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146-460: In the competition, first run in 1984, a dog team leader (called a musher ) and a team of 6 to 14 dogs race for 10 to 20 days. The course follows the route of the historic 1890s Klondike Gold Rush , mail delivery, and transportation routes between Fairbanks, Dawson City , and Whitehorse. Mushers pack up to 250 pounds (113 kg) of equipment and provisions for themselves and their dogs to survive between checkpoints. Each musher must rely on

292-431: A Kevlar composite construction. Older snowmobiles could generally accommodate two people; however, most snowmobiles manufactured since the 1990s have been designed to only accommodate one person. Snowmobiles built with the ability to accommodate two people are referred to as "2-up" snowmobiles or "touring" models and make up an extremely small share of the market. Most snowmobiles do not have any enclosures, except for

438-447: A bungee cord to smooth out the shocks of speeding up and takeoff. Dog scooterers get together for fun runs, where a number of dog scooterers run their dogs and scooters on the same trails. Fun runs may be just a morning run, or can be a weekend-long activity with multiple runs scheduled. This is still a maturing activity, but there are a few formal dog races that include scooter events. Snowmobile A snowmobile , also known as

584-437: A fuel-injection technology called "Cleanfire Injection" on their two-strokes. The industry is also working on a direct-injected "clean two strokes" that is better in terms of NO X emissions. Independent researchers, undergraduates and graduate students participate in contests to lessen the impact of emissions from snowmobiles. The Clean Snow Mobile Challenge is held yearly at Michigan Technological University regrouping

730-502: A snowmachine , motor sled , motor sledge , skimobile , or snow scooter , is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow . Their engines normally drive a continuous track at the rear. Skis at the front provide directional control. The earliest snowmobiles were powered by readily available industrial four-stroke , air-cooled engines . These would quickly be replaced by lighter and more powerful two-stroke gasoline internal combustion engines and since

876-441: A snowmobile suit . Depending on jurisdiction, there may be penalties for driving outside permitted areas, without an approved helmet, without a driver's license, with an unregistered snowmobile, or while under the influence of alcohol or other substances. There may also be regulations regarding noise and wildlife. In some jurisdictions, a driver's license is required to operate a snowmobile. A specific snowmobile driver's license

1022-679: A windshield . The first snowmobiles made do with as little as 5 horsepower (3.7 kW) engines, but engine sizes and efficiency have improved drastically. In the early 1990s, the biggest engines available (typically 600cc-800cc displacement range) produced around 115 hp (86 kW). As of 2022, several snowmobiles are available with engines sizes up to 1,200 cc, producing 150+ hp, as well as several models with up to 1,000 cc engines producing closer to 210 hp (160 kW). Recently, some models are turbo-charged , resulting in dramatic increase of engine horsepower. Snowmobiles are capable of moving across steep hillsides without sliding down-slope if

1168-427: A 1.2L 3-cylinder four-stroke gasoline engine. The Sherpa and Superclass are designed as working snowmobiles for carrying supplies, pulling cargo sleds, pulling trail grooming implements, carrying several passengers, and negotiating deep snow. Engine and transmission combination are designed to deliver optimum power to pull or carry large loads while top-end speeds are kept below 52 mph (84 km/h), depending on

1314-463: A checkpoint at Chena Hot Springs Resort near Fairbanks. This site was moved to nearby Angel Creek after mushers complained that the hot springs melted nearby snow, causing their dogs to become wet—an extreme hazard in sub-freezing temperatures. Two additional dog drops were added for the 1994 race: Biederman's Cabin (since replaced by Slaven's Cabin) and McCabe Creek. In 1995, the Whitehorse end of

1460-689: A competitive format, the organizations adopted a multi-race format of different distances that ran along the portions of the trail on either side of the border. This format continued in 2023 and will be the same for the 2024 races. The Yukon Quest International Association (Canada) manages the Canadian side of the Yukon Quest. The idea for the Yukon Quest originated in April 1983 during a bar-room discussion among four Alaskans: LeRoy Shank, Roger Williams, Ron Rosser, and William "Willy" Lipps. The four proposed

1606-423: A cowl-cover, side-by-side seating, and a set of sled-runners fore and aft. While it did not have the tracks of a true snowmobile, its appearance was otherwise similar to the modern version and is one of the earliest examples of a personal motorized snow-vehicle. In 1915 Ray H. Muscott of Waters , Michigan, received the Canadian patent for his motor sleigh, or "traineau automobile", and on June 27, 1916, he received

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1752-595: A distance of 233 miles (375 km). In winter, Eagle is buffeted by high winds and drifting snow funneled through the town by nearby Eagle Bluff, which stands 300 feet (91 m) above the Yukon River. Because it is the first stop in the United States, competitors are greeted at Eagle by a United States Department of Homeland Security official who checks passports and entry documents. After leaving Eagle, mushers travel northwest for 159 miles (256 km) on

1898-477: A drop-out rate of 35%. During the first 24 years of the competition, there were 776 starters and 513 finishers. Though 90 more mushers attempted the race in the first 12 years than in the next dozen runnings, there is little difference in the percentage that did not finish (35% in 1984–1995; 33% in 1996–2007). In 2005, first-time participant Lance Mackey broke Hans Gatt's three-win streak. Mackey finished in 11 days, 32 seconds. The victory

2044-587: A hat. The modern start/finish in Whitehorse is at Shipyards Park, but the traditional start took place near the former White Pass and Yukon Route train station, which today houses the Canadian offices of Yukon Quest International . Shortly after leaving the starting line, racers follow the frozen Yukon River north out of town. Crossing onto the Takhini River , mushers follow it north to the Klondike-era Overland Trail . Racers take

2190-468: A healthy outdoor form of winter exercise for families. Mushing for utilitarian purposes includes anything from hauling wood or delivering milk or the mail to rural travel and equipment hauling. Dogs have been replaced by snowmobiles in many places, but some trappers and other isolated users have gone back to sled dogs, finding them safer and more dependable in extreme weather conditions. Dog team members are given titles according to their position in

2336-597: A manufacturer of various on-snow implements that had been building dual-track snowmobiles since 1995. Alpina manufactures one basic dual-track snowmobile design. In 2002 the Sherpa was introduced and is the model name for the four-stroke machine. Prior to introducing the Sherpa, Alpina offered a two-stroke series designated the Superclass . The four-stroke Sherpa is currently the top machine in production. A new version of

2482-556: A month earlier than the Iditarod, the Quest is a colder race, and is run on shorter solar days and through longer, darker nights. Sonny Lindner won the inaugural race in 1984 from a field of 26 teams. The fastest run took place in 2010, when Hans Gatt finished after 9 days and 26 minutes. The 2012 competition had the closest one-two finish, as Hugh Neff beat Allen Moore by twenty-six seconds. In 2005, Lance Mackey became

2628-522: A propeller-driven and running on skis, was built in 1909–1910 by Russian inventor Igor Sikorsky of helicopter fame. Aerosanis were used by the Soviet Red Army during the Winter War and World War II . There is some dispute over whether Aerosanis count as snowmobiles because they were not propelled by tracks. Adolphe Kégresse designed an original caterpillar tracks system, called

