Yukon Quest's route shortened this year because of lack of snow

A lack of snow in Yukon has forced Yukon Quest race officials to make some changes to this year's route shaving about 124 kilometres off the 1,600-kilometre sled dograce.

Mushers will leave from Whitehorse on Feb. 2, and run to the first checkpoint at Braeburn. From there, they'll be trucked up the highway to the next checkpoint at Carmacks, where they'll get back on their sleds to resume racing as normal.

"For the safety of the dogs and the mushers, we just made that decision," said race marshal Doug Harris. "Apparently there's hardly any snow."

Harris said with little snow, it's hard to maintain a safe trail.

"The trailbreakers use the snow to fill in holes and cover up exposed roots and that sort of stuff. And without the snow to do that, it makes it virtually impossible to repair the trail," he said.

Thin snow cover can also make steep hills treacherous on a dog sled, he said.

"You have nothing to hook in to, with your snow hook or with the brake."

Mushers will also be allowed to leave Whitehorse with a smaller team of dogs (eight to 14) to get to Braeburn, and then add their remaining dogs at Carmacks. They'll leave Carmacks exactly 12 hours after their arrival at Braeburn.

Better conditions further north

Harris said after Carmacks, the rest of the trail to Fairbanks, Alaska, seems to be in good shape.

"The closer you get to Dawson [City], the better it is and then when you're in Alaska, apparently they have good snow cover there."

TheYQ300qualifying race, which leaves from Whitehorse a few hours after the longer race,will also be cut back this year because of the trail.

Mushers in that race will go from Whitehorse to Braeburn, and then back to Whitehorse via Coghlan Lake. That cuts about 160 kilometres off the regular482-kilometre route.

This is not the first yearrace officials have made route changes.

In 2016, the finish line was quickly moved from downtown Whitehorse to the Takhini Hot Springs, because warm weather made travel on the Yukon River dangerous.

Thirty mushers are signed up to run the Quest this yearincluding the 2018champ, Allen Moore.