Braeburn, AK - Yukon Quest Trailbreakers are unable to punch through glaciated ice along the Taylor Highway over American Summit. Race Marshall Doug Grilliot has decided to shorten the trail by 50 miles and eliminate the climb. “You know how snow gets scoured, where you can’t even put a boot to it? I’m envisioning that at 45 degree angles.”
Grilliot says if even the trailbreakers can't get through with snow machines, it's not worth trying it with dog teams.
When teams leave Dawson, they will not travel the Fortymile River this year. Instead they'll travel along the Yukon River all the way into the Eagle checkpoint. It’s an older route used in the 1980’s. Teams still have more than 600 miles to travel before they get there.
The reroute is likely to slash up to twelve hours from race times in this year's Quest, according to Grilliot. But he says the race, often referred to as the "toughest sled dog race in the world" will remain a challenge.