Open water on the Yukon River has forced fast adjustments in the 2024 Yukon Quest’s route. Mushers arriving in Carmacks cannot safely depart up the river, so teams are being trucked up to McCabe Creek, a 45-minute drive up the North Klondike Highway.
The open water was discovered by Canadian Rangers helping with the race on Feb. 4.
“With the information from the Canadian Rangers, race headquarters decided to make a change and let the teams truck to McCabe, for the safety of the dogs and the mushers,” race marshal Jason Severs told the News at the Quest’s Carmacks checkpoint.
Word that there was open water on the Yukon River began spreading through the Carmacks checkpoint as soon as mushers started arriving, with some teams reporting having seen open water between Braeburn and Carmacks.
“There have been reports of open water before Carmacks, but nobody got into open water,” Severs said. “They just saw open water.”
According to Severs, from the time mushers and their dogs leave Carmacks to drive to McCabe Creek, there is a two-and-a-half-hour wait period before they can depart McCabe. The mandatory rest time in Pelly Crossing has also been shortened from eight to four hours.
“The remaining time in the race is now 34 hours,” Severs said, adding that the winner of the 450-mile race is now expected to arrive in Dawson City on Tuesday.
The eleventh-hour change to the Quest trail was not entirely unexpected. Before the race, multiple mushers expressed concerns that recent warm weather may negatively impact trail conditions.
As of press time, all mushers in the 450-mile and 250-mile races had arrived in Carmarks.
In the 450-mile race, Mayla Hill pulled into Carmacks at 12:11 p.m., Michelle Phillips arrived at 1:49 p.m., Kailyn Olnes at 6:14 p.m., Normand Casavant at 7:17 p.m., Connor McMahon at 7:40 p.m. and Misha Wiljes at 7:59 p.m.
Louve Tweddell arrived first of the two mushers in the 250-mile race, arriving at 6:21 p.m. Crystal To pulled into Carmacks with her dog team at 6:46 p.m.
READ MORE: Yukon Quest’s 100-mile race won by Alaskan Sean de Wolski
Contact Matthew Bossons at matthew.bossons@yukon-news.com