Yukon Quest 2023
Come cheer the dogs and mushers on as they start their epic 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race. Dress for the weather!
Search Results for: Yukon Quest
The Bookshelf: Seeking Redemption on the Yukon Quest Trail
Journey of 1000 Miles chronicles Hank DeBruin and Tanya McCready-DeBruin’s attempts at the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest.
Volunteering with the Yukon Quest
We’ve followed the Yukon Quest over the internet for several years. When we came to Whitehorse a year ago, it was clear that we wanted to be part of this great race. We signed up as volunteers to experience this unique event up close, and we got closer to the race than we had ever …
The Dedicated Volunteers of the Yukon Quest
Judy Beaumont talks about the early days volunteering in the Yukon Quest office. The cramped space was shared with the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous in the (former) Regina hotel. “The office was in behind the bar, this little crappy office in the back,” she says. “We had to go through the kitchen and a plumbing room …
The Yukon Quest takes care of the Winter Blues
The Yukon Quest is an annual event in the North that can banish your winter doldrums, lift your spirits, and get you cheering. The Quest, a 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometre) dog sled race, takes place every year in February, bringing people out of their houses and cabins, not only to run the race, but also to volunteer, …
Yukon Quest is anybody’s race
Although the number of sled dog teams is down this year to 21, and the reigning champion is not returning, Stephen Reynolds thinks these factors will add up to a very interesting Yukon Quest 1,000-Mile International Sled Dog Race. The manager of the Canadian half of the “toughest sled dog race in the world,” says …
Valdy Sings for the Yukon Quest
Folk icon, Valdy, has released 18 recordings, even more singles, and has been nominated for seven Juno awards (snagging two), but the 64-year-old musician shows no real interest in slowing down. Indeed, he has 14 tracks he plans to lay down for his next project. Of the 200 shows he performs each year, one of …
Lots of Surprises for a Vet on the trail of the Yukon Quest
A friend gave me a newspaper from Finland a couple weeks ago, and there was a two-page spread on The Yukon Quest. No idea what it said, but it does show how well the race is known around the world. And with the first signs of snow, perhaps it’s time to look at the sport …
Lots of Surprises for a Vet on the trail of the Yukon Quest Read More »
The Compelling Saga of the Yukon Quest
The most startling thing about the beginning of a sled dog race is the transition of the dog teams from loud, noisy bundles of muscled excitement to silent, smooth, well organized teams with one focus: pulling that sled to wherever they are told to go. Nowhere is this more evident than at the start of …
Quest Fest 2023
Doors open at 5 p.m. Speakers Mark Kelly (Monday) and Frank Turner (Tuesday) begin at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Memories of the Yukon’s only psychiatrist: Still a Yukoner in his heart
From 1995 to 2001 Dr. Jaime Smith was the territory’s only psychiatrist. Jim Robb devotes page 38 in The Colourful 5% V:III to this Yukoner.
A contemporary Yukon storyteller
John Firth’s latest book includes the signature of a ghost. Caribou Hotel, Hauntings, Hospitality, a Hunter and the Parrot.
Yukon historian builds online community
Murray Lundberg – Yukon historian – builds an online community for sharing stories and building a collective memory When it reached 500 people, Murray Lundberg was satisfied. Then, out of the blue, it jumped to 2,500, then 5,000. Now the “Yukon History and Abandoned Places” Facebook group has more than 11,000 users. And it steadily …
Going from Whitehorse to Dawson on the Yukon River? You better believe that’s a paddlin’
The world’s longest annual paddling race is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with the largest slate of international teams and racers ever.
