Due to “difficult” trail conditions, teams in the 2019 Yukon Quest will be required to travel from the Braeburn checkpoint to the Carmacks checkpoint via truck.
Quest officials announced changes to the trail route in a press release on Jan. 21.
Mushers will have the choice to start in Whitehorse with a team of eight to 14 dogs, and will have the opportunity to add any remaining dogs in Carmacks.
The restart time in Carmacks will be 12 hours after arrival in Braeburn.
Both the Braeburn and Carmacks checkpoints will operate as scheduled.
Owing to current river conditions in the Dawson City area, the dog yard will be located on Bonanza Road for the second year in a row to ensure the safety of the teams.
The release also stated that organizers and officials are continuing to monitor trail conditions and additional changes may be necessary.
This year’s Yukon Quest 300 will also have a new trail. A press release on Jan. 18 revealed the race will be shortened to approximately 200 miles and loop back to finish in Whitehorse rather than continuing to Carmacks and Pelly Crossing.
Mushers will instead race to Braeburn before returning to Whitehorse via Coghlan Lake. The 300 will also implement a time restriction for slower teams in order to ensure support for all teams.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com