2774-416: A race that would put a little woodsmanship into it", Shank said at the race's 25th anniversary. This remained a vague plan until August 1983, when the first public organizational meetings took place. Fundraising began, and the start date for the race was optimistically moved forward from February 1985 to February 25, 1984. The entry fee for the first race was $ 500, and Murray Clayton of Haines, Alaska became

2920-410: A road closed to automobile traffic during the winter. As the trail follows the highway for 49 miles (79 km) conditions are often hazardous, with high winds and drifting snow that can obscure trail markers. After climbing the 3,420-foot (1,040 m) American Summit, the trail gradually descends 20 miles (32 km) to Eagle, on the banks of the Yukon River. The route from Eagle to Central covers

3066-523: A rubber-and-cotton track that wraps around the back wheels) was his first major invention. He started production of the B-7, an enclosed, seven-passenger snowmobile, in 1937, and introduced the B-12, a twelve-passenger model, in 1942. The B-7 had a V-8 flathead engine from Ford Motor Company . The B-12 had a flathead in line six-cylinder engine from Chrysler industrial, and 2,817 units were produced until 1951. It

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3212-415: A section of snowless trail, then had to deal with open sections of the Yukon River near Whitehorse due to above-average temperatures. The eventual winner of the inaugural race, Sonny Lindner, was greeted with little fanfare on his arrival. On the race's 25th anniversary, he recalled, "I think it was 90 percent (camping) trip and maybe a little bit of racing." After the inaugural race, organizers improved

3358-409: A serious health hazard. Frostbite is common, as is hypothermia . In the 1988 Yukon Quest, Jeff King suffered an entirely frozen hand because of nerve damage from an earlier injury which left him unable to feel the cold. King said his hand became "like something from a frozen corpse". In 1989, King and his team drove through a break in the Yukon River in −38 °F (−39 °C) temperatures. Frozen by

3504-433: A similarly powered four-stroke. However, four-stroke powered snowmobiles have been gaining popularity steadily in the last fifteen or so years, with manufacturer Yamaha producing four-stroke snowmobiles only. The Whistler Blackcomb ski resort is testing Taiga's electric snowmobiles with lower noise, and similar vehicles exist. Early snowmobiles used simple rubber tracks, but modern snowmobiles' tracks are usually made of

3650-486: A single sled for the entire run, versus three in the Iditarod. Ten checkpoints and four dog drops, some more than 200 miles (322 km) apart, lie along the trail. Veterinarians are present at each to ensure the health and welfare of the dogs, give advice, and provide veterinary care for dropped dogs; together with the race marshal or a race judge, they may remove a dog or team from the race for medical or other reasons. There are only nine checkpoints for rest, versus 22 in

3796-468: A snowmobile could easily cause extensive damage, injury, or death. One such cause of snowmobile accidents is loss of control from a loose grip. If the rider falls off, the loss of control can easily result in the snowmobile colliding with a nearby object, such as a rock or tree. Most snowmobiles are fitted with a cord connected to a kill switch, which would stop the snowmobile if the rider falls off; however, not all riders use this device every time they operate

3942-488: A snowmobile operator engages in the illegal practice of "rail riding", riding between railroad track rails over snow-covered sleepers . Inability to hear the sound of an oncoming train over the engine noise of a snowmobile makes this activity extremely dangerous. Collision with large animals such as moose and deer, which may venture onto a snowmobile trail, is another major cause of snowmobile accidents. Most often such encounters occur at night or in low-visibility conditions when

4088-447: A snowmobile. Swerving off of the path may result in rolling the snowmobile or crashing into an obstacle. In unfamiliar areas, riders may crash into suspended barbed wire or haywire fences at high speeds. Each year a number of serious or fatal accidents are caused by these factors. Each year, riders are killed by hitting other snowmobiles, automobiles, pedestrians, rocks, trees, or fences, or falling through thin ice. On average, 10 people

4234-445: A team dog.) Team dogs are those between the wheelers and the swing dogs, and add power to the team. A small team may not have dogs in this position. Alternatively, the term may be used to describe any dog in a dog team. Wheel dogs are those nearest the sled and musher, and a good wheeler must have a relatively calm temperament so as not to be startled by the sled moving just behind it. Strength, steadiness, and ability to help guide

4380-546: A thousand-mile sled dog race from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon, to celebrate the Klondike Gold Rush -era mail and transportation routes between the two. They disdained the many checkpoints and stages of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race and envisioned an endurance race in which racers would rely on themselves and survival would be as important as speed. "We wanted more of a Bush experience,

4526-435: A typical dirt bike and replaces the rear wheel with a single tread system similar to a snowmobile and the front wheel with a large ski. It is much smaller and nimbler than a snowmobile, and it has a tighter turning radius, which lets the rider go where many snowmobiles cannot. The first prototype of motorcycles with a rear tread date to the 1920s, with subsequent failed attempts to bring them to market. Many motorcycles made after

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4672-464: A year have died in such crashes in Minnesota alone, with alcohol a contributing factor in many cases. In Saskatchewan , 16 out of 21 deaths in snowmobile collisions between 1996 and 2000 were caused by the effects of alcohol. Wrestler Lindsey Durlacher died in 2011 following surgery for a broken sternum he sustained in a snowmobile accident. Fatal collisions with trains can also occur when

4818-585: Is a cabin at mile marker 101 (the distance from Fairbanks) on the Steese Highway. At Mile 101, mushers have the option of taking their four-hour rest during even years. They can also take the rest at Central during even years. Again, the three minute start difference will be subtracted from the race if the musher desires to take their rest here. The cabin gives mushers the opportunity for a short rest between Eagle Summit and Rosebud Summit. The ascent of Rosebud Summit begins about 10 miles (16 km) south of

4964-496: Is a symmetrical saddle , with two peaks of similar height separated by 100 yards (91 m). The south side of Eagle Summit is not as steep, and mushers generally have an easier time reaching the checkpoint at Mile 101. When descending the steep northern slope of Eagle Summit on the Fairbanks–Whitehorse route, many mushers wrap their sled runners in chains to increase friction and slow the plunge. The Mile 101 checkpoint

5110-603: Is absolutely no visible path to follow. However, this type of trailblazing is dangerous as contact with buried rocks, logs, and frozen ground can cause extensive damage and injuries. Riders look for large open fields of fresh snow where they can carve . Some riders use extensively modified snowmobiles, customized with aftermarket accessories like handle-bar risers, handguards, custom/lightweight hoods, windshields, and seats, running board supports, studs , and numerous other modifications that increase power and maneuverability. Many of these customizations can now be purchased straight off

5256-404: Is adjusted here. In even years, mushers must take an eight (8) hour rest here before continuing on for the last 100 miles (161 km) of the race. In the first leg of this, mushers must travel from Bareburn to Carmacks which is 39 miles (63 km). In odd years, mushers have the option of taking their four-hour rest here or at Bareburn. The three minute difference start time is also adjusted if