On the Quest For A Good Story
Parents and teachers, do you have a budding Jack London in your midst? Kids in Grades 1-7 are invited to enter the Yukon Quest Short Story Competition. The contest is divided into two categories with children in Grades 1-3 and Grades 4-7 will be judged separately, and one winner chosen from each category. The winners …
The Yukon Transportation Museum invites you to submit photos of you and your dog for their new exhibit
The Yukon and the dog: they are two things that belong together like peanut butter and jelly. The dog is the Yukon’s best friend and an icon up here in the north. It wouldn’t be the same without the dog and maybe that is the reason why the Yukon Transportation Museum has had an exhibit …
Northern Bard: Susan Clark “The Quest”
The Quest Outside, 3 AM Stamping feet, swinging arms and axes, trying to stay warm at minus 45. Waiting, beside a fire of little use against the chill. In the distance, a light at the end of a tunnel of snow burdened trees. At first weak and wavering, becoming stronger and closer. Clouds of vapour …
Play Makers: The Yukon is So Stereotypical
I’ll admit it. When I was preparing to move to the Yukon I was very naïve about what exactly Whitehorse was all about. I knew a little about the Gold Rush history, the Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race and the long frigid winters, but for the most part I was very unfamiliar about this part …
He followed the Quest to Whitehorse
Alex Olesen has been around dogs his whole life. Growing up in Fairbanks, his family owned a team of sled dogs. “I remember sitting in the basket getting peppered by the snow and ice off their feet and hoping they didn’t crap on the fly.” His father, Lee Olesen, was one of the first judges …
Klondike Korner: Handling the Quest is a Fine Tuned Operation
No matter how many words I log here to the contrary, it seems impossible to shake the impression that Dawson City goes to sleep when the tourists leave and, like bears in winter hibernation, only stirs when something happens to disturb its slumber. If you lived here you’d realize that the schedule can get pretty …
Klondike Korner: Handling the Quest is a Fine Tuned Operation Read More »
Shelley Gellatly prepares for the 430-mile Yukon Arctic Ultra
The goal of the Yukon Arctic Ultra is to be “the world’s best and toughest human-powered winter (ultra)-marathon race.” It’s hard to imagine a tougher one. The Yukon Arctic Ultra began in 2003 with 27 racers. Every year it starts just after the Yukon Quest and follows that route, starting in Whitehorse. Racers can choose …
Shelley Gellatly prepares for the 430-mile Yukon Arctic Ultra Read More »
Play Makers: The Yukon’s Gone to the Dogs
First off, let me express sincere apologies to any cats reading this article. In no way am I meaning to disrespect to you. Walk away from the hamster cage and just pretend you never read this. I know Whitehorse has an abundance of cat lovers and with that, no doubt, a healthy dose of cat …
Yukon Yearbook
Yukon writers are a prolific bunch, offering a new book every month or so. For the second year in a row, Lise Schonewille, bookbuyer at Mac’s Fireweed Books, has put together a mini book fair to showcase writers who had a book come out in 2010. “Last year I just realized how many wonderful authors …
Klondike Korner: Preparing for the Quest
The 2012 running of the Yukon Quest will launch in Fairbanks on Saturday, February 4. There’s a countdown clock on the Quest website (http://yukonquest.com) indicating the number of days, hours and minutes until the race begins. Sometime within the three to five days after that (depending on the race conditions), the first of the 24 …
From Japan to the Yukon
What are your names? Fumi Torigai, and my wife is Taeko Torigai. How many children do you have? We have two children: a daughter who lives here in Whitehorse and works for YTG doing mine reclamation work, and our son works as a computer specialist in Calgary. How long have you lived in Canada? Since …
True Ambassadors for the Yukon
The Whitehorse Visitor Information Centre first opened its doors in 1996. Since that time it has greeted thousands of visitors arriving by land, sea and air. Located in downtown Whitehorse at 2nd Avenue and Lambert Street, there is ample parking for RVs, tour buses, family vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles. Seven staff are available seven days …
Meet the Mushers
Stop by the Grey Mountain Room and meet the mushers who’ll be tackling the 2023 Yukon Quest. Pick up a race poster, get an autograph.
Dog Song Rising
The Yukon Quest was previously 1,000 miles and is now split into two lengths, one on the American side and the other on the Canadian side.
The Percy DeWolfe committee is ready for its last race, but the event will carry on
In its present form, the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race is a 210 mile (338 km) run from Dawson to Eagle, Alaska, and back. If you can do that, then you can try your hand at the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod.
Here come the mushers
The Yukon Quest has been described as the hardest sled dog race in the world. Luckily the Yukon Quest organizers have created a series of events so the public can get involved with this iconic event without the risk of frostbite or sleep deprivation.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays the Percy deWolfe race
The Percy deWolfe race is a 210 mile (338 km) run from Dawson to Eagle, Alaska, and back, and is a qualifying race for those hoping to run the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod.
