Paws, Parkas, and Perseverance: The Yukon Quest

By Mike Degen

On Saturday, February 3rd, mushers and their teams braved the extreme weather to compete in the Yukon Quest, one of Alaska’s premier dog sledding competitions. The temperature in downtown Fairbanks was -43 degrees Fahrenheit when the race kicked off at eleven a.m.!

In this year’s competition, three races kicked off simultaneously. The first, an 80-mile race, included thirteen competitors. Arien Sanderson edged out Alyssa Gilmour by just four minutes, completing the trek in sixteen hours and eleven minutes. 

Two mushers entered the 200-mile race to Circle. The race served as a qualifier for the Iditarod, though neither competitor finished. 

Thirteen competitors entered the 300-mile race, starting in Fairbanks and heading north to Circle, then doubled back to Center. Brent Sass won the event in forty-six hours and forty-eight minutes, coming in nine hours quicker than second-place finisher Josi Thyr. It was the sixth victory in the event for the betting favorite, a former Iditarod winner. Ten competitors finished the race, including Jonah Bacon, who won the ‘Red Lantern’ as the last one over the finish line. 

Congratulations are in order for the teams and the winners. The event could not have happened without the handlers, organizers, veterinarians, and other volunteers, including UAF students.

Photos by Zach Sokol

Most importantly, the race could not have happened without the courage of the dogs who ran merrily through the Alaskan tundra along frozen rivers.