5402-504: Is distinguishing the Yukon Quest trail from other sled dog trails, many of which have similar markings. Mushers have occasionally been deceived by these markings and taken wrong turns. Beyond Two Rivers, the trail reaches the Chena River northwest of Fairbanks. This is the final stretch, and mushers use the river to enter Fairbanks and reach the finish line, which is on the river itself in the middle of downtown Fairbanks. Regardless of

5548-404: Is dog mushing similar to skijoring , canicross , and dog scootering . A dog or team of dogs is attached with a towline to a bicycle . Bikejoring and canicross probably developed from skijoring and dogsled racing. Bikejoring is also sometimes used to train racing sled-dogs out of season. Beginning in the early 1990's, a hybrid of traditional bikejoring developed where riders use devices attached

5694-544: Is harsh as this is a convergence zone between the Yukon Flats to the north and the low ground of the Tanana Valley to the south. A differential in the weather within the two valleys causes high winds and precipitation when there is moisture in the atmosphere. The final few hundred yards of the climb consists of a 30-degree slope often scoured to bare rock and tundra by the fierce wind. The crossing point itself

5840-760: Is located 18 miles (29 km) from Biederman's Cabin at Slaven's Cabin , a historic site operated by the National Park Service . Some 60 miles (97 km) past Slaven's Cabin mushers arrive in Circle , so named because its founders believed it was on the Arctic Circle . (Circle is actually about 50 miles (80 km) south of that line.) From Circle, it is 74 miles (119 km) to the checkpoint in Central . Mushers follow Birch Creek south until just before Circle Hot Springs . This area, along with

5986-629: Is low. Snowmobiles designed to perform various work tasks have been available for many years with dual tracks from such manufacturers as Aktiv (Sweden), who made the Grizzly , Ockelbo (Sweden), who made the 8000, and Bombardier who made the Alpine and later the Alpine II. Currently, there are two manufacturers of dual-track snowmobiles; Russia's Buran and the Italian Alpina snowmobiles (under

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6132-447: Is required in, for example, Norway and Sweden. In Finland, a snowmobile driver's license is not required if the driver already has another type of appropriate driver's license (for example car or tractor). The environmental impact of snowmobiles has been the subject of much debate. Governments have been reacting slowly to noise and air pollution , partly because of lobbying from manufacturers and snowmobilers. For instance, in 1999,

6278-742: Is the Golden Harness Award, given to the winner's two lead sled dogs . The next award is the Veterinarians Choice Award, which is voted on by race veterinarians and given to the musher who took the best care of their dogs during the race. Other awards include the Challenge of the North Award—given to the musher who "exemplifies the spirit of the Yukon Quest"—and the Sportsmanship Award, given to

6424-703: Is the Swedish Larven , made by the Lenko Company of Östersund , from the 1960s until the end of the 1980s. It was a very small and basic design, with just an engine in the rear and a track. The driver sat on it and steered using skis on his feet. Most modern snowmobiles are powered by either a four- or two-stroke internal combustion engine , with the exception of the Taiga TS2. Historically, snowmobiles have always used two-stroke engines because of their reduced complexity, weight and cost, compared to

6570-711: The Alps . Racing associations such as the International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) and the International Sled Dog Racing Association (ISDRA) are working toward organizing the sport and in gaining Olympic recognition for mushing. It is the state sport of Alaska. The most famous sled dog races in the world are: Although dogsled racing gets more publicity and is seen now as the primary form of mushing, recreational mushing thrives as an unorganized sport providing

6716-636: The Canadian Shield ; accordingly, the coureurs des bois and the voyageurs of New France used the French word marche! , meaning "walk" or "move", to command to the team to commence pulling. Marche! became "mush!" for English Canadians . "Mush!" is rarely used in modern parlance. Mushing can be utilitarian, recreational, or competitive. Mushing as a sport is practiced worldwide, but primarily in North America, northern Europe and

6862-662: The Kiwanis Award, given to the first musher to cross the Alaska–Yukon border, and the Mayor's Award, given to the Yukon Quest champion by the Mayor of Fairbanks. The 2011 Yukon Quest champion is Alaskan Dallas Seavey , who finished the race in 10 days, 11 hours and 53 minutes. Seavey, who has run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race several times, won the Yukon Quest in his rookie year and therefore also

7008-503: The Kégresse track , while working for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia between 1906 and 1916. These used a flexible belt rather than interlocking metal segments and could be fitted to a conventional car or truck to turn it into a half-track , suitable for use over soft ground, including snow. Conventional front wheels and steering were used but the wheel could be fitted with skis as seen in the upper right image. He applied it to several cars in

7154-492: The Steese Highway , which connects Central and Circle with Fairbanks. The trail travels through frozen swamps, mining areas, and firebreaks for about 20 miles (32 km). Mushers then encounter the Steese Highway for a second time before crossing several creeks to begin the ascent of Eagle Summit. They eventually climb above the tree line and are exposed to the wind as they continue upward. The weather atop Eagle Summit

7300-583: The United States Midwest suited the converted Ford Model Ts and other like vehicles, but they were not suitable for humid snow areas such as southern Quebec and New England . This led Joseph-Armand Bombardier from the small town of Valcourt , Quebec , to invent a different caterpillar track system suitable for all kinds of snow conditions. Bombardier had already made some "metal" tracked vehicles since 1928, but his new revolutionary track traction system (a toothed wheel covered in rubber, and

7446-502: The late 2000s recession , the 2009 Yukon Quest purse was reduced to $ 151,000 from a planned total of $ 200,000. As a result, the first prize was reduced to $ 30,000 from the planned $ 35,000. Partly because of this, Mackey withdrew before the race, making it easier for a newcomer to win. In the closest one–two finish, German Sebastian Schnuelle completed the race faster than anyone before, finishing that year's 1,016-mile (1,635 km) trip in 9 days, 23 hours, and 20 minutes. He

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7592-533: The "REV" framework platform. Most two-stroke mountain snowmobiles have a top engine size of 800 cc, producing around 150 hp (110 kW), although some 1,000 cc factory machines have been produced. These may not be as popular as many 800 cc models outperform them because of weight and an increase of unneeded power. Cornices and other kinds of jumps are sought after for aerial maneuvers. Riders often search for non-tracked, virgin terrain and are known to "trailblaze" or "boondock" deep into remote territory where there

7738-482: The 1,000 miles (1,609 km). Also in 2000, Yukon Quest International added two races: the Quest 250 (today the Quest 300) and the Junior Quest (both described below ). Competitors in each have gone on to participate in the Yukon Quest. The first of these graduated mushers competed in the 2001 race, won by Tim Osmar. In 2002, the Yukon Quest was won by Hans Gatt, an Austrian-born resident of British Columbia and

7884-519: The 1600s, the Iroquois and French clashed in a series of attacks and reprisals. For this reason, Samuel de Champlain arranged to have young French men live with the natives, to learn their language and customs and help the French adapt to life in North America. These men, known as coureurs des bois (runners of the woods), were the first European mushers in North America, extended French influence south and west and in 1609, New France controlled all

8030-423: The 1957 Polaris Sno Traveler, and started selling it under the brand name Ski-Doo through his company Bombardier Inc. (now manufactured by Bombardier Recreational Products ). Competitors copied and improved his design; in the 1970s there were over a hundred snowmobile manufacturers. From 1970 to 1973, two million machines were sold, peaking at 500,000 sold in 1971. Many of the snowmobile companies were small and