Mush Rush 2017
The Yukon Quest … is so much more than just a race. It’s an opportunity as a community event, for businesses and people to come together,”
What to Do in Dawson in the Winter
Those who think that the Klondike is just a sleepy little place in winter between the tourists and the Yukon Quest would be mistaken.
Dog Song Rising
Over the holidays I had the opportunity to interview Jess Sears, a dog musher based in the Whitehorse area.
Connection and Healing: The Distances We Go
Learning to appreciate how much time and travel is needed when living in the Yukon can actually provide a calm perspective on life.
Mush Rush 2016
I like the people. I like the dogs, I like the camaraderie – being part of something that is bigger than yourself.
John Firth
John was raised in Dawson City, Yukon, where the Klondike Gold Rush was his backyard. He worked as a journalist, sewer rat, heavy equipment operator, prospector, public relations director, theatre owner and financial planner before retiring to become a full-time writer.John Firth is our own contemporary Yukon storyteller. Firth’s books profile a wide variety of subject …
Racing in cyberspace
The Yukon River Quest goes virtual It’s hard to imagine a summer without the Yukon River Quest. For 21 years, the annual event brought paddlers from around the world to “race to the midnight sun.” For participating Yukoners, it meant hours of commitment leading up to the race. Non-paddlers lost their paddling friends to their …
Pulling as a team in Toronto
The Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre Sewing Group would like to encourage you to see their work in Indigenous Purpose, an exhibition featuring their nine dog blankets and two podium banners. It’s on display at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto until Jan. 5, 2020. It’s part of the Festival of Cool: The Arctic, which opens with a Dec. 10 …
This isn’t any regular pop-up
There’s no doubt things are popping with Klondike Kettle Corn. The small business went from selling a few bags of kettle corn at the 2010 Fireweed Community Market to having the product available at local grocery stores, gas stations, fundraisers, parties and via popcorn subscription box. For Katie Young (aka Katie Popcorn), it involved moving the …
“I’m gonna live forever”
I don’t recall how long ago or what time, exactly, that I met Cor Guimond, but the moment I met him I knew he was going to be a lifelong friend.
Trek Over the Top Turns 25 this Year
The 25th annual Trek Over the Top snowmobile race will arrive in Dawson City on March 8 and return to its starting point in Tok, Alaska, on March 11. The event has been organized on the Dawson end by the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) for the last seven years, and this is the second year …
Santa Claus is coming to town
For the parents who had heard that Santa Claus wasn’t going to be able to make it to the Whitehorse Winterval Festival Santa Claus Parade and the Tree Lighting Ceremony on Main Street, you can now let your children know he will be there – with bells on!
Already Six Weeks
Forty-five days ago, I placed my feet on Canadian soil, with the goal of changing my life completely. Things are going pretty well!
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The history of how we move is full of wild and wondrous stories about survival, romance, perseverance and everyday life. It’s also a great lens through which we can explore science and technology. Two new summer programs at the Yukon Transportation Museum will explore stories and science with kids and seniors to celebrate Canada 150 …
A New Daily Routine
The quietness is however short lived, the silence broke as soon as I approached the harnesses… It was their way of showing their will to go; their desire to work. They were 50, and yet only 14 would be taken for the first round. And they knew it very well! As soon as I put …
An Accidental Alien
With the world’s longest undefended border it’s not difficult to become an accidental illegal alien, especially between the Yukon and Alaska. After all, the last time there was a serious passport control on the Chilkoot Trail was during the gold rush. And not so long ago, a person could float down the Yukon River from …
My Cup Runneth Over
In 2012 I came up to volunteer at the Yukon Quest Dog Sled Race and fell in love with the land. As I was approaching retirement, I decided that I would find a way to relocate my hobby dog team, consisting of mostly rescued dogs, and myself and four cats to the Yukon. It was …
Racing to Honour an Honourable Man
