Yukon Quest: The Story of the World's Toughest Sled Dog Race

by Lew Freedman

Over beer and hamburgers at the Two Rivers Lodge near Fairbanks, Alaska, a small group of mushers conceived a gutsy idea for a new sled dog race that would be more challenging than any other marathon race in the Far North. in 1984, mushers organized the Yukon Quest international Sled Dog Race between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Soon, mushers adopted an unofficial race motto, "Survive first, race second."

The Quest trail boasts fewer checkpoints, longer wilderness runs, and more campouts. The trail crosses three mountain passes, including the dreaded 3,685-foot Eagle Summit, a killer of mushers' dreams. Outdoor survival skills and self reliance are on a par with commercial sponsorships and high-tech sleds and mushing gear.

Yukon Quest is an exciting, inspirational story full of bigger-than-life characters told by Lew Freedman, best-selling author of eight books about sled-dog racing. Includes a list of race champions, names of all finishers, and 16 pages of photos.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning a little about mushing. And some of the stories of the individual competitors were interesting.

What ruined it for me was that Lew Freedman didn't bother to write or edit this. It's like a bunch of anecdotes and stories, which he took notes on,bound together, and called a book. So it's circuitous and repetitive. Often, I don't know what the point is.

With these stories, a writer could write a pretty fine book...