2019 Yukon Quest Update

It's still very early in the Yukon Quest, much too early to start picking front-runners. Hans Gatt and Allen Moore have been trading places for first and second place a bit on the trail which I find rather interesting. I look for Allen to surge forward once they reach the more mountainous terrain near Dawson. Allen believes his dogs work best in steep terrain and has noted that on hill climbs his smaller dogs readily pass slower teams while on flat terrain he is more often the one being passed.

Meanwhile, Aliy Zirkle won the greatly shortened YQ-300 (this year only 200) very handily. According to news media she plans to run her team for another 60 or 70 miles in the local area. I'd suspect she is looking them over before selecting candidates for her 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race team.

Meanwhile, Jodi Bailey is doing a great job in the role of "Armchair Musher" on the Yukon Quest website. Just click on the "News" tab in the menu to read her commentary.