The North’s better-known 1,600-kilometre sled dog odyssey begins this weekend, with four Canucks among the 85-member field.

Three Yukon mushers and one Albertan are scheduled to race in the 2016 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which begins with a ceremonial start in Anchorage Saturday, at 10 a.m. local time.

A race re-start will take place Sunday at 2 p.m. in Willow, Alaska, whereupon mushers will begin their journey to the finish line in Nome.

Representing Yukon this year are Rob Cooke and Hans Gatt of Whitehorse and Tagish’s Michelle Phillips.

Jason Campeau from Rocky Mountain House rounds out the Canadian contingent.

All four Canadians are Yukon Quest veterans.

Cooke, 49, is coming off a difficult Yukon Quest, in which he finished 18th.

Cooke finished 50th in last year’s Iditarod – which was rerouted – and looks forward to getting a long look at the traditional race trail this year.

Gatt, 57, returns to the race after finishing ninth in 2014. The four-time Yukon Quest champion placed second in the 2010 Iditarod, then third in 2011 and has five top-10 finishes in the prestigious race.

Phillips, 47, has finished 20th overall in the last two years, following her best finish of 16th in 2012.

Campeau, 41, was born in Ottawa and previously starred as major junior hockey player for the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Centennials.

He finished 18th in last year’s Iditarod – his first attempt.

Three-time champion Dallas Seavey, 28, of Willow returns to seek a fourth race title, while recent Yukon Quest champion Hugh Neff, 47, of Tok, Alaska, is also part of the large race field.