What does a handler crew do when waiting for their team to arrive into Dawson? Make a dog camp that is as cozy and welcoming as possible.
This morning we headed back to camp to complete the work we started last night.
As mentioned in a previous post, the camp is not over the river this year so the camp ground set up was new for everyone. There are not the trees that we are accustomed to so it was an exercise in ingenuity to set up a stand alone shelter. There are some pretty tricked-out shelters and camp sites but we’ve gone with the old KISS philosophy and kept it simple.
First task last night was shovelling several cubic feet of snow to get a flat, packed surface for both the dog shelter and the arctic oven tent for the handlers. We brought several 2x2s with us to build a temporary frame to stretch a large tarpaulin over and secured one end with ropes to a lone tree and the other to some grader blades that the logistics team had dotted around the camp ground for us to use.
This morning we layered plenty of straw and laid out blankets and coats ready for the team to arrive.
The handler accommodations are equally as cozy. We have a 12×12 arctic oven with a cot and -60F sleeping bag. We have a small (ventilated) propane heater to keep them from freezing. Once the team arrives into camp someone will be with them the entire time to ensure they are safe, happy and content.
We laid out all the kibble and meat snacks we sent via drop bags and organised the camp for efficient and effective use for the 36 hours. We think our athletes will be pretty happy here.
Here is some awesome video that Bridgett, Jennifer and Scotty got after they climbed Eagle Summit themselves on foot to capture their Dad and the team successfully summiting.
In the first view you can see just how hard the dogs and, indeed, Allen are working up the steep slope. Right at the end you will hear him say “It’s punchy, can’t run” meaning he would normally be running up the hill pushing his sled but the trail is too soft for him to get any traction so his poling and pedalling instead.
Right near the top in the second view you will see the moment Allen stops ski-poling and puts his chains down, some of the dogs look back “hey” but continue when he asks them to.
On the descent you will see Allen crouching down, using his right hand to plunge his snow hook into the trail to slow the team. This is to ensure a safe and controlled descent for everyone.
As Allen and the Black Team continue towards Dawson, we (the handler crew) have arrived.
After we said farewell to the team in Circle they travelled 60 miles to Slaven’s Roadhouse where Allen rested the team around five hours. Slaven’s always has exceptional hospitality for the mushers and Allen was looking forward to having a delicious meal and drying his gear over the wood stove. As Slaven’s is not an official checkpoint we don’t send drop bags there so the mushers bring everything with them from Circle.
The team mushed another 60 miles along the river to the Trout Creek hospitality stop where he gave the team over a couple of hours rest. He likely wouldn’t have had any rest there himself as the arrival and departure chores take the same amount of time where ever they stay and anything left over after that is rest time for Allen. A two hour stop would not leave him any time to rest.
At 11:10am the team pulled into Eagle in first position. There is still a long way to go in this race so don’t even look for any chickens to count for a long while yet. Check out the Yukon Quest Facebook page for some great images of the team arriving.
We have noticed from this picture that he has swapped out his leaders. Spark and Dutch are in lead here and he has moved Commando and Kodiak back to swing. This is likely to give Kodi and Commando a break as they had been leading the whole way.
There is a mandatory four hour stop for all teams in Eagle but Allen was always planning to give the team more than that. They rested 5.5 hours before he and 14 team mates left for the long climb up American Summit.
The climb up the summit is around 25 miles on the Taylor Highway – in the summer it is a road but in the winter it is not plowed. There’s is about four miles that is above the tree line so it is often really windy up there. The next 20 miles is on the road that goes up and down as they travel through the hills.
The trail then crosses 40 Mile River over a bridge and the then goes pretty sharply down onto the river. The 40 Mile River has pretty steep banks on either side and it’s pretty cold because the sun never gets down into the river due to the geography. It’s not windy down there but the temperature never rises much.
There is one hospitality stop at Clinton Creek, the owners of the cabin let the mushers in their cabin and cook for them. Last year Allen said he slept at the foot of their bed.
After 50 miles of travelling on 40 Mile River the trail T-bones into the Yukon and they turn upriver. The first 20 miles are not a super-highway, although they have been travelled for 100 years. Whereas, the last 30 miles into Dawson is a common trapline trail. The teams will start seeing the lights of Dawson about 3-4 miles out so when you approach town in the dark it is more exciting for the dogs.
The forecast overnight is cold, cold, bitter cold! It’s more than -40F here in Dawson. On the river? Goodness knows but it won’t be comfortable for the humans.
As for us, we left the kennel in darkness and were welcomed into Canada before the sun rose. Once it did it was gorgeous! We passed lynx, elk, moose and just missed a ptarmigan with a death wish. There was little traffic on the road, it’s a long, lonely road.
We stopped at Braeburn Lodge for breakfast, it’s quite a different place when the mushers, handler crews, media and race fans crowd in here in a few days so we took some time to meet with Steve, the owner, and enjoy the hospitality.