At 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 23, the spirit of Percy DeWolfe, Dawson’s Iron Man Mail Carrier, will head off from the starting line between the Old Post Office and the Palace Grand Theatre. Two minutes later the first of the corporeal contestants in the Memorial Mail Race named after him will let the dogs, …
Artistic Announcements in Beads and Bells
Moses found nine other women to take on creating a dog blanket. The sewing group started up again in September, and they cut the materials out in October. She was happy she had such a good team of committed artists working with her. Each blanket takes many hours to design, bead and complete. They worked …
Flowing Water and the Daily Light Show
It’s been a truly odd winter here in the Klondike. On the one hand it’s been colder, and colder for longer stretches than it has been for several years. Mostly, it hasn’t been really cold, which begins below, say, minus 35, and carries on down into the minus 50s, but we’ve had a lot of …
Little Coyote Returns to the Den
A few years ago, Teagan Johnston sat in her kitchen, her face covered in fake blood. Her husband took the photo in their Toronto apartment for the cover of her second EP, Blood and Bones, released in 2014. When they were barely out of high school, the two moved to the big city from Victoria …
Pop-Up Drive-In
Movie lovers have a chance this weekend to experience a rare venue for viewing in the north – a pop-up drive-in movie night is set for October 1 at The Cut Off Restaurant and Pub parking lot. The latest creative entry in the fine Yukon tradition of making our own fun, the event is the …
It’s 40 years of mushing on the Percy DeWolfe Trail
Anna Claxton and the rest of the Percy DeWolfe Race Committee were hugely relieved to be able to announce that the “really hard working, amazing, dedicated trail crew” had managed to push a trail through a total of about five miles of jumble ice, and find ways around the various open leads in the river. …
It’s 40 years of mushing on the Percy DeWolfe Trail Read More »
‘Neff Said
Hugh Neff and his lead dog George Costanza have won the 2016 Yukon Quest. Photographer Josh O’brien was there to capture the action at the finish line in Whitehorse, YT. Here are some shots taken just moments after Neff’s win.
Valentine’s Events for the Discerning Singleton
Sometimes I think we could skip February. I mean, January has got the cold and dark covered, and the wonderful triad of snow, sun and skiing find their fullest expression in March. Weird warm winters aside, February seems like a little more of something I’ve had enough of, and not enough of something I’m eagerly …
Books for Armchair Mushers
Mushing season has begun. While waiting for the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod, here are some suggestions for armchair mushers. Racing Toward Recovery by Mike Williams and Lew Freedman This book is a set of four true stories from the North. The main story, “Dog Team to Dawson,” is about the author’s sled dog trip …
Mush It Forward
Marathon runners spend a lot of time and dedication working towards being the best runner they can be. Countless hours are spent in the gym, running on a track, doing specific exercises designed to enhance their performance. With sled dogs who race it’s no different. The Yukon Quest is a very long race and as …
Wicked Wickets: YHMA pegs its hoop dreams on croquet
Nancy Oakley has a cool story about the likely origins of croquet. (As the executive director of the Yukon Historical Museums Association and convener of Saturday’s second annual Charity Croquet Tournament, of course she does.) It goes like this: “Some shepherds were hanging out, watching their flocks, and they needed something to do with their …
Wicked Wickets: YHMA pegs its hoop dreams on croquet Read More »
How working dogs keep cool
Frank Turner knows how to care for dogs on the bitterly cold trail of the Yukon Quest, having run it 24 times. Indeed, he had the honour (his word) of winning the Vet’s Choice Award twice. And he knows how to care for dogs in the heat of summer, too. “Really, each person has to …
A Handler’s Tale
When I showcased my subpar dog handling skills in a race for the first time, it was the 2006 Yukon Quest. But I was no stranger to the Quest, because I had covered it five times before that as a reporter for the Yukon News. I figured I knew a thing or two (or three, …
From handler to racer
After almost a decade of being a Yukon Quest handler, partner, sponsor, and anything else required, Tamra Reynolds is embarking on her very own Yukon Quest. Her journey to the Quest start-line started in 2003. While living in Vancouver, Reynolds ventured up the Dalton Highway in Alaska to the Arctic Circle. On that trip, she …
Hot Dogs
In summer, Stevens attaches her dogs to her bike with skijouring gear and takes them for long runs, interrupted by swims.
