Starting the Yukon Quest

Bib #1, Allen Moore in the starting chute to launch the 2012 Yukon Quest

From 11 o'clock until shortly after noon, 23 intrepid mushers launched their teams up the Chena River for a 1,000 mile journey of adventure to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.  As I write, several of the early starters have already passed Pleasant Valley Store, about 6 miles from my house, on their way to the Two Rivers checkpoint, which is at 53 mile Chena Hot Springs Road.

It's way to early to bother with standings, but you can follow the race by clicking on the Yukon Quest website.  Each musher is carrying a SPOT GPS tracker, and their progress can be seen online at  http://www.yukonquest.com/site/live-tracking/, and you can receive frequent updates from the Yukon Quest Official Site on FaceBook.

Currently the Quest mushers are enjoying a GREAT day for a sled dog ride, with temperatures with 10 degrees of zero F (-17C), a well traveled trail between town and Angel Creek, and plenty of folks at road crossings and other viewing spots to cheer them into the evening.

This year the mushers are allowed to declare the location of a 4 hour mandatory layover at either the Mile 101 dog drop or Central, so I'm betting most mushers will stop only briefly at the Two Rivers checkpoint location.

Personally, I'm really glad to be home for a bit.  I'll shortly be feeding the team, entertaining puppies, and generally settling in for a quiet evening.  I haven't had many of those lately.