New route, new rules, new era: Mushers gearing up for a Yukon Quest reboot

Organizers in Whitehorse are finalizing details for what will be, essentially, a brand new Yukon Quest sled dog race starting Feb. 2.

After more than four decades, the annual event will look radically different this year, with a small field of mushers, and a completely new route that's about half the original distance covered in years past.

"I just… wanted to do what I could to make sure it survives and is reborn, really," said Anne Tayler, president of the Yukon Quest board in Canada.  As the most active volunteer, Tayler says she's been working five and six days a week since the summer to help cover for a lack of staff.

"The reality is, we don't have enough money to have two staff, which we really need," she said, sitting at a desk covered with paperwork.

Opening a cheque from a sponsor, she says there is support for the event. The total purse this year for the 680-kilometre (450-mile) race is $60,000. 

The winner will take home $12,000, and the rest will be divided up among the field. 

That prize falls far short of the biggest take-home, in 2007 for example, when the late Lance Mackey won US$35,000. That's when the event was still an international race, covering about 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) through the Yukon and Alaska. 

'Guinea pigs' for a new route

The Canadian Rangers and local volunteers are actively working on the new trail for this year's race. The new route is entirely in the Yukon and far from the traditional Yukon Quest trail between Whitehorse and Dawson City. 

A new route means this will be a year with many lessons to learn, says musher Connor McMahon.

"So, we have to kinda take it easy, like guinea pigs running it, I guess," he told CBC with a chuckle. 

After a ceremonial start in Whitehorse on Feb. 1, the race will begin in Teslin the next day. From Teslin, the route goes to Johnsons Crossing then follows the South Canol Road to Ross River and on to Faro, where teams will then head back down the trail to the start. 

The new route was developed in consultation with Indigenous governments in the area. According to Tayler, the hope is to extend the route next year by passing through Selkirk territory, eventually creating a race from Teslin, the traditional territory of the Teslin Tlingit Council, to Tr'ondek Hwech'in territory in Dawson City. 

The original race went from Whitehorse to Fairbanks, Alaska, alternating direction each year. That ended a few years ago amid disagreements between Yukon Quest officials on both sides of the international border, over some race rules.

At the same time, the ever-changing climate was making the traditional trail between Whitehorse and Dawson no longer reliable.

"The trail used to be so predictable, the weather was predictable, the ice conditions were predictable, snow was predictable," said Tayler.

"Even the difficult areas, you knew you were going to have jumble ice going into McCabe [checkpoint], but you didn't expect a mile of open water — so that's the degree to which it has changed, so we just have to roll with it." 

Sebastian Schnuelle agrees. He's worn many hats over the years, from Yukon Quest champion, to trail groomer, and race official.

"It was really getting sketchy, the safety alone," he said.

Schnuelle says many dog teams already train on the Canol Road, as it's a part of the territory that has relatively good and consistent snow.

New rules over rest time

Some of the race rules will also be different this year. The mushers will all carry data loggers allowing for more flexibility when resting their dogs. 

"The feedback from the mushers is that they wanted to be able to choose more where they were able to do their rest," said race operational manager Sarah Tomlin.

She says there will still be mandatory vet checks, but teams will choose between two locations: Ross River or Faro. The data trackers will then allow the musher to take their remaining required rest time at their choosing. 

"I think that was a crucial change," said Schnuelle, pointing out how rest time and dog care were some of the main points of contention leading to the split between the race boards in Alaska and the Yukon, with those on the Yukon side wanting more rest time.

"The technology is there now," he said. Before, he says, some mushers opted to push their team to a checkpoint for the mandatory rest instead of stopping on the trail if the dogs required a break. 

'A gutsy move,' and much-needed

Schuelle says this new version of the Yukon Quest comes at the right moment.

He says the challenges faced by the Quest are not just the changing climate and rising costs of mushing, although those are big factors. He says other challenges include difficulty in accessing veterinary care and suitable locations for dog kennels. 

Looking back to the start of the Yukon Quest, and Alaska's famous Iditarod, Schnuelle says the races were conceived in part to help bolster the mushing community and tradition.

"They were all made to save mushing, so to speak. Times have definitely not gotten easier for anybody, but even down south the races have the same problems."

He calls the decision to reinvent the race this year a "gutsy move."

"But I think it was a good move, and probably… a much-needed move."