IditaProject Forum

This thread for YQ chat.

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KUAC are doing interviews and regular updates:

https://fm.kuac.org/programs/yukon-quest (scroll all the way down past the sponsor logos).

The audio entitled Quest Rookies Diverse, Capable talks about Hendrik Stachnau's Greenland dogs - they were very noticeable a this morning's start - short, chunky sturdy dogs with curly tails.

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Start

This morning's start went off without a hitch (except for Lisbet Norris missing her start slot (#14) and having to go to the back of the pack and start last). Most mushers had 8-10 dogs (they'll add dogs back after the restart, after a 12 hour delay when they truck dogs from Braeburn to Carmacks).

Do we know reason Lisbet missed her time?

Tracker shows her moving, but lagging quite a bit behind the others at this point. Hope all is well for her and team.

Lisbet seems to be moving OK now - it's possible her tracker was on the fritz, since if you go to just her track, it blanks out for several large chunks of trail.

Interesting to see the strategy. Knowing that the dogs will get a nice long 12 hour rest in their warm straw dog boxes after Braeburn, I wondered if anyone would push to do the run in one go - and it looks like Hans might be trying that.

Dave Dalton is also pushing harder than expected. I confess to knowing nothing about him, although looking at his past record, he was quite competitive in the mid-2000s with a couple of 3rds and a couple of 4th place finishes before taking a ten year break and coming back with a 10th last year, so maybe he's ramping back up?

Brent says he's going to race his own race and not look at the competition (noticed he has a "Race your own race" tattoo on his forearm).

And there's a party going on around Mile 50 ish, with ten mushers camping out within 1.5 miles of each other.

If they gave a reason for Lisbet, other than "she wasn't ready to go' we couldn't hear it at the start. Maybe something will be said later?

And here's Hans, zipping along the Klondike Highway.



According to google, it's 75 km/46 miles/45 mins from Braeburn to Carmacks. It looks like he got to Braeburn at 8:14 pm and was "out" at 0:14. They have a mandatory stop of four hours in Braeburn.

Jodi Bailey is doing armchair commentary:
https://www.yukonquest.com/news/start-your-engines

Nice read from Jodi Bailey. She sees it from a handler and a musher view.

When I first got up the trackers looked like they were frozen, but I could easily be reading them wrong. Everyone moving now, except Lisbet's tracker. Notice I said tracker, I hope she is on the move.

I am a little confused because it looks like the 4-Hour mandatory in braeburn is in effect but they have a total of 12 hours mandatory from when they arrived at braeburn to leave carmacks. seems odd to rest four load up the truck push an hour up the road and then get settled for rest again

So I just read the original rules and the 4-Hour stop is for either braeburn or carmacks

That makes sense about either Braeburn or Carmacks.

I see everyone is now hanging out in C (except for the last four), with Hans already dashing down the trail.

This morning’s mystery is why is Brian Wilmhurst on the other side of town? He’s not moving, but he’s not where he’s supposed to be either. I’m wondering if he broke his sled and is making repairs?

Off to do some sleuthing.