Members of the Dog Powered Sports Association of Yukon (DPSAY) huddled around a bonfire waiting for the moon to peak over the mountains around Fish Lake on Saturday. They were there to honour the late Jessica Simon, a devoted DPSAY volunteer and friend.

“What we are doing with the event one is of our really good volunteers passed away a year ago,” said Adam Robinson.

“She always wanted to have a race at night time, snow conditions aren’t great for a race so we are just getting together to go for a run in the moonlight to honour her, remember her and have some fun with dogs.”

Robinson led the group of mushers around the lake, as he used to guide up at Fish Lake and the dogs know the trails well.

It was a crystal clear night, the stars were out in full and the moon sat perched atop the mountains illuminating the lake just enough for the mushers to see. To go with the natural light, there was a festive feel as the lines holding the dogs to the sleds, bikes, skis - whatever the musher chose to use that night were adorned with Christmas lights. Even some of the mushers had draped themselves in lights.

The barks and howls of the dogs broke through the silence as the mushers prepared to take them on their run, all of them jumping at the bit to get onto the trails.

Martin Haefele was using his fat bike to run his dogs on the evening.

“It is always for fun, but today because of the snow conditions we couldn’t safely hold a race so we decided to come out have a bonfire and have a little fun run,” said Haefele. “She (Jessica Simon) always wanted to have a race under the full moon and this was the first full moon this winter that was on a weekend.”

With the moon higher in the night sky the mushers were off around the lake, the lights from their sleds and headlamps the only things visible as they moved farther away from the bonfire. The barks and pawing of the dogs grew ever fainter until it was only a distant echo.