Heat wave, injury woes see three more teams scratch
Two more Yukon River Quest teams have quit the race after reaching the halfway point.
CARMACKS 鈥� Two more Yukon River Quest teams have quit the race after reaching the halfway point.
With temperatures soaring to as high as 32 C Thursday in Carmacks, many bleary-eyed paddlers were struggling to eat after touching land for the first time in 24 hours.
Solo kayaker Robert Ross announced he was leaving the race after attempting to sleep off a shoulder injury he aggravated early in the race.
The Kingston, Ont. paddler was racing as Team 9 "Nail-by-Nail鈥� and arrived at the Coal Mine Campground at 9:37 a.m. Thursday, only two minutes behind lead kayaker Stephen Mooney of Whitehorse.
Unable to shake the pain, Ross packed up his boat Thursday afternoon and turned back for Whitehorse.
"I始m just really depressed,鈥� he said. "I really love this race. It始s an epic kind of race, and I was having a really good first half.鈥�
The 58-year-old said he was ahead of last year始s pace by more than 90 minutes.
However, a tendon injury he suffered eight weeks ago in his left shoulder flared up after Lake Laberge. That forced him to alter his stroke, and he decided he could not continue.
Team 55, "Boydes of a Feather鈥�, featuring Whitehorse couple Jim and Pam Boyde, also scratched in Carmacks, with Jim reportedly suffering from an undisclosed injury.
Race president Carl Rumscheidt said the 69-year-old appeared "unsteady鈥� as soon as he climbed out of his canoe.
The Boydes arrived in Carmacks at 11:26 a.m. Thursday.
Team 15, "The 2 Papas鈥�, also scratched upon their arrival in Carmacks Thursday afternoon.
Paul Potvin of B.C. and Dan Faber of Edmonton were paddling a tandem kayak.
Another incident reportedly involved a canoe that capsized near Salmon River, prior to the Carmacks layover.
Team No. 12, "Don't Wait Up鈥�, was the boat in question, but brothers Lang and Morgan Evans were able to right their boat and continue racing.
The race marshal was alerted to the situation and sent a safety boat to check on the team.
"This happens two or three times a year,鈥� said Rumscheidt. "We始re ready for it.鈥�
Teams needed to arrive in Carmacks by 11 p.m. Thursday to remain eligible to continue to Dawson City.
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