Mushers in the 2020 Yukon Quest 1,000-mile race as well as in the YQ 300 took one step closer to the starting chute last Saturday when they dropped off their bags to travel up trail.

Teams on both sides of the border dropped their bags that day. In Whitehorse, mushers were required to drop their bags at Manitoulin Transport.

With only 15 registered for the 1,000-mile race and 21 for the 300, race manager on the Canadian side, Briana Mackay, said not many mushers dropped bags in Whitehorse.

“It’s a small field this year so only six mushers came on Saturday,” said Mackay. “Three for the 1,000-mile and three for the YQ300.”

Mackay said with fewer mushers it did make her and the volunteers lives a bit easier, but it is still a tough task figuring out the logistics to get the bags up the trail.

The most difficult to deal with, accord to Mackay, is the straw that arrives and has to go up the trail.

Mackay said for mushers, getting their bags ready for the drop is a large undertaking and that once they drop it off, it’s her and the volunteers’ responsibility to get it to the right locations.

“It’s probably a huge relief for the mushers,” said Mackay. “(For us) it takes focus to get the bags to the right place and to make sure the paperwork matches to get food over the border. You have to be diligent.”

As well as receiving bags from the mushers in Whitehorse, Mackay said the logistics team has to plan for the arrival of bags delivered by teams on the Alaskan side.

Mackay said the logistics team won’t go through the bags, but mushers are responsible for keeping an inventory of what is in each bag to make sure it can get over the border.

“We don’t check in the bags but we make expectations for what they should have,” said Mackay. “We make a template for them for what they should have.”

Mackay said most of the bags are filled with meat and kibble, food for the mushers and dog jackets, do boots, and musher clothing.

Mackay said this weekend she will start bringing the bags up the trail. For the Dawson checkpoint, everything gets delivered in a large truck.

“The Dawson bags get delivered in a big truck that will keep everything frozen,” said Mackay. “There is lots of food and straw to Dawson because the mushers spend 36 hours there.”

Mackay said the logistics team has been working since November, but when food drop rolls around, that’s when things start to feel real.

“We started in November,” said Mackay. “We have been organizing hotels, flights and rental cars for race personnel.

We need to make sure they are in the right place at the right time for the mushers.

“As well, because they are flying into Eagle, we need to submit all their documents to the border.”

When she begins delivering the bags and straw this weekend to the checkpoints, she said she will also make sure everything is in working order.

“I’ll be checking the Internet and phone lines to make sure they are up and running for the communications team,” said Mackay.

While the race is happening, Mackay said the logistics team will be troubleshooting any problems that may occur. As well as cleaning up at the checkpoints once mushers depart.