8176-488: The 1970s. However, these rules were not applied to snowmobiles. In 2015, following a decision in a lawsuit brought by Winter Wildlands Alliance against the Forest Service, the rules were extended to snowmobiles, referred to as an over-snow vehicle (OSV). National Forests with sufficient snow for winter recreation are now required to designate where OSVs are allowed to travel and where they are prohibited. In doing so,

8322-517: The 1990s can be fitted with kits that transform them into snow bikes. In 2017, Winter X Games XXI introduced the first snow bike event in the form of a SnowBikeCross race. The following year they introduced a Best Trick event. As a result of their inherent maneuverability, acceleration, and high-speed abilities, skill and physical strength are both required to operate a snowmobile. Snowmobile injuries and fatalities are high compared to those caused by on road motor vehicle traffic. Losing control of

8468-424: The 2006 race, 12 teams were struck by a massive storm that eventually caused the evacuation of seven teams by helicopter. In 2009, mushers endured winds up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), blowing snow, and subzero temperatures atop Eagle Summit, where conditions had been even worse in a storm during the 1988 race, when wind chill temperatures dropped below −100 °F (−73 °C). The extreme temperatures pose

8614-558: The 2021 race is still scheduled for February. The course of the race varies slightly from year to year because of ice conditions on the Yukon River , snowfall, and other factors. The length of the route has also fluctuated, ranging from 921 miles (1,482 km) in the weather-shortened 2003 race to 1,023 miles (1,646 km) in 1998. In even-numbered years, the race starts in Fairbanks and ends in Whitehorse. In odd-numbered years,

8760-417: The 776 entries from 1984 to 2007, 263 (34%) did not finish. The racers have come from various professions: taxicab drivers, swimming instructors, coal miners, tax assessors, lawyers, fur trappers, journalists, and a car salesman have all entered. At the end of the competition, racers are given awards for feats performed on the trail. The foremost is the championship award, given to the winner. Accompanying this

8906-525: The Alaska board threatened to host a separate competition. In the end, the Alaska board members were forced to resign, and a deal was worked out between the two sides. The 1998 race was run on schedule and had 38 entrants. The 1999 race was won by Alaska Native Ramy Brooks, who defeated veterinarian Mark May by 10 minutes. In 2000, Aliy Zirkle became the first woman to win the Yukon Quest after taking 10 days, 22 hours, and 57 minutes to trek

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9052-613: The Canadian Shield. In 1680, the intendant of New France , Jacques Duchesneau de la Doussinière et d'Ambault , estimated that there was not one family in New France who did not have a "son, brother, uncle or nephew" among the coureurs des bois . During the winter, sled became the ordinary transportation in the north of New France. In 1760, the British Army completed the conquest of Canada and gained control of

9198-692: The Canadian Shield. Many coureurs des bois accepted British rule and continued to use the sled dog . The French term Marche! became Mush! in English. During the Klondike Gold Rush , many prospectors came in the Yukon with sled dogs. This "Last Great Gold Rush" has been immortalized by American author Jack London in The Call of the Wild . Sled-dog became the common mode of transportation in Yukon and in

9344-719: The Canadian government adopted the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 , but the set of rules governing pollution emissions for off-road vehicles was only released in January 2005. In another example of regulation, only four-stroke snowmobiles are allowed in Yellowstone National Park since a bylaw was recently passed to minimize CO 2 emissions and noise. In Yellowstone , snowmobiles account for 80% of total hydrocarbon emissions and 50% of carbon monoxide emissions in

9490-494: The Forest Service must minimize 1) damage to soil, watershed, vegetation, and other forest resources; 2) harassment of wildlife and significant disruption of wildlife habitats; and 3) conflicts between motor vehicle use and existing or proposed recreational uses of National Forest System lands or neighboring Federal lands. Most snowmobiles are still powered by two-stroke engines, although Alpina and Yamaha have been using four-strokes since 2002 and 2003, respectively. However, in

9636-601: The Fortymile River in what is one of the coldest portions of the race, because of cold air sinking to the bottom of the river valley. The trail on the river crosses the United States–Canada border, noticeable only because of the border vista , a strip of land cleared of all foliage. Shortly past the border, the river turns northwest, and mushers leave its frozen surface when it meets the Taylor Highway ,

9782-601: The Fortymile stretch, is considered among the coldest on the trail, and mushers are advised to prepare for −60 °F (−51 °C) temperatures. Turning west, they travel through frozen swamps before reaching the Steese Roadhouse checkpoint in Central . In Central during even years, mushers have the option of taking their four-hour rest here or at Mile 101. If they choose to, the three minute start difference will be subtracted from their rest time. From Central to

9928-547: The Iditarod. Mushers are permitted to leave dogs at checkpoints and dog drops, but not to replace them. Sleds may not be replaced (without penalty) and mushers cannot accept help from non-racers except at Dawson City, the halfway mark. The route runs on frozen rivers, over four mountain ranges, and through isolated northern villages. Racers cover 1,016 miles (1,635 km) or more. Temperatures commonly drop as low as −60 °F (−51 °C), and winds can reach 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) at higher elevations. Because it begins

10074-650: The Lake Laberge stretch was replaced by a route through Braeburn and along the Dawson-Whitehorse Overland Trail. In 1997, mushers were routed through the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project and to the Alaska town of North Pole before continuing on to Fairbanks. The North Pole loop was removed before the 2009 race, and mushers were directed through Two Rivers instead. Starting in the 2010 race,

10220-775: The Mile 101 location was upgraded from a dog drop to a full-fledged checkpoint. In the past several races, the Two Rivers checkpoint has changed locations annually: from a lodge to a campground, and then to a gravel pit in 2011. The Yukon Quest trail is in the subarctic climate range. In Fairbanks, the average February temperature is −3.8 °F (−20 °C), but −40 °F (−40 °C) is not uncommon, and temperatures have dropped to −58 °F (−50 °C). An average of 7.3 inches (185 mm) of snow falls in February, with average snowpack depth of 22 inches (559 mm). Outside

10366-530: The Pelly Burn, an area scorched by a wildfire in 1995. Because the fire destroyed much of the forest in the area, this portion of the trail has few obstacles and is considered fast. From the McCabe Creek site it is about 32 miles (51 km) to Pelly Crossing. The stretch between Pelly Crossing and Dawson City is the greatest distance between checkpoints of any sled dog competition in the world. Between

10512-796: The Quebec-based AD Boivin, manufacturer of the Snow Hawk and the European Alpina snowmobile. The second half of the 20th century saw the rise of recreational snowmobiling, whose riders are called snowmobilers , sledders , or slednecks . Recreational riding is known as snowcross/racing, trail riding, freestyle, boondocking, ditchbanging and grass drags. In the summertime snowmobilers can drag race on grass , asphalt strips, or even across water (as in snowmobile skipping ). Snowmobiles are sometimes modified to compete in long-distance off-road races. A patent (554.482) for

