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The Carmacks checkpoint marks the halfway point of the Yukon River Quest.

The seven-hour layover is also the first chance for paddlers to get onto stable ground, assess their physical and mental strength and decide whether or not they can move forward with the race.

With the temperature plummeting on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, Team Such a Blast from California were the first to arrive at 6:59 a.m.

The six-man voyageur canoe team has been battling the Down Under Dogs of Australia for the lead position since the beginning of the race.

The Dogs, also a six-man voyageur team, were slowed when they capsized just outside of Big Salmon.

They were in the lead at the time but after taking 15 minutes to dry out and get back into the boat, they fell from first place to seventh.

Determined not to fall further back and fueled by the cold, the Dogs paddled hard and managed to make up significant ground, arriving at Carmacks less than 20 minutes behind the Californian team.

The Dogs were jovial earlier in the water, passing through the first checkpoint of the race on Wednesday afternoon while bellowing chants of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi鈥� to the shore.

Their spirits were not as high upon their arrival to Carmacks, with their main focus being getting dry, getting some food and catching some rest.

Just like the Aussies, the Californian team slowly clambered out of their boat and onto the dock, staying on all fours for several minutes before gaining the strength to stand up.

It was the same situation for Team Such a Blast, who have a substantial amount of paddling experience among them, but none more impressive than Roman Kristi.

He was a member of the Czech Olympic team, competing in the flat water k2 event from 1982 to 1986 and also a member of the white water jr. national team.

Even with his previous accomplishments, he said he'd never attempted anything like the River Quest.

"I can't even begin to describe it,鈥� he said, struggling to find his balance and the energy to speak.

"The scenery is beautiful but you pay for it. I've never experienced something like this.鈥�

Kristi and his teammates quickly stripped out of their wet gear, climbed into a van and drove off to the Carmacks Hotel to enjoy a hot shower.

Even before the first boat arrives, the Carmacks checkpoint is buzzing with action.

Volunteers and support teams set up tents and prepare sites where they will feed, encourage and prepare their teams for the remainder of the voyage.

The boats are cleaned, dried and re-packed and then stacked in order so support crews can easily locate them and know who is going out when.

Sheila Dodd has been one of the faces behind the River Quest since its inception and credited the work of all the volunteers that make the race possible.

"If there's 160 racers, you triple that number and that accounts for all the volunteers and support people here,鈥� she said.

Dodd said the calm waters made each arrival at the checkpoint surprising.

"Usually there's a couple of voyageurs and maybe a tandem comes in but it has been unusual this year,鈥� she said.

"We've seen a mix of boats. They had a nice soft run off Lake Laberge so it didn't take a toll on anyone.鈥�

But teams who arrive with the first half of the pack are usually not cause for concern, Dodd added.

"These first teams are looking fit but the teams that show up later in the evening, those are the ones you have to watch for. They are in the middle of the river, not getting any shelter, and it takes its toll, all that paddling.鈥�

Breaking up the streak of arriving voyageurs was the mixed tandem canoe of Derek Crook and Helen Currey, who held more than an hour and a half lead in their division.

"We were going for the record,鈥� said Crook, after the duo arrived at 9:04 a.m., just 15 minutes behind the record pace.

"We took a couple shortcuts and it was real steel water so it ended up slowing us down.

"Everything's going good but we've got a long way to go. The next half isn't any easier than the first. The only thing that happened is we eliminated the lake (Lake Laberge). I think there's going to be some records broken this year.鈥�

Crook, a five-time veteran of the River Quest, said the biggest challenge coming out of Carmacks is getting proper nutrition into your body and knowing what to expect on the water.

"After 24 hours of racing, it's hard to eat,鈥� he said. "Those energy bars, forget them, you can't chew it and those high protein drinks? You can't stomach it.

All your blood is going to muscles and your digestive system is pretty much shut down.

"There's definitely a learning curve, you learn about hydraulics, you have to know about that on a river like this otherwise you're in serious trouble.鈥�

In his first attempt at the River Quest, Crook competed in the solo kayak division.

He maintained the second position for the majority of the race before having to scratch due to hypothermia.

"Within 15 minutes your arms shut down, your legs shut down and you can't even paddle,鈥� he said, explaining the extreme drop in body temperature.

"The worst part is you just want to fall asleep. I only woke up because the tree branches were hitting me in the face along the river. It was close.

"It's a real slog, you've got to be so organized for accessing all your equipment in a kayak, my hats off to them because I don't think I'd want to be in a solo kayak.鈥�

Rounding out the field and leading the race for the red lantern was Darran Williams, who arrived just after 7:30 p.m., in a solo kayak.

Williams was in good spirits but needed a few minutes to gather himself.

"I feel good now that I'm here but it was a steaming session out there,鈥� he said, pointing to his sunburnt arms.

Williams had one thing on his mind upon his arrival: food.

"I just really need to eat something,鈥� he said.

Crook said one of the most important motivating factors in the River Quest is the camaraderie, that can push you forward when everything seems to be at its worst.

"To come here in Whitehorse and know everyone, I can't even tell you how neat it is, it's awesome to see everyone,鈥� said Crook, who is originally from Parksville, NB.

"Once you've been paddling for awhile you get to know everybody, it's a tight knit bunch. If you go to enough races you get to know who everyone is.

"It's a really special feeling.鈥