The Percy de Wolfe Race is Ready To Go
If the buzz around this year’s Percy de Wolfe Memorial Mail Race is any indication, this years’s event may be one to watch. Just how many teams will run is never known until the night before, at the mushers’ meeting, but society president Anna Claxton says she has heard interest is high. Last year 14 …
The Lives of Retired Athletes
What happens to Yukon Quest dogs after they retire? Many live out their lives at the kennel they were raised in, enjoying the perks of retirement: running loose, puppy training and wrangling, and the lucky task of cleaning up spilled kibble, or fish and meat scraps. Some dogs though, get to go to their own …
The Trek Will Be Coming Soon
The 21st running of the Trek Over the Top snowmobile run from Tok, Alaska, to Dawson City and back will take place from March 6 to 9. It’s a 200-mile (382 km) trip each way, over the spectacular scenery provided by the Top of the World Highway. Trekkers will ride out of Tok on Thursday, …
Northern Romance, February 13, 2014
Dear Juniper and Johnny, My girlfriend and I were casually discussing the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use plan that was just released and we ended up getting into a very heated argument that ended in her never wanting to speak to me again. I am also having a tough time seeing her side of the …
Main Street cruise
Those of you who took a cruise during the Spring Break raise your hands … not so fast, Hookey. But don’t feel sorry for me because I didn’t miss a thing. You all listened to gurgling rivers on those tropical islands and you marvelled at the beauty of salt-water fish … so did I. And …
A Trip Through Dog Mushing Past and Present: Dawson area resident runs year-round dog mushing museum
Kyia Bouchard was in her mid-50s when she discovered dog mushing. One year later, she left her life in New York City behind and relocated to the Dawson City area to learn everything she could about it. Now, at almost 60-years old, Bouchard is training to run the Yukon Quest, and the dogs have taken …
Tooting our Horn of Plenty
For most normal people, an ideal vacation destination includes delicious food experiences. Like in Italy, for example, you can see the art and architecture while fuelled by hand-made gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce that transcends physical sustenance and becomes a heavenly experience. In the Yukon, people like Miche Genest have been having ethereal experiences with ingredients …
Hot Dogs
We know what competitive sled dogs like to do in the winter, but what happens to them in the summer? Brian Wilmshurst of B-Line Racing Kennels has run the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race twice in the five years he has owned sled dogs. He says his 40 dogs are on holiday during the …
Hearts on the move
She removes her glasses, needle between thumb and forefinger, lifting another translucent gold bead from the white dessert dish in front of her. Suzanne Picot, office administrator for Hospice Yukon, is stitching another “Feelie Heart”. Her purple sweater and red-wool jacket mirror the colours of the palm-sized heart she holds with her fingers. “I love …
The New ‘Face’ of the Same Great Race
Emilie Joslin is the friendly person who will welcome you when you enter the Yukon Quest office. The walls of Joslin’s office are covered with posters from each and every year of this amazing annual dog sled race, from 1984, right on through. The office is a busy spot and there’s a lot going on, …
Sasquatch Prom Date will have fun at Frostbite
The bearded man shrugged on his Carhartt jacket and then levelled a gaze at Genesee Keevil. She was sitting by the window, wearing a cover-your-eyes bright-pink wig, and her slightly too-loud voice only added to the spectacle. “Where are you playing?” came the unexpected question. “Frostbite, next weekend,” was the cheery answer from Keevil. “I’m …
Klondike Korner: How Dawson Does All that it Does
Chatting with Dawson International Short Film Festival producer Dan Sokolowski at the end of a busy weekend, he made the point that there were approximately 80 volunteers involved in putting the festival on and that they contributed something like 800 hours of their time between last year’s festival and this one. That’s typical of all …