10658-680: The Royal garage including Rolls-Royce cars and Packard trucks. Although this was not a snowmobile, it is an ancestor of the modern concept. In 1911 a 24-year-old, Harold J. Kalenze (pronounced Collins), patented the Vehicle Propeller in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. In 1914, O. M. Erickson and Art Olsen of the P.N. Bushnell company in Aberdeen , South Dakota, built an open two-seater "motor-bob" out of an Indian motorcycle modified with

10804-608: The Sled-Propeller design, without a model, was submitted on Sept. 5, 1895 by inventors William J. Culman and William B. Follis of Brule, Wisconsin . The American Motor Sleigh was a short-lived novelty vehicle produced in Boston in 1905. Designed for travel on snow, it consisted of a sleigh body mounted on a framework that held an engine, a drive-shaft system, and runners. Although considered an interesting novelty, sales were low and production ceased in 1906. An Aerosledge,

10950-471: The Superclass has been released in 2017, with a lot of innovations and a new four-stroke engine. The Sherpa and Superclass series shared the same basic dual-track platform, twin 20 in × 156 in (510 mm × 3,960 mm) tracks with dual skis up front. Power for the Sherpa is supplied by a 1.6L in-line four-cylinder gasoline automotive engine. The new Superclass power is provided by

11096-411: The United States were killed. Avalanche safety education is critical for those accessing the backcountry. Risks can be reduced through education, proper training, appropriate gear, attention to published avalanche warnings and avoiding drinking alcohol. In some areas of Western U.S., organizations provide avalanche training, some of which is free. It is recommended that snowmobile riders wear a helmet and

11242-580: The Whitehorse–Fairbanks route, is 144 miles (232 km). Mushers must rest for four hours in Eagle. Racers exit Dawson City on the Yukon River and follow it for about 50 miles (80 km) to the Fortymile River hospitality stop. The river's name comes from its distance from Fort Reliance , an abandoned trading post established in 1874. From the hospitality stop, mushers travel southwest on

11388-411: The Whitehorse–Fairbanks route. Mushers are required to rest at least eight hours in Two Rivers in odd years to ensure the health of their dogs during the final leg of the race. The terrain in this stretch is among the easiest on the trail, with gently rolling hills and forest which gradually change into an urban landscape as racers approach Fairbanks. The greatest challenge for racers in the Two Rivers area

11534-440: The Yukon Quest and run a cheaper Fairbanks-to-Dawson City race. Members of the Yukon Quest organization revolted against this and voted to evict the board members who had proposed it. The 1995 race featured 22 mushers, of whom 13 finished. Budget problems caused the first prize to drop by 25% to $ 15,000, contributing to the low participation. This problem was fixed for the 1996 race, with a first-place prize of $ 25,000. The 1997 race

11680-451: The Yukon Quest sled dog race, also runs two shorter races: the Junior Quest and the Yukon Quest 300 (previously the Yukon Quest 250). The 2020 race finished on schedule despite the incipient COVID-19 pandemic , however the 2021 race was cancelled due to border closures and Covid protocols. In 2022, the US and Canadian sides separated to produce their own shorter versions of the races. To maintain

11826-532: The Yukon River prevented him from continuing. Because he did not quit, race officials gave him the Red Lantern Award. Following the 1992 race, controversy erupted when the Alaska board of directors of Yukon Quest International informed the Yukon board that they were considering dropping the Yukon half of the Quest because Yukon officials did not meet fundraising goals. Alaska officials also believed it would be easier to manage an Alaska-only race. A crisis

11972-502: The Yukon River, except for a few short portages . During this stretch, two hospitality stops are available. The first is 28 miles (45 km) from Eagle at Trout Creek . The next is Biederman's Cabin , the former home of Charlie Biederman , one of the last people to deliver mail by sled dog. (The final sled dog mail route was canceled in 1963, and Biederman's sled hangs in the National Postal Museum .) A dog drop site

12118-401: The Yukon, the Quest stays on the river closer to four hundred miles. —Brian O'Donoghue, Honest Dogs . p. 263. Because of the extreme difficulty of the competition, several stages of preparation are needed. The first is the food drop, when mushers and race officials position caches of food and supplies at race checkpoints. This is necessary because mushers may only use their supplies along

12264-421: The animal could not be seen in time to prevent a collision. Also even when successful, a sudden maneuver to miss hitting the animal could still result in the operator losing control of the snowmobile. The next leading cause of injury and death is avalanches , which can result from the practice of highmarking , or driving a snowmobile as far up a hill as it can go. During the 2018–2019 season, 7 snowmobilers in

12410-564: The biggest manufacturers were often attempts by motorcycle makers and outboard motor makers to branch off in a new market. Most of these companies went bankrupt or were acquired by larger companies during the 1973 oil crisis and succeeding recessions. Sales rebounded to 260,000 in 1997 but gradually decreased afterward, influenced by warmer winters and the use during all four seasons of small one- or two-person ATVs . Alpina Snowmobiles are manufactured in Vicenza , Italy , by Alpina s.r.l.,

12556-503: The conclusion of the race, he was fined half his winnings when his dogs tested positive for ibuprofen . In the 1994 race, Alaskan Bruce Cosgrove was denied entry by Canadian customs officials in the pre-race verification process, the only time a musher has been denied entry into either Canada or Alaska. Cosgrove started the race, but quit before the border. Following the race, controversy again erupted when Alaska Yukon Quest officials announced they would unilaterally eliminate Whitehorse from

12702-598: The descent from King Solomon's Dome to Bonanza Creek , the epicenter of the Klondike Gold Rush. After reaching the creek, mushers thread through an area of mining waste and follow the Klondike River to Dawson City, the halfway point of the race. They are required to rest for 36 hours in Dawson City as a halfway-rest. The distance from Dawson City to Eagle , the first checkpoint in Alaska for

12848-532: The dog drop. It consists of a gradual climb of 5 miles (8.0 km) followed by a steep descent into the valley that contains the north fork of the Chena River. The descent also brings mushers back into forested terrain. The trail then parallels a road for about 27 miles (43 km) before entering the final checkpoint at Twin Bears Campground near Two Rivers. Two Rivers is the final checkpoint in

12994-470: The dogs pulled - today most mushers use a standing style sled with a handlebar, and foot grips on top of the runners. Sleds range in length, with longer toboggan-style sleds used for expedition and long-distance mushing in order to carry more needed supplies, and "basket" sleds used more commonly in racing and on groomed trails. Kicksleds can be used as a small recreational dog sled, pulled by one or two dogs. Sleds normally have some form of braking system,

13140-451: The extreme cold, King managed to reach a cabin and thaw out. Other racers have suffered permanent damage from the cold: Lance Mackey suffered frostbitten feet during the 2008 Yukon Quest, and Hugh Neff lost the tips of several toes in the 2004 race. Since the race's inception in 1984, 353 people from 11 countries have competed in the Yukon Quest, some many times. The race attracts from 21 (in 1996) to 47 (in 1988 and 1989) mushers each year. Of

13286-531: The final (or first, in the Fairbanks–Whitehorse direction) checkpoint in Two Rivers is 114 miles (183 km). Despite the comparative closeness of the checkpoints and the location of a dog drop between them, this is considered the most difficult stretch of dog sled trail in the world. At this point, mushers must climb the two steepest and most difficult mountains on the trail: Eagle Summit and Rosebud Summit. After leaving Central, mushers head west, paralleling

