February 15, 2009
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Yukon Quest Update – Day 1
Last night at 9:00 PM, Jean-Denis Britten of Dawson City, YT, was first into the Braeburn Checkpoint. Within the next hour, Alaskan Martin Buser and Yukoner Luc Twedell were in Braeburn.
It was over an hour after Twedell’s team arrived before Alaskan Jon Little pulled in. Before midnight, four more teams were in: Sebastian Schnuelle, Mike Ellis, Warren Palfrey, and Mark Sleightholme.
In the next hour, Hugh Neff, Hans Gatt, his protege Newton Marshall of the Jamaica Dog Sled Team, Wayne Hall, William Kleedehn, William Pinkham, Dan Kaduce, and Josh Cadzow pulled into Braeburn.
Standings changed as the teams took their rests and left the checkpoint. First out, at 3:16 AM, was Jon Little, followed by:
Martin Buser
Hans Gatt
Hugh Neff
Kleedehn
Britten
Twedell
Schnuelle
Kyla Boivin
SleightholmeNewton Marshall spent nearly seven hours at Braeburn, leaving shortly after 7 AM. Jason Mackey was out of Braeburn at 7:35 after 6 hours 15 minutes rest. By 10 AM, 28 of the 29 teams were through Braeburn. In last place, Becca Moore left Braeburn at 11:38 AM, after dropping two dogs.
Five teams dropped one dog each in Braeburn: Luc Twedell, William Pinkham, Wayne Hall, Jerry Joinson, and Iris Wood Sutton.
Audio from Quest preparation in Whitehorse and the Start is available from KUAC Fairbanks.
FIRST UPDATE TO DAY 1 UPDATE:
13:45
Three teams are in Carmacks Checkpoint:
Jon Little arrived 12:47
William Kleedehn arrived 13:12
Martin Buser arrived 13:20SECOND UPDATE:
17:00
At 16:35, when Josh Cadzow became the fourth musher into Carmacks, none of the first three teams had left that checkpoint.THIRD UPDATE:
18:40
Sebastian Schnuelle was the fifth musher into Carmacks at 17:55, and took first position in the race when his team became first (and the only one so far) out of that checkpoint, at 18:05.
Luc Twedell entered Carmacks at 18:25.FOURTH UPDATE:
20:30
Hugh Neff, following Sebastian Schnuelle by about half an hour, breezed through Carmacks checkpoint, staying only three minutes. He is now in second position on the trail, followed by Jon Little (out at 18:51 in 3rd), Hans Gatt (out at 19:02 in 4th), and William Kleedehn (out at 19:18 in 5th).
Brent Sass went through Carmacks in 6th position about half an hour after Kleedehn left, apparently pausing only long enough to drop one dog. All five race leaders still have their full teams of 14 dogs.Martin Buser, Josh Kadzow, Luc Twedell, Wayne Hall and Dan Caduce are in Carmacks.
FIFTH UPDATE (and probably today’s final one)
21:20
Martin Buser, Michelle Phillips, and Jean-denis Britten have left Carmacks in the past half-hour to an hour, each of them having dropped one dog there.Since the last update, Warren Palfrey and Mike Ellis have gotten into Carmacks.
Comments (2)
What determines the order they leave in? Or is it just when they feel the team is ready?
@nevragn - Usually, the team is “ready” and eager to run before the musher is fed and rested. This early in the race, some mushers hold the teams back for strategic reasons. If there’s a mandatory rest, they can leave any time after that. Otherwise, all they have to do is sign in, go through the vet and equipment checks, and sign out.