Klondike Korner: How Dawson Does All that it Does Read More »
Something new to brighten Dark Days
It is all original art and none of it existed before last December. So, the creative process took place during the darkest days of a Yukon winter. And that, says Tara McCarthy, is the whole idea behind Dark Days. It is a visual art/performance show taking place at the Old Fire Hall until Saturday, Feb. …
Arts Underground goes to the ‘dogs’
It is that particular configuration of the Hougen Heritage Gallery at Arts Underground that really astounds you about this latest show. From the name, Man’s Best Friend: Mutts, Malamutes and Huskies in Yukon History, you know there will be a lot of dog photos (because, you know, if Yukoners are nuts about dogs today, it …
Rookies Race Alongside Pros During Rendezvous
Among the many events taking place during the Sourdough Rendezvous weekend is a dog-powered race that mid-distance rookies are welcome to join. The Dog Powered Sports Association (DPSAY) is hosting the annual mid-distance race from Whitehorse, northwest to the Mendenhall Subdivision and back, called the River Runner 120. This year the race takes place on …
Musher and Dog, Racing as One
It all started with a group of friends at a bar; in the North, it often starts that way. The Iditarod was considered the longest and toughest race in the world. And it probably was at the time. But somehow it all seemed a bit commercial and really just, well, just a race. They thought …
Travelling hearts
What is it that keeps a heart going? Well, aside from the obvious flesh-and-blood answers, it’s spirit … spirit that lives on when loved ones have passed on. And that is why a former Yukon Quest musher, Michelle Phillips, is preparing, once again, to carry Feelie Hearts in her sled basket as she races for …
Artrepreneur: The Rich Fibre of an Idea
This month, a visit to Arts Underground will take you into the process of a fibre artist. Throughout the show, photos are pinned to the wall over a small piece of fabric, beside the pieces that grew out of them. It’s fun to trace these images into their corresponding pieces. Eleven members of the Northern …
From Father to Son: Hooked on Dog Mushing
I work in the summertime and race sled dogs in the winter. This is the snow hook from my old dog sled. This was my first snow hook. I have other more modern ones now, which are also way lighter. A snow hook works like a ship’s anchor for a dog sled. I don’t use …
Skis and Sleds Hit the Road
Mid-distance dog races are back, with the Road Runner 100. “Mushers and skijorers have been asking for this type of race for years now,”
World of Words: From Dryland to Northland: One Musher’s Tale
According to John Firth’s new book One Mush, Jamaicans hate dogs. So what was Caribbean musher Newton Marshall doing on the Yukon Quest in 2009? One Mush, self-published jointly by Firth and the Jamaica Dogsled Team, tells that story. “I thought it was a great story because of the cultural gap between the beaches of …
World of Words: From Dryland to Northland: One Musher’s Tale Read More »
Dog Sledders Hope To Get Students Mushy About The Sport
“It is so important for kids to be outside and to connect with nature,” says Karin Grenier. “And one way to do that is for them to interact with dogs and dog sledding.” Grenier and her partner Normand Casavant run Casaventures, a dog sledding operation with 39 dogs (and two cats) on the Annie Lake …
Dog Sledders Hope To Get Students Mushy About The Sport Read More »
Play Makers: A Salute to the Hardcore
I feel lazy. I think most of us do – at least the ones who have been following the part brave, part ridiculous winter antics that have been taking place in the territory of late. Let’s start with the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog race. For those not familiar, it is the race dubbed “toughest …
Sweating at -30
A chance encounter with the Yukon Quest nine years ago changed Gaëtan Pierrard’s life. “I made a first trip in 2002 and saw the Yukon Quest just by accident,” says the 34-year-old native of Belgium. “And that was on my mind when I was back in Europe.” Three years ago, he moved to the Yukon …
Who is Walking Whom?
