FAIRBANKS – Fans were lined out the door for the "Meet the Mushers” event Thursday night at the Alpine Lodge in Fairbanks.

Each of the 24 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race mushers spent more than three hours signing autographs and interacting with fans as they prepare to set off on the 29th Quest tomorrow.

Brian Wilmshurst, a rookie musher from Dawson City, spent most of his day at the lodge, first for a trail update, then a rookies' meeting, before finally settling in for the night's main event.

"I don't think there's an end to this lineup,” he said with a laugh as he looked out at the crowd spread around the room. "I didn't expect this at all; it's an amazing turnout.”

One of the busiest mushers in the room was four-time champion Lance Mackey.

"It's really nice to see all the people come out and support the race and the competitors,” he said. "We've had a packed house all night, and I love it.”

Mackey said he was just as excited to be at the event as the young fans were to meet the mushers.

"They're the future of the sport,” he said. "And without the fans, we wouldn't have a race.

"It's a great opportunity for us to meet them and for them to meet us and to keep the momentum of the Quest going.”

Whitehorse's Marcelle Fressineau was also impressed with the outpouring of fan support.

"I feel like a hockey player,” she said.

Sue Thomas, the Quest's Yukon-based executive director, said she's hopeful there will also be a large crowd in attendance for QuestFest when the race returns to Whitehorse.

"It's great to see the kids and families here, talking to the mushers,” she said.

"Hopefully, we'll get a similar turnout in Whitehorse.”

Maren Bradley, a rookie musher from Carcross, said she's ready for the Quest to begin.

"I'm a bit nervous, but I just want Saturday to come,” she said. "I've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting.”

Bradley said the trail update earlier in the day was positive, with good conditions reported for most of the trail.

Some problems may develop later if the warmer than usual temperatures persist, Bradley added.

"We could have some over-flow and a lot of water on the trail,” she said. "But if it gets cold, the trail will bind and pack down and be awesome.”

Trent Herbst, a rookie musher from Anchorage, said he's not yet concerned about the weather.

"We'll worry about that when we get there,” he said.

"We can't control the weather so you can't worry too much about it.”

Wilmshurst said the main focus of the rookies' meeting was dog care.

"I'll let them set the pace,” he said of his dogs.

"I'm not going to push them too hard. We're just going to get out there and have some fun.”

Wilmshurst said the large rookie field is deceiving and only exists on paper.

"There's a lot of rookies, but only a few that haven't done a thousand-mile race before,” he said. "There's still a lot of experience.”

Near the end of the night, the starting bib numbers were drawn for the Yukon Quest 300.

That 300-mile race is recognized as a qualifying event for both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. This year's event has nine participants.

Luan Marques, a 21-year-old musher from Brazil, drew the starting position. He's entered the race to qualify for the 2013 Iditarod.

Rob Cooke of Dawson City is the only Yukon resident in race, drawing the fourth position.