This year the campsite for the team is not over the river where it has always been. The river did not freeze well this year so no official ice bridge could be put in to get all the trucks and teams over there. Instead we are in the Bonanza RV camp which is a couple of miles south of town. We stopped there on the way in and started our set up.
Originally we thought we would just go have a look, then we thought “hey, well we may as well get everything out of the truck”. Then, “hey well we could start shovelling the snow, and while we are at it we could start setting up camp”.
Campsite – before
Every day I’m shovelling
Before we knew it we were half done but pretty cold and starving so we checked into our hotel, had a meal and retrieved the drop sacks we sent out a couple weeks ago. After dinner we returned to do more work and it is in pretty good shape. Tomorrow in the daylight we will put the finishing touches on as we await our precious ones.
Gaby – checkpoint manager for Dawson
Dawson is already alive with Quest Fever. In saying that I think Dawson is always alive with events, it is a vibrant town. We look forward to spending a few days here.
For now we are going to try to get some sleep interspersed with checking the tracker. Once they hit town we are all hands on deck so we’d like to be well rested so we can support them the best we possibly can.
It was absolutely gorgeous out last night! The half moon is still hanging in the sky but not so bright as to block out the carpet of stars. This is what Allen and the Black Team have been mushing under on his way to the town of Eagle, Alaska. Through the night, he has made his way past Slaven’s and Trout Creek Hospitality Stops . He is currently about 25 miles from Eagle and still moving strong.
The dog truck with the SP Kennel crew is making their way across Alaska and Canada today, racing Allen to Dawson City, Yukon Territory. They will be putting together the camp for the Black Team to rest during their mandatory stop there.
While the mushers and their teams mush from Circle to Eagle then on to Dawson they cover around 300 miles of trail. The handler crews can’t go that way, it is inaccessible by road during the winter. We get to go on a road trip! From Circle we double back through to Two Rivers; around to Whitehorse on the Alaska Highway; up the Klondike to Dawson City. That is a long sentence… because it is a long drive!
At the end of the journey we set up camp in Dawson ready for their team to arrive. It’s a mission indeed but one we are all happy to do to support our loved ones.
We are about to take off from the kennel and during this drive I won’t be able to update you much. Make sure to keep up to date using the GPS tracker, the leaderboard and YQ Facebook Page.
Circle City checkpoint is the furtherest North we can support the team by dog truck. Once teams leave here we don’t see them again for a couple of days, after they’ve mushed 300 miles.
The checkpoint is the Circle City fire house. The famous fire truck is housed here and makes for a great sleeping spot. The walls are adorned with posters for each musher made by the local school students. It’s pretty cold up here – between -25-30F.
I was speaking with John this evening – he is part of the trail crew who rode the trail from Circle back to Central this morning. He said that the creek trail was beautiful today. There was no overflow and although there was plenty of snow making it perhaps a little slower than normal, there were no wet areas for the teams to negotiate. He also said there was loads of caribou out there today – they rode by a herd of around 50. That will certainly energise the dog teams if they catch sight or smell of them. He also said when he rode it he saw no sign of the forecast winds.
Allen and 14 super looking athletes arrived into Circle checkpoint in the early hours after an approx 13 hour total “run” time that included a four hour rest on the trail. He said the dogs are looking fantastic and made great time to get here. He was also happy that the creek had no overflow! He was in really good spirits and even called across the dog yard to us “who won the Super Bowl?”
Allen’s checkpoint routine at Circle started with him giving antacid to the dogs immediately he arrived at the campsite. Because he then had to wait half an hour before snacking the dogs he set about giving them straw, heating water for their meal and took their booties off. The meal for the dogs is meat, fat and kibble that soaks while they are sleeping. They get that, with a second type of kibble added add calories and crunch, an hour before leaving the checkpoint.
Five got completely covered in straw with only his head poking out. He looked quite content. When Allen was taking his booties off he just lay there and lifted his front leg straight up in the air ready for bootie removal. After half an hour they all got a few snacks of beef, chicken and/or poultry skins then settled down for a nap.
Joe Hardenbrook, chef from Hard Eats had made an amazing Thanksgiving meal with turkey and veges, fired chicken and buns. He remembered Allen doesn’t eat potatoes and that he likes fried chicken. I can see several turkeys thawing on the side ready for the crowds that will arrive later today because the YQ300 teams also come here before turning around and heading back to their finish line at Central. And the turkey soup and peanut butter rice crispy treats? YUM! Thanks also to the community of Circle who also donated home made goods for handlers and visitors.
There is an excellent drying rack for musher gear in the firehouse and a quiet room for them to sleep so it is a checkpoint I know Allen looks forward to after the frigid Birch Creek. He will sleep for a little while (I really do mean a little while, perhaps an hour?) before feeding and dressing the team and packing his sled ready to leave for their run to Slaven’s Roadhouse, Trout Creek and Eagle.