13432-451: The first (and so far only) mother and daughter to compete in the same Yukon Quest: Terri finished 21st, beating her mother (22nd) by 26 minutes. The 1991 race saw eight teams withdraw in the first quarter because of an outbreak of a canine disease called the " Healy Virus". Thirty-five more dogs were sickened before the spread of the virus was halted by colder weather halfway through the race. In 1992, unseasonable warmth caused problems in

13578-410: The first European to win. This was the first of three consecutive wins, making him the first three-time winner. In 2003, Gatt's second win was truncated by a lack of snow near Whitehorse. Unseasonable warmth forced organizers to truck mushers and their dog teams to Braeburn before continuing what became a 921 miles (1,482 km) competition. The 2004 race saw 31 mushers start the race and 20 finish,

13724-411: The first United States patent for a snow-vehicle using the now recognized format of rear track(s) and front skis. Many individuals later modified Ford Model Ts with the undercarriage replaced by tracks and skis following this design. They were popular for rural mail delivery for a time. The common name for these conversion of cars and small trucks was Snowflyers . Carl Eliason of Sayner developed

13870-496: The first Yukon Quest rookie to win the race, a feat that was repeated by 2011's champion, Dallas Seavey. In 2007, Mackey became the first to win both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, a feat he repeated the following year. The longest race time was in 1988, when Ty Halvorson took 20 days, 8 hours, and 29 minutes to finish. In 2000, Aliy Zirkle became the first woman to win the race, in 10 days, 22 hours, and 57 minutes. Yukon Quest International, which runs

14016-452: The first half of the race, and the second was affected by bitter cold. The head veterinarian of that race, Jeannie Olson, was replaced after she offered canine acupuncture to several mushers. Though not then forbidden by any rule, this violated equal-treatment guidelines because she did not offer the treatment to every musher. At the end of that race, George Cook became the first musher since 1984 to finish short of Whitehorse when open water on

14162-578: The first person to enter when he paid his fee in October 1983. In December 1983, the race was officially named the Yukon Quest. Two more months of planning followed, and a crew of volunteers was organized to staff the checkpoints and place trail markers. On February 25, 1984, 26 racers left Fairbanks for Whitehorse. Each team was limited to a maximum of 12 dogs, and racers had to finish with no fewer than nine. They also had to haul 25 pounds (11 kg) of food per dog (300 pounds (136 kg) total) to cover

14308-487: The highest point (4,002 feet (1,220 m)) on the trail. The trail ascends more gradually in the Whitehorse–Fairbanks route than in the opposite direction, where mushers have to endure several switchbacks . When mushers start in Whitehorse, they already have gained several thousand feet from the ascent into the Black Hills, including a climb over 3,550-foot (1,080 m) Eureka Dome . The main difficulties come during

14454-510: The last decade several manufacturers have been successful in designing less polluting motors, and putting most of them in production. Yamaha and Arctic-Cat were the first to mass-produce four-stroke models, which are significantly less polluting than the early two-stroke machines. Alpina offers only four-stroke EFI engines equipped with a catalytic converter and dual oxygen-probe. Bombardier's E-Tec two-stroke motors emit 85% less pollutants than previous carbureted two-strokes. Polaris has developed

14600-515: The long distances between checkpoints. Numerous problems occurred in the first race. The leading mushers had to break trail because the snowmobile intended for the task broke down. Trail markers often were absent or misplaced, and no preparations had been made for racers in Dawson City until organizer Roger Williams flew there shortly after the race began. After Dawson City, mushers had their dogs and sleds trucked 60 miles (97 km) to avoid

14746-400: The marking of the trail for the first contest held in the Whitehorse–Fairbanks direction. Musher Bill Cotter said, "The trail was so nice that it was difficult to keep from going too fast." The race grew in popularity over the next few years. In 1988 and again in 1989, 47 mushers entered. In 1989, 31 completed the race—the most that have ever finished it. In 1990, Connie and Terri Frerichs became

14892-468: The mid-2000s four-stroke engines had re-entered the market. The challenges of cross-country transportation in the winter led to the invention of an all-terrain vehicle specifically designed for travel across deep snow where other vehicles foundered. As of 2003 , the snowmobile market has been shared between the four large North American makers ( Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Arctic Cat , Yamaha , and Polaris ) and some specialized makers like

15038-509: The model. The large footprint of the dual tracks and dual skis allows the Sherpa and Superclass to "float" on top of deep snow and not sink in and get stuck. Taiga Motors in Montreal created the first commercially produced electric snowmobile. The Taiga TS2 can go from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3 seconds, with 250 N⋅m (180 lb⋅ft) of instant torque. The Taiga TS2 weighs 470 lb (210 kg). A snow bike takes

15184-488: The most common of which are a metal brake (a metal bar or claw) and a rubber drag-mat made of tire or snowmobile track; many sleds have both, for controlling speed in different conditions. Full-sized sleds are typically outfitted with a sled bag used for carrying equipment or injured/tired dogs in the sled basket. For racing competitions, sled bags are often required to have ventilation for dog safety. Other gear used in mushing includes but may not be limited to: Bikejoring

15330-557: The most sportsmanlike competitor, as chosen by a vote of the mushers. The Rookie of the Year Award is given to the highest-finishing first-time competitor. The Dawson Award, consisting of four ounces of gold, is given to the first musher to reach Dawson City (the midpoint) who also finishes the competition. The final award is the Red Lantern, given to the last official finisher of the year's race. Two awards have been discontinued:

15476-472: The musher chooses to take their four-hour rest here. Coming out of Braeburn, competitors cross the Klondike Highway and proceed east for about 10 miles (16 km) to Coghlan Lake . From there they turn north, then northwest, and travel along a chain of lakes that stretches for about 30 miles (48 km). They then enter a notorious stretch of heavily forested hills nicknamed "Pinball Alley" for

15622-630: The name Sherpa and Superclass ). Edgar and Allen Hetteen and David Johnson of Roseau , Minnesota, invented what we now know as the modern snowmobile in 1955–1956, but the early machines were heavy (1,000 lb or 450 kg) and slow (20 mph or 32 km/h). Their company, Hetteen Hoist & Derrick Co., became Polaris Industries which introduced their first commercial model, the Polaris Sno Traveler in 1957. In 1960, Joseph-Armand Bombardier introduced his own snowmobile using an open-cockpit one- or two-person form, similar to

15768-420: The needs of different mushers. The most commonly used styles include X-back (also referred to as racing harnesses), half-back (used more commonly in mushing where the line angle is steeper such as canicross and bikejoring), and spreader-bar/freighting (used for hauling heavy loads low to the ground, or by wheel dogs on teams). Harnesses have certain requirements for some competitions such as weight pull, to ensure

15914-542: The new US Territory of Alaska . In 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen used sled dogs in a race to become the first person to reach the South Pole. He succeeded, while his competitor Robert Falcon Scott , who had instead used Siberian ponies, died. By the time of the First World War, mushing had spread to European countries such as Norway , where dog sleds were used for nature tours, as ambulances in

