Yukon Quest starts this weekend in Teslin, for 1st time ever

The Yukon Quest sled dog race kicks off this weekend, and somewhere entirely new this time — in Teslin, Yukon.

The annual event officially begins on Sunday in Teslin, with 10 mushers signed up to run the longer, 682-kilometre YQ450 route. The field is evenly split between race veterans and rookies.

Seven other mushers are set to run the shorter, 281-kilometre YQ175 race this year, and all but two of them are Quest rookies.

For most of its 41-year history, the Quest was a much longer (1,600-kilometre, or 1000-mile) international race between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, Alaska, by way of Dawson City, Yukon. It's gone through several changes in recent years, though, beginning with a separation into two shorter events held on either side of the border.

This year marks the first time the event won't involve any of the traditional Yukon Quest route. Changing weather conditions and unpredictable ice conditions on parts of the Yukon River have disrupted the race in recent years and so organizers decided to map an entirely different route.

Veteran musher Michelle Phillips, who won last year's Yukon Quest and is competing again this year, admits she's a little disappointed. She says the traditional Yukon Quest route is rich with history and memories.  

"You know, I actually honestly really like the other [traditional] route. I find it really exciting, and I will miss seeing the people in the communities. I feel, you know, Braeburn — it's too bad, like, Braeburn really relies on the Yukon Quest," she said, referring to one of the traditional checkpoints along the old trail.

"There's some really technical sections [on the old trail]. You know, you go over glaciers, you go over mountain passes ... there's a lot of challenge. Traveling down a highway is a whole different thing."

The new route was supposed to go from Teslin to Johnsons Crossing, and then up the South Canol Road to Ross River and Faro, before turning back to follow the same trail back to Teslin.

On Saturday, organizers announced they were making a last minute change. This year, mushers will not be going to Faro, and instead will take the North Canol Road for about 60 kilometres, and then return to Ross River.

Despite her love of the old route, Phillips said she is looking forward to doing something a little different this year, especially if it's a safer option. 

"I'm glad they have a race. I'm glad they all worked super hard to put a race on. That's fabulous," she said.

Ben Simard, one of the rookies in this year's 450-kilometre race, said he's also a bit disappointed that the Quest won't bring him to Dawson City this year, where he used to live. He hopes that the Quest will one day return to Dawson City. 

But he thinks the new route will be "an amazing trail, and amazing experience."

"I think they did good call to bring the trail in a safer place," he said.

The race officially begins Sunday at 1 p.m. in Teslin. Before that though, mushers will be in Whitehorse on Saturday afternoon for a public "meet the dogs" event at Shipyards Park, from 1 to 3 p.m.