As soon as we say goodbye to the team and watch them run off into the distance we will clear the camp spot and quickly jump into the truck back to Two Rivers to get ready for the drive to Dawson (more on that later). I won’t be able to post again until we get back to the kennel so keep an eye on the Quest website and Facebook for updates.
Handling on the Alaska side of Two Rivers, Mile 101, Central and Circle is Jeff, Mark, Sheila and Moira.
Sheila rakes straw at 101
Mark and Jeff waiting at Circle
Dawson City support crew will be Aliy, Jeff, Bridgett and Moira then for the Yukon checkpoints of Pelly, Carmacks, Braeburn and the Finish Line will be Jeff, Bridgett and Moira. Aliy flies home to complete the Iditarod Food Drops which are due on Monday!
Handling for the YQ is a quest itself. The legendary Joe May is quoted in the handler handbook:
“Since the inception of the YQ, the handlers’ convoy has, for some, proven to be as gruelling as the dog race. Frozen engines, flat tires, and blown transmissions aren’t unknown. Cooperation with other crews long ago has become the norm. Please help each other if needed. It’s a long cold road. The up side is that it’s an opportunity to meet some great new people. Over the years, waiting in checkpoints, and on the long haul between Circle and Dawson City, I suspect there’ve been marriages made, divorces announced, 300 mile silences, tons of potato chips consumed, and maybe germination of a notion to run the race someday. In any event, have fun, stay warm and drive safe…”
The handler duties at all checkpoints (except Dawson) spans the team’s stay in a checkpoint.
Before the team arrives:
Ensure we arrive before the team and check in with the Checkpoint Managers and volunteers.
Check out the lay of the land of the checkpoint and be ready to tell Allen where to park, where the drop bags are, if water for dog meals is available, where he can fill his fuel cans and where he can sleep.
Gather other information he may like to be appraised of e.g. what the temperature is (sometimes on the sled it can be hard to tell) and how far in front or behind are the nearest competitors.
When the team arrives:
Greet the team at the check-in point with a happy face and no dramas. As Alex Olsen, the Race Manager, suggested in our handler meeting: don’t tell your musher if your dog truck transmission has failed or a wheel has fallen off down the road, they have their own things to worry about.
Help park the team into the designated parking area
Keep watch over the team while they are resting. Although handlers cannot touch the dogs (unless in emergencies i.e. loose team or dog fight) or speak to them, we can still show our love and support for them by keeping them safe and in our sights while they are at a checkpoint.
Spend time with our musher while he is awake – eat a meal with him, ask about the race, show him where he can dry his mitts and socks and where to sleep.
When the team leaves:
Help the team leave their camp spot to the check-out area
Clean up the camp site! This is a critical part of the race and the reason a handler is mandatory in the Quest. The logistics teams work hard in the communities the race visits, building relationships and getting necessary permissions to use land and facilities. Handler teams do their bit by ensuring every bit of trash and debris is cleaned up. We rake up the straw, dispose of poop and trash, claim back return items from drop bags and try to leave the site as we found it.
Check-out with the Checkpoint Manager
Returned Dogs:
If one of our canine team members can not longer continue with the race it is the handlers who will take charge of them until we can bring them home to the kennel. We get support and advice from the vet team in the checkpoints. In remote access areas such as Scroggie Creek or Eagle any returned dogs will be flown to the next checkpoint and wait with the veterinarian team for the handlers to arrive and care for them.
Dawson City is a completely different kettle of fish. It is what sets the Yukon Quest apart for any other race in that for 36 hours the handler crew has complete access to the team, the sled and drop bags. Aliy, Bridgett and Jeff will take charge of the dogs for this time and we have an hour by hour schedule set up for feeding, massage, sleeping and walking to give them the best chance to rest and recuperate ready for the next 500 miles. I will tell you more about that later.
We also dry out Allen’s sled and gear and are able to make any necessary repairs. The local businesses in Dawson have been visited for everything from needle and thread to a spare plutonium-powered nuclear fission reactor for the Flux Capacitor on the sled. (Yes, I did google “flux capacitor fuel” so goodness knows what kind of targeted advertisements I will get now lol – Moira)
Thanks to all the hardworking handler teams! Have a great race and we’ll see you out there!
The climb up the summit is around 25 miles on the Taylor Highway – in the summer it is a road but in the winter it is not plowed. There’s is about four miles that is above the tree line so it is often really windy up there. The next 20 miles is on the road that goes up and down as they travel through the hills.
It was absolutely gorgeous out last night! The half moon is still hanging in the sky but not so bright as to block out the carpet of stars. This is what Allen and the Black Team have been mushing under on his way to the town of Eagle, Alaska. Through the night, he has made his way past Slaven’s and Trout Creek Hospitality Stops . He is currently about 25 miles from Eagle and still moving strong.