Summer has finally arrived and more people are walking their dogs. Or are the dogs walking their owners? I see people struggling to hold on to their dogs and often wonder if they enjoy the walk. While I started out my business by offering Energy Healing to animals I came to realize that Energy Healing …
Cold Feats
Three young Yukon women discovered a way to tackle winter head-on this year: take up training for a winter marathon, and voilà, there you are outdoors several times a week. Megan Brady (24), Lea Johnson (23) and Laura Wells (25) are not alone in their dedication to cold trails. They’re joining about 50 other racers, …
World of Words: Concierge at a wilderness dog camp
I haven’t seen a Yukon Quest or Arctic Ultra race start in seven years now because, along with my husband Mike, I’m usually deep in the wilderness at a remote checkpoint. We initially honed our skills with the Arctic Ultra race at a wall tent camp at Dog Grave Lake, 40 miles south of Braeburn, …
World of Words: Concierge at a wilderness dog camp Read More »
Winter-Walking
Yukoners spend a great deal of time hiking in the summer months, but what about winter? Having worked as a hiking guide for the past few years, I’ve recently decided that I enjoy winter outings far more than summer ones. That’s not to say I don’t spend a considerable amount of time enjoying the summer …
The Trek Celebrates Year 19
It’s the 19th year for Trek Over the Top, and the second year the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) has the Yukon side of the operation under its umbrella. The first run of this year’s Trek fortnight will begin in Tok, Alaska on March 1, with a return planned on March 4. The second Trek will …
Sunshine and Shadow in the Winter
Our dog, Shadow, is outside this afternoon and has been for about half an hour. The sun has reached the point where it actually shines directly on 7th Avenue for an hour or so, and she wants to take in as much of it as she can. In the darkest part of the winter she …
Checkpoint checklist
As I stand behind the counter of the Dawson City Visitor Information Centre, I look at the eight people sitting in a semicircle around me. They have pens, notepads and wear expectant looks on their faces. We are at the volunteer meeting for the Yukon Quest 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race and everyone is …
An Ultra Experience
All I can say is this race has really impacted my life,” says Shelley Gellatly, a race coordinator for the Yukon Arctic Ultra. The Yukon Arctic Ultra, which bills itself as “the world’s toughest and coldest ultra” is a self-propelled race along the Yukon Quest Trail in February of each year. There are various distances …
Process of Imagination
One thing his early journalism career taught author Lawrence Hill was to pursue the adventure of his stories. Alongside working on final drafts of his eighth novel, Illegal, due out early next year, over the past few weeks the Berton House writer in residence has been embracing the Yukon and doing preliminary research for a …
Finding the Fountain Trail
Karen MacKay is a different kind of grandmother. MacKay has a house back in Ottawa, where she was born, seven grandchildren and two sons. But in Dawson City, MacKay has a community family, on which she attends with surprising energy for her 60-some years. MacKay retired six years ago from a 26-year accounting job at …
The Berton House Boomerang Effect
I was enjoying an hour’s quiet reading on our front deck last week when a familiar French-Canadian voice hailed me from the street. I wasn’t entirely surprised to see Mylène Gilbert-Dumas coming through my front gate. She is a Facebook friend and my minimal high school French does allow me to pick through some of …
Breaking the Stitchin’ Trail
Sarah McHugh has sold many mittens over the past winter. The Dawson City artist’s hand-stitched hide and fur garments have been shipped to five different countries—France, Japan, Germany, Italy and the U.S., including 48 lower states and Alaska— and across Canada. Closer to home, her craft keeps Iditarod musher Karen Ramstead, Yukon Quest musher Mike …
A dog musher’s dream
Brian Wilmshurst has a dream – a big one. The Dawson City area dog musher is running the Yukon Quest, which is considered the toughest sled dog race in the world. The Quest starts this year in Fairbanks Alaska on February 4, 2012 and ends in Whitehorse, Yukon. Why would an easygoing dog man want …
Dawson Goes to the Dogs
In early February the sun begins to kiss the streets in Dawson City. It’s been lurking along the tops of the hills for some time, and those who live on higher ground in West Dawson or in the Dome subdivisions have continued to get a bit of direct sunlight even when there was nothing but …
The Joys of a Good House Concert
Here in Dawson we’re into the second year of working with the Home Routes organization to stage a series of House Concerts. These help to tide us over between music festivals by bringing festival quality acts into town. They’re called house concerts because, with a few rare exceptions, they take place in peoples’ homes and …
DNF? OK. TTFN!
Most people consider a DNF (Did Not Finish) a blot on their race record. After calling it quits halfway through the Yukon Arctic Ultra on Sunday, Feb. 9, I was just happy to be alive. An extreme endeavour? Certainly, but when my older brother suggested we do the race together this year, I was game. …
This toughest race in the world is not for the dogs
“Sleep?” Jessica Simon asks incredulously. “Hardly ever!” This is, after all, the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a race that follows the trail of the world’s toughest sled dog race … without benefit of a dog team. Running as much as 300 miles in five to eight days, these competitors will spend about three to six hours …
This toughest race in the world is not for the dogs Read More »
