All Yukon Quest teams are checked out of Eagle, making their ways towards Dawson City and the race leaders, where they and their dogs will enjoy 36 hours of rest.
The trail hasn’t been the easiest so far. Drifting snow and winds have been a challenge for the teams, as Torsten Kohnert told KUAC Radio yesterday, the Yukon River was so windblown before the Eagle checkpoint that the trail markers were hard to find.
“(The trail markers)They’re spread out and some are knocked over or blown away…”
– Torsten Kohnert
Kohnert is now in 5th position with a team of 12 dogs and about 20 miles outside Dawson City, although the GPS tracker shows Ryne Olson and her team of 11 dogs are just 10 miles behind him.
Early this afternoon, Cody Strathe and Allen Moore joined Brent Sass and Michelle Phillips in Dawson City. Strathe, in 3rd position, checked into Dawson at 12:18pm (PST) with 13 dogs followed by Allen Moore who came in at 12:55 (PST) with 14 dogs for 4th position.
Six teams have yet to cross the border into Canada, although Rob Cooke in eighth position is closing in on those last ten miles. While the race remains very amiable but competitive with the front runners in Dawson, KUAC reports that in the back, mushers have been having a great time at the hospitality stops, despite their troubles on the trail. Rookie Pat Noddin spoke with KUAC in Eagle:
“That’s going to be one of the highlights of this whole trip. Just hanging with everybody at Slaven’s.”
As teams continue to arrive and begin their rest in Dawson City, the weather looks stable with temperatures hanging around 0 degrees Fahrenheit and a 7% chance of snow.
Image at top: Cody Strathe approaches Dawson City. Photo from YukanProductions, Yukon Quest 2020, used with permission.
