Yukon Quest
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays the Percy deWolfe race
“The Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race began back in 1977 as a way to honour the legendary Percy DeWolfe, who courageously carried mail by dog team, horse and boat between Dawson City, YT and Eagle, AK, from 1910 and 1949.” So reads the late John... Read more
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... Read more
Already Six Weeks
My days paraded to the rhythm of the team, a certain form of serenity growing deep inside me... Forty-five days ago, I placed my feet on Canadian soil, with the goal of changing my life completely. I must say that, for the moment, things are going... Read more
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... Read more
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... Read more
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... Read more
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... Read more
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... Read more
Artistic Announcements in Beads and Bells
Back in the day, when a team of dogs came into a camp or trading post, you would hear them coming. Just outside the camp, people would put belled and beaded blankets on their dogs. They would make a beautiful announcement of the team’s arrival... Read more
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... Read more
Brave and Bold
“In the 2015 Yukon Quest, we were going up over Eagle Summit… it can be a real challenge, an extremely steep summit, and we'd heard terrible things about it. My dogs were amazing, barking, screaming with happiness, getting a high off of having to... Read more
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... Read more
Mush Rush
Dog lovers and mushing aficionados alike will gather on Feb. 4 at Shipyards Park in Whitehorse to watch the start of the 2017 Yukon Quest. The day begins at 8 a.m., when the dog yard is open to the public and spectators can watch as the mushers... Read more
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... Read more
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... Read more
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... Read more
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, ... Read more
Existential Mornings at the Dawson Checkpoint for the Yukon Quest
Gabriella (Gaby) Sgaga is tired as the Quest Layover nears its end at the Visitors Information Centre (VIC) in Dawson City. She’s been holding down the reception desk pretty continuously ever since the teams started rolling in three days earlier... 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. Read more