Whitehorse Daily Star

Image title

Photo by John Tonin

PREPARING FOR THE CHECKPOINTS – Briana Mackay, centre, tags a bag, during the Yukon Quest food drop Saturday at Kluane Freight Lines.

Quest mushers drop off food bags

The start of the Yukon Quest is less than two weeks away

By John Tonin on January 21, 2019

The start of the Yukon Quest is less than two weeks away and on Saturday the mushers had to do their food drop at Kluane Freight Lines. The food drop is just one more step in reaching the start line.

Mushers, handlers, and volunteers unloaded the backs of trucks and organized the bags into their proper location, to be sent out to the race’s checkpoints. The mushers who are in Alaska did the same in Fairbanks.

Briana Mackay is stepping into the role of race manager this year, after serving three years as the assistant race manager. Mackay was one of the people making sure the bags got sent to the right checkpoints.

“All of the checkpoints that are going to Alaska, they will be going onto one truck and heading across the border,” said Mackay. “And we will get a truck from Alaska over here. Then we will combine them all and get them to all the checkpoints over here.”

Mackay says she and the volunteers help unload the trucks and allocate the bags to the appropriate spot, but they do not check to make sure the mushers have packed all the necessary gear.

“We trust that they can take care of that themselves,” said Mackay. “We do check to make sure they have bags for each checkpoint and that they have done their paperwork properly. In order for it to get across the border they have to do an inventory, and so we see the ones that go across the border. But for the most part that is part of their strategy.”

There is no set amount for the mushers to send to each checkpoint, Mackay says it depends on the racer’s strategy.

“Some of them might have one bag for Braeburn and some of them might have four depending on their race strategy,” said Mackay.

Outside of the drop-off location was a flatbed towering with straw. Getting the straw to the appropriate checkpoints is something else for the team to take care of before the race.

“We provide (the straw) for some a number of the checkpoints,” said Mackay.

“They can buy extras if they want. Usually in Dawson (City) for example because they have the 36-hour layover they will buy extra bails. Some are buying eight extra bails even though we provide two, to make a comfy nest of the dogs.”

Mackay and the volunteers are trying to make life as easy as possible for the mushers and support them as best they can.

When the race begins Mackay will be on the trail making sure the checkpoints are set up for when the mushers arrive.

“It’s amazing, the volunteers at each checkpoint will organize them alphabetically and by musher,” said Mackay. “And they will also do a double check of the paperwork to make sure all the bags have arrived. At some checkpoints, if there are enough volunteers they will bring the bags to the mushers. Others the mushers have to go and find their own.”

The start of the Quest will be at 11 a.m. Feb. 2 at Shipyards Park in Whitehorse.

Be the first to comment

Add your comments or reply via Twitter @whitehorsestar

In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.

Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.