their feet and giving massages. Then she can get some food!

Sixty-four miles left for Aliy and the Red Team on the race!

No word yet on Ryne other than she did leave Carmacks at 8:35 am. Allen is still resting at Stepping Stone.

Allen is into Stepping Stone. His plan, and his Spot, has him resting there for several hours. He and his dogs are doing SO well.

We have a report from a Canadian Mounty that Aliy has left McCabe. She was apparently involved in a bit of a tangle there. We will have to wait to find out details. She is now expected into Pelly around 3 pm PST.

They still have Ryne in Carmacks, but I don’t believe it. I expect she is well on her way to McCabe.

As you can tell, Allen is on a completely different run / rest schedule than most of the top mushers. He and Michelle Phillips seem to have the same idea. Allen is doing most of his rest away from the Check Points. Last night, he rested at the McCabe Creek Dog Drop. Ray hiked in there and said it was the perfect place for a stop. With so much less activity around them, the dogs and Allen got some well deserved sleep. Although there was no road access to McCabe, the cabin was stocked with luxury. The wood stove was cranking out heat, there was a delicious moose stew for the mushers and lots of straw for the dogs. You don’t get that everywhere!

After resting at McCabe, Allen and the Black Team headed off to Pelly Crossing, a short 34 mile run. After picking up supplies for the next LONG trail section (210 miles), Allen left Pelly with all 14 dogs. He is running on the dogs’ schedule perfectly.

Aliy is in the communication dead zone of McCabe Creek, but we expect her into Pelly Crossing at about noon. She dropped two dogs when she left Carmacks, so the Red Team is running with 9. I am assuming one of the dogs was Cutter, but we will know for sure soon.

The Quest is still showing Ryne at Carmacks.

A note on the Quest 300 Race itself. Our friend, Gerry Willomitzer, is having a great race. He is running his Iditarod team in the 300 as a practice run. He and Ed Hopkins are the two clear leaders in the race. Both are veteran Yukon Quest mushers. Gerry is in Pelly now resting. The trail from Pelly is a 64 mile loop, ending back at the Pelly Crossing Finish Line.

Temperatures were close to 30 below F last night on the trail. Great for the dogs. Cold for the handlers!

The mushers are on their way to Pelly Crossing. This section of trail tends to be “easier and faster” than many sections although there are a few big hill. Now that I’ve jinxed the mushers!

Pelly Crossing is located where the Klondike Highway crosses over the Pelly River. It began as a construction camp in 1950 during the building of the highway. The people of the Selkirk First Nation, a Northern Tutchone people, left their home of Fort Selkirk for the new village of Pelly Crossing. Fort Selkirk, one of the oldest settlements on the Yukon River, was left nearly abandoned. Archeologists have found evidence of use in the area from 8000 years ago. Fort Selkirk has now been restored and is a common tourist stop.Pelly Crossing is one of my favorite check points on the Quest. The people are incredible there and just love having the Quest and its mushers in their village. Pelly will be the finish line for the Yukon Quest 300. These mushers have a check point at Pelly before heading out to Stepping Stone and then back to Pelly Crossing for the finish. It is a 64 mile round trip.

Allen & Black Team Going Through Carmacks

By The Yukon Quest
From Official Yukon Quest Flickr Page

Aren’t they just gorgeous!

By The Yukon Quest
From Official Yukon Quest Flickr Page

Allen Checking Into Carmacks

By The Yukon Quest
From Official Yukon Quest Flickr Page

Frosty Allen At Carmacks

By The Yukon Quest
From Official Yukon Quest Flickr Page