16060-537: The patent to a Canadian subsidiary. In 1917, Virgil D. White set up to create a patent for his conversion kit that changed the Ford Model T into a "snowmobile". He also copyrighted the term "snowmobile". At the time, the conversion kit was expensive, costing about $ 395. Virgil White applied his patent in 1918 and created his own snowmobile. In 1922, his conversion kit was on the markets and available only through Ford dealerships. The relatively dry snow conditions of

16206-463: The prototype of the modern snowmobile in the 1920s when he mounted a two-cylinder motorcycle engine on a long sled, steered it with skis under the front, and propelled it with single, endless track. Eliason made 40 snowmobiles, patented in 1927. Upon receiving an order for 200 from Finland , he sold his patent to the FWD Company of Clintonville . They made 300 for military use, then transferred

16352-470: The race's third three-time winner in 2020, as the race finished on schedule despite the growing COVID-19 pandemic. For 2021, race officials arranged to hold two separate races—one on the Canadian side of the border and the other on the Alaska side of the border—to abide by international quarantine. This plan was abandoned in September 2020 when the Canadian organizers canceled their race. The American half of

16498-453: The research center RISE, approximately 135,000 snowmobiles will be sold worldwide yearly. Snowmobiles are widely used in arctic territories for travel. However, the tiny Arctic population means a correspondingly small market. Most snowmobiles are sold for recreational purposes in places where snow cover is stable during winter. The number of snowmobiles in Europe and other parts of the world

16644-648: The rider transfers their weight towards the uphill side, a process called side-hilling . Higher-powered modern snowmobiles can achieve speeds over 150 mph (240 km/h). Drag racing snowmobiles can reach speeds over 200 mph (320 km/h). Mountain sleds permit access in remote areas with deep snow, which was nearly impossible a few decades ago. This is mainly due to alterations, enhancements, and additions of original trail model designs such as weight, weight distribution, track length, paddle depth, and power. Technology and design advances in mountain snowmobiles have improved since 2003 with Ski-Doo's introduction of

16790-535: The riverbank to the Carmacks checkpoint. They then follow a road for about 15 miles (24 km) and turn onto a firebreak trail. After departing the trail, they travel alongside and across the Yukon River to McCabe Creek, the first dog drop on the Whitehorse–Fairbanks route. Leaving McCabe Creek, the race trail parallels a driveway and the Klondike Highway for several miles before turning north to cross

16936-461: The route, reflecting the Gold Rush era, when dog trains would resupply at points along the trail. One week after the food drop, all dogs participating in the race undergo a preliminary veterinarian inspection to ensure they are healthy enough to race 1,000 miles in subarctic conditions. The final stage of formal preparation is two days before the race, when mushers pick their starting order from

17082-474: The safety of the dog in their task. Dogsleds can be a variety of styles, ranging from highly traditional wooden sleds lashed with twine, to modern lightweight racing sleds made of carbon fiber or aluminum and outfitted with utilities such as steering mechanisms. The nomadic tribes of Siberia such as the Chukchi used sleds which rode low to the ground (known as a "narta"), and sat or lie down to ride them while

17228-433: The sheltered urban areas of Fairbanks, Whitehorse, and Dawson City, temperatures and snowfall are often more extreme. During the 2008 race, competitors started in −40 °F (−40 °C) temperatures in Fairbanks and then faced winds of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) on the trail, resulting in severe wind chills . At higher elevations, such as the crossings of Rosebud and Eagle summits, whiteout blizzards are common. In

17374-622: The showroom floor on stock models. Trail snowmobiles improved in the past 15 years as well (many of them borrowed from endeavors to produce winning mountain sleds). Heavy "muscle sleds" can produce speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h) due to powerful engines (up to 1,200 cc stock, and custom engines exceeding 1,200 cc), short tracks, and good traction on groomed trails. Sno-cross oriented snowmobiles often have an engine size cap of 440 or 600 cc, but lighter machines with redesigned stances, formats, and weight control have produced extremely fast and quickly accelerating race sleds. According to

17520-424: The side of their bikes (vs traditional front mounted attachments). Dog scootering uses one or more dogs to pull a human riding an unmotorized kick scooter . It is similar to mushing, which is done in the winter, but generally with fewer dogs and with a scooter instead of a dogsled. The dogs wear the same harnesses that sled dogs wear, and are hooked to the scooter with a gangline. The gangline usually incorporates

17666-426: The sled around tight curves are qualities valued in "wheelers." Originally, sled dogs would run in either one or two straight lines, depending on how many people were driving the sled (two lines if there was one person, one line if there were two people). However, now, all dogs run in two lines, even if there is more than one person. Many pieces of equipment are useful or necessary for driving sled dogs, depending on

17812-526: The sled or vehicle, terrain, weather conditions, size of the team and dogs, speed of the run, and other factors. Harnesses are worn by dogs used in mushing to allow them to run and pull with freedom of movement. They are designed to distribute pulling weight evenly over the body, and are made of material that is durable and lightweight to varying degrees. Many different styles of sled dog harnesses exist for specialized styles of mushing and dogs, with many outfitters evolving and updating designs and materials to fit

17958-409: The start and finish lines switch. The route follows the Yukon River for much of its course and travels over four mountains: King Solomon's Dome , Eagle Summit , American Summit , and Rosebud Summit . Its length is equivalent to the distance between England and Africa, and the distance between some checkpoints is the breadth of Ireland. Racers endure ice, snow, and extreme cold. Wildlife is common on

18104-409: The team relative to the sled. These include leaders or lead dogs, swing dogs, team dogs, and wheelers or wheel dogs. Lead dogs steer the rest of the team and set the pace. Leaders may be single or double; the latter is more common now, though single leaders used to be more common during the mid-20th century. Sometimes a leader may be unhitched (a loose or free leader) to find the trail for the rest of

18250-421: The team, but the practice is uncommon and is not allowed at races. Qualities for a good lead dog are intelligence, initiative, common sense, and the ability to find a trail in bad conditions. Swing dogs or point dogs are directly behind the leader (one dog if the team is in single hitch). They swing the rest of the team behind them in turns or curves on the trail. (Some mushers use the term swag dog to denote

18396-465: The timing of the finish, several thousand spectators typically gather to watch the first musher cross the finish line. The 1984 route was slightly different from today's. It had just one non-checkpoint dog drop, at the Mile 101 location, and bypassed American Summit, Pelly Junction, and Braeburn. Instead of running through Braeburn, mushers traveled across Lake Laberge for 60 miles (97 km) between Whitehorse and Minto. The inaugural race also included

18542-693: The top three at that point to finish, and thus received the Dawson Award. Wasilla musher Kelley Griffin received the Spirit of the North award, and the Veterinarian's Choice award was given to Mike Ellis and his wife/handler Sue Ellis. Mushing Mushing is a sport or transport method powered by dogs . It includes carting , pulka , dog scootering, sled dog racing , skijoring , freighting , and weight pulling . More specifically, it implies

