麻豆社区

Revised - The Yukon Quest 300 is changing course.

According to a press release by the Quest, the race route for the Yukon Quest 300 on the Yukon side has been altered in response to new restrictions from the Yukon Government and CMOH.

The 2022 Yukon Quest 300 race route will run from Whitehorse, through Braeburn, to the north end of Mandanna Lake along the usual Yukon Quest Trail. Peter Heebink鈥檚 cabin on Mandanna Lake will serve as the halfway point turn-around. Teams will return on the same trail back to Whitehorse.

That means the route will no longer reach Pelly Crossing, Carmacks, and the homesteads of Stepping Stone and McCabe.

Yukon Quest President Susie Rogan explains why the route was changed.

鈥淭he COVID restrictions were updated effective Jan. 8 and it further reduced the amount of people who could be indoors together and it just became impossible ... (to be) using the indoor facilities at Carmacks and Pelly.鈥�

The race will finish in Whitehorse at approximately mile 300.

鈥淲e would have not changed the route if it weren鈥檛 for the new restrictions, because we really did want to visit the Yukon Quest family in Pelly and Carmacks and Stepping Stone. McCabe was already off for other reasons, but the new route actually has its benefits as well. For sure there鈥檚 going to be a really good trail going back, because it鈥檚 an out and back now,鈥� explained Rogan.

鈥淚t changes the stops from eight potential stops to five, but the race route is only 18 miles shorter ... it鈥檚 all camping out now. There鈥檚 not going to be any indoor facilities for the mushers. It might be more attractive for some people, to stay out on the trail. We still have Braeburn and we鈥檙e using it on the way out and the way back, but mushers will be sleeping in their trucks, or in a tent that their handler sets up, because we can鈥檛 use indoor facilities.鈥�

Rogan says it鈥檚 an advantage for some mushers to not have to stay in a place, with everything else that goes along with that.

鈥淎bsolutely. There鈥檚 a lot of action, a lot of things going on if you鈥檙e going into the checkpoints, and this simplifies things for people. They鈥檙e going to have to be a little more self-reliant. On the other hand, it鈥檚 quiet, and you get to spend more time out with your dogs; there鈥檚 definitely positives as well.鈥�

Has there been any reaction from racers yet?

鈥淛ust requests to finish up the new rules so they know what鈥檚 going on exactly, and (we) did finish that (Tuesday) and sent them out,鈥� said Rogan.

鈥淏ut I did talk to one musher last night who ... is planning to sign up for the 300. So I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 going to impact anybody, like in terms of 鈥榦h, I can鈥檛 handle it anymore, if I can鈥檛 go in at Carmacks and Pelly and Stepping Stone I don鈥檛 wanna do it鈥� ... (I) haven鈥檛 heard back from anybody yet.鈥�

Regular sign-up ends on Jan.19. Late sign-up ends Feb. 12. Late fees are $50 for the 100, and $100 for the 300. Entry fees are $100 for the 100, and $500 for the $300, all in Canadian dollars.

The recent changes in restrictions have, of course, had an effect on the latest planning for the race.

鈥淲e normally have in-person ticketed events 鈥� the start banquet, the finish banquet, the mushers Quest Fest. However, we鈥檒l still do the bib draw and some kind of finish event for the mushers, but they鈥檙e going to be online blended events so that people from around the world and around the country and in-town as well can watch over the Internet I guess through Facebook or the website,鈥� related Rogan.

鈥淲e did have a meeting last night with our ... events committee, and we鈥檙e working on how to do blended events so people can see still watch the bib draw, hear the mushers鈥� speeches and unfortunately, with a limit of 25 people indoors, it鈥檚 not like we can have a banquet or a Meet the Mushers event.

鈥淭he posters will still be signed and available through our website and through our store on Front Street,鈥� added Rogan.

She said there comes a time when you have to stick with a plan.

鈥淲e just accepted reality, because we were having an event, kind of a blues cocktail party at the Transportation Museum for our sponsors, and we just can鈥檛 do that. But if things change in the next seven days, we might try to resurrect that. But it gets to a point where you just can鈥檛 plan. Like if getting to three and a half weeks before the event, it gets pretty difficult to make a plan.鈥�

However, Rogan said you have to be prepared to roll with the waves.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still doin鈥� the race and we鈥檙e doing everything we can do. It鈥檚 not got us down or anything. We鈥檙e just 鈥榟ey, this is reality鈥�, it鈥檚 kind of like driving a boat over the waves and you鈥檙e just like 鈥榦h, got to turn this way, got to do that鈥�, just doing what we鈥檙e able to.鈥�

The Quest team regrets that they will not be stopping in at Pelly, Stepping Stone, McCabe and Carmacks.

鈥淏oth Pelly and Carmacks invited us and were going to set up facilities for us, which is great,鈥� said Rogan. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e sad to have another year where we don鈥檛 have an opportunity to connect, because the Yukon Quest, right from the beginning, has been about visiting the communities along the trail and not just communities, but homesteads and people鈥檚 cabins. That鈥檚 part of the race. That鈥檚 definitely part of the whole experience.鈥�

The race will go as far as Peter Heebink鈥檚 cabin on Mandanna Lake.

鈥淲e鈥檙e using his place as a turnaround, so he鈥檚 definitely ... a very important time station,鈥� stated Rogan.

鈥淚 know from being in Yukon Journey last year that they were bringing chilli out to people, mandarin oranges, had a couple of teenage guys helping park teams and there was a little bonfire and it was just a really nice stop and I ended up staying there an extra hour and a half,鈥� recalled Rogan.

The mandatory rest has been reduced from 32 hours to 28 hours.

鈥淲e took two hours off for the shorter trail, and another two hours off so teams are not required to languish longer than the mushers might like to, in a single place,鈥� said Rogan.

鈥淭he reason the mandatory rest has been reduced is not just because the trail is 18 miles shorter, but rather than eight potential places to rest, there鈥檚 only five and we thought it might get a little excessive for people, so the ratio of run to rest is a little lower than it was before. It鈥檚 still totally sufficient, but with only five places to stop, we thought we would chop off a little more,鈥� explained Rogan.

鈥淗istorically the 300 is won by teams that rest a lot less than this, but we are creating a race where teams do not have to cut rest to win. The goal is to give everyone, including the front runners, a chance to enjoy the race more. On the other hand, we don鈥檛 want to make the race too far out of what is normal for these top racing teams. We hope that what happens is that they get a chance to enjoy the race more by being able to get some sleep themselves, while still feeling that they are running their dogs to their optimal capacity,鈥� she added.

The 2022 Yukon Quest will remain a 300 mile qualifier for the Yukon Quest 1000, and a 300 mile qualifier for the Iditarod.

The route for the 100 mile race and the Alaskan races remains the same.