18688-530: The trail consists of a mining road or "cat" road, named for the Caterpillar tracked mining vehicles that use it. Before organizers coordinated schedules with the mining equipment operators, racers often had to contend with heavy machinery blocking the trail or turning it into a muddy path. The Scroggie Creek dog drop is at the confluence of the Stewart River and Scroggie Creek. After Scroggie Creek,

18834-616: The trail switches from a westerly direction to almost directly north. At this point, mushers enter the gold-mining district surrounding Dawson City. From the Stewart River adjacent to Scroggie, the trail climbs, crossing the Yukon Territory's Black Hills. Fifty miles (80 km) from Dawson City and 55 miles (89 km) from Scroggie Creek, it crosses the Indian River , and mushers begin the climb to King Solomon's Dome,

18980-530: The trail to Braeburn Lodge , the first checkpoint. This trail segment is about 100 miles (161 km) long. The terrain consists of small hills and frequent frozen streams and lakes. When the race runs from Fairbanks to Whitehorse, the Braeburn checkpoint is the site of a mandatory eight-hour stop to ensure the health of mushers' dogs before the final stage. In odd years, mushers must take a four-hour rest here or at Carmacks. The three minute start time difference

19126-530: The trail was moved away from Lake Laberge to near the Takhini River. Additional changes that year included the rerouting of the trail around the southern and eastern sides of King Solomon's Dome south of Dawson City and the introduction of the Scroggie Creek dog drop site on the shore of the Stewart River. In 1996, the trail was rerouted through Pelly Crossing and a checkpoint was added there, and

19272-421: The trail, and participants sometimes face challenges from moose and wolves . Because of the harsh conditions, the Yukon Quest has been called the "most difficult sled dog race in the world" and the "toughest race in the world". Iditarod has stiffer competition, but the Quest trail is vastly harder, it's not just the mountains. It's the Yukon River itself. Iditarod only has about a hundred and thirty miles on

19418-527: The two sites are 201 miles (323 km) of open trail, marked only by a dog drop at Scroggie Creek , an abandoned gold-mining site activated only during the Yukon Quest. From Pelly Crossing, mushers travel west on the frozen Pelly River , or on a road that parallels the river if ice conditions are poor. At Stepping Stone , shortly before the Pelly and Yukon rivers meet, they can rest at a hospitality stop before turning north. From Stepping Stone to Scroggie Creek

19564-460: The use of one or more dogs to pull a sled , most commonly a specialized type of dog sled on snow , or a rig on dry land. The practice of using dogs to pull sleds dates back to at least 6000 BC. Remnants of sleds and harnesses has been found with canine remains in Siberia which carbon-dated to 7800–8000 years ago. Native American cultures also used dogs to pull loads. For the better part of

19710-508: The vehicle was steered via a steering wheel and cables linked to two small skis on outriggers either side of the vehicle. In the mid-1950s, a United States firm built a "snowmobile the arctic area of Alaska that had the drive train reversed of today's snowmobiles with two front wheels—the larger one behind the smaller one—with tires driving an endless loop track". Little is known about this "snowmobile" meant to haul cargo and trade goods to isolated settlements. An odd version of snowmobile

19856-414: The way the rough terrain bounces sleds into trees, rocks, and other obstacles. Trees are so scarred from repeated sled impacts that they have lost their bark on one side. In 1998, racer Brenda Mackey was jolted around so much by the rough trail that her sled became wedged between two trees, forcing her to cut one down to continue. After Pinball Alley, racers briefly mush along the Yukon River before climbing

20002-516: The winter. This is just less than 2% and 1% respectively of the overall annual pollution within the park. Snowmobiles are only allowed to be ridden on the unplowed roads used in the summer, and riding off the roads is prohibited. This accounts for less than 1% (0.002%) of the park area. In 2005 the US Forest Service published a Travel Management Rule for off-highway vehicles, strengthening the implementation of Executive Orders issued in

20148-430: The woodlands and mountains, and to bring supplies to soldiers in the field. During the 1925 serum run to Nome , 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs relayed diphtheria antitoxin 674 miles (1,085 km) by dog sled across the U.S. territory of Alaska in five and a half days, saving the small city of Nome and the surrounding communities from an incipient epidemic . France was the first European power established in

20294-419: Was averted when the Yukon board of directors agreed to raise more money and the two sides formed a joint board of directors. The 1993 race was run as usual, but Jeff Mann had a more eventful race than most. When a moose attacked his dog team, he was forced to kill it with an axe, then butcher it according to Quest rules. Later, he was penalized 90 minutes for borrowing a reporter's head lantern. Finally, after

20440-439: Was just four minutes ahead of Hugh Neff. Following the 2009 race, officials decided to advance the competition's start date by one week to better accommodate mushers also participating in the Iditarod. The 2010 race started in Fairbanks on February 6, 2010, and the early start date was kept for the 2011 competition. Hans Gatt won the 2010 race with the fastest finish in Yukon Quest history: 9 days and 26 minutes. That race

20586-478: Was marked by good weather, and few mushers dropped out. In 2011, conditions returned to normal, as violent storms blasted the trail and mushers during the second half of the race. Only 13 of the 25 competitors completed the race, tying the record for fewest finishers. In 2013, poor trail conditions over American Summit forced the Dawson to Eagle section of the course to be rerouted over the Yukon River. Brent Sass became

20732-407: Was named rookie of the year. Haliburton, Ontario musher Hank DeBruin won the 2011 Red Lantern Award by finishing the race in 13 days, 10 hours, and 54 minutes. For the first time in Yukon Quest history, more than one musher received the sportsmanship award. Following the 2011 race, Allen Moore, Brent Sass and Mike Ellis shared the honor. Ken Anderson, who reached Dawson City third, was the only one of

20878-458: Was scarce near Whitehorse, they doubled back and finished in Dawson City after racing the 1,000 miles (1,609 km). In 2007, three dogs were killed in unrelated incidents, but Mackey tied Gatt's record of three consecutive wins. One month later, Mackey became the first person to win both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year. Mackey's fourth win came during the 2008 race, the first Yukon Quest to end in Whitehorse since 2003. Because of

21024-418: Was the first of four straight wins by Mackey, who holds the record for most consecutive wins and is also the only four-time winner. During Mackey's second win, a fierce storm atop Eagle Summit caused a whiteout that forced seven mushers and dog teams to be evacuated by helicopter. Partly because of the storm, only 11 finished the 2006 race—the fewest ever. The finishers also endured an unusual course: because snow

21170-523: Was used in many applications, such as ambulances, Canada Post vehicles, winter "school buses", forestry machines, and even army vehicles in World War II . Bombardier had always dreamed of a smaller version, more like the size of a motor scooter . In 1951 Fritz Riemerschmid devised what he called a snow scooter. The machine had a track mounted beneath a snowboard like base, on top of which were an enclosed engine with motorcycle like seat and fuel tank.

21316-404: Was won by Rick Mackey, brother of later Quest winner Lance Mackey; the two are the only brother-brother winning tandem in Quest history. Following the 1997 race, financial troubles again arose, this time on the Alaska side. Canadian organizers secured international sponsorship for the 1998 race, and when they refused to let this sponsorship money be used to pay debts accumulated in Alaska, members of

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