Yukon Quest '07

Well, all of the Quest related activities are over and it is time to get back to normal life. I just want to say thanks to all of you that checked out the site during the race and followed my progress. This was one hell of an adventure for me and I was really glad to be able to share it with you guys. I am in the process of convincing Ken to do another photo gallery of pics from the race that did not get posted. he has a ton so stay tuned for that. Also I am going to be posting new stories throughout the next month or two about my journey. For anyone in the Fairbanks area, I am going to be doing a slide show with Ken's pics and telling stories from the trail sometime in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned for that. The dogs are all looking great and enjoying warm nights in the cabin!!!! Thanks again everybody for your support.

—Brent and the Wild and Free gang.

A crowd of friends and family assembled at the finish line in Fairbanks to watch Brent and the team complete the epic journey they began 12 days and 1,000 miles earlier in Whitehorse, Canada. To Brent’s surprise, the dogs had no problem passing by their familiar dog yard at the Chena Hot Springs checkpoint. Madonna pushed right on through, and they ran the final 100 miles of trail with only short rests.

Richie Beattie, from Two Rivers, also had to pass his home dog yard along the last section of trail. Richie’s team passed their turn-off to home with little coaxing, but they promptly sat down several miles later, upon reaching the North Pole checkpoint, only 33 miles from the finish line. When Brent arrived in North Pole and found Richie’s team stalled, Brent spent a half-hour trying to get Richie’s leaders to follow his team. It was no use, so Richie rested his dogs, and Brent finished 15th in the race, only 4 minutes behind Kelley Griffin. The assistance to Richie cost Brent 14th place, as he would’ve beaten Griffin with the extra half-hour, but that was of no concern to Brent. Richie eventually roused his dogs and crossed the finish line in 16th place. The front page of the Fairbanks newspaper ran a photo of Brent posing with one of the pints of Ben & Jerry’s “Half-Baked” ice cream that he stashed in every drop.

We apologize that the Wild and Free site has been down the last couple days. With more and more people checking on Brent’s progress, we exceeded the allocated bandwidth, and the site was temporarily disabled. Danny Dominick, a loyal Fairbanks friend, claimed personal responsibility for 3,794 refreshes on the day the site was crippled, and probably he is not alone. Well, the bandwidth has been increased to accommodate the traffic, so refresh to your delight. Greg Petitto is the computer wizard keeping Wild and Free alive, and he has done a tremendous job displaying the provided content in a simple and aesthetic format. Zack, the pilot, kept us airborne during even the coldest days by heating the engine for hours before dawn with an MSR stove. He put that bird down in some incredibly tight spots (Eagle Summit, for example), and timed our aerial passes to position us properly for the photos.

Brent appreciates all the support people have shown. He knew way back at Braeburn, when Silver incurred the shoulder injury, that it would be a long race. Little did he know that the -30°F temperatures that night would be considered a warm spell in the second half of the race. Nor did he know that Melville would suddenly collapse after 700 miles of trail, due to a piece of fabric he had ingested. Fifty below on the Yukon Quest is lonely and inhospitable, but Brent and the team endured, knowing that a lot of people out there wanted to see them cross the finish line. Brent claimed that he “was never cold the entire race.” Thanks for following!

Brent and the team at the finish line on the Chena River, downtown Fairbanks.

Brent and his handler/father, Mark Sass.

Russ Bybee, Kelly Griffin, and Brent Sass crested a pink Eagle Summit at dawn Thursday, all within 15 minutes of each other. Both mushers ahead of Brent left Central well before him, but the eight remaining dogs, and Brent, showed that they remembered how to climb hills. Travelling remains slow for the team under normal trail conditions, but Brent said that the team accelerated on the climb to Eagle Summit, momentarily narrowing the gap between the three teams. Bybee rested short at the 101 dog drop, and Griffin blew through. At the 101 dog drop, Brent’s team looked healthy, and he rested them for several hours in the seemingly tropical -25°F sun. After the rest, the team left 101, and were seen moving steadily toward the base of Rosebud, the final summit in the Quest. At the same time, Bybee was beginning the ascent on Rosebud, Griffen was on the ridge, and Beattie was making the final push to the summit.

It has been a long race for Brent and the team – dropping Silver at the first checkpoint, losing Melville on the Yukon, and enduring the frigid temperatures. In spite of these major setbacks, there remain eight healthy pulling dogs on the gangline, one inspired musher, and a light at the end of the tunnel.

Brent made it to Chena Hot Springs Thursday evening, and rested the team until early morning, at which point they began the final 100 miles to Fairbanks. Hopefully, at this point, the monumental hurdle of getting the eight remaining dogs to continue beyond Chena Hot Springs – the familiar dog yard where they live – is behind them, and they are en route to Fairbanks. See you at the finish line!

Kelly Griffin on the final push over Eagle Summit.

Richie Beattie on the final push to the Rosebud summit.

Brent and the team left Circle this morning at 4:00. Brent and the dogs still had plenty of energy, if not enthusiasm. Under yet another cloudless fifty below sky, the team ran until dawn and a cabin on Birch Creek, where they rested. Later today brought more endless but aesthetic meanders of Birch Creek, and one long run into Central.

The dogs are tired, and Brent has used phrases like “the grind” to describe the psychological and physical hurdles of long cold runs. Mushers have repeatedly said that open areas are monotonous for the dogs. Richie Beattie at Slaven’s described how his team would accelerate markedly when the trail went from the main channel of the Yukon to a slough. More confined trails stimulate the dogs, and this is manifest in their speed. When Brent’s team hit the woods after Medicine Lake this evening, they immediately sped up to 10 mph and maintained for an hour to the Central checkpoint, where they are resting. It’s 2:45 Wednesday and Brent is awake preparing the team to greet an old friend at dawn – Eagle Summit.

Brent preparing to leave Circle.

John Schandelmeier on the trail past Slaven’s cabin.

Exhausted, but determined!

A fan (Zack) on Birch Creek.

It has been a sobering couple of days on the Yukon.

Brent and Richie left Eagle with the aurora overhead at 22:30 Saturday, and they ran slow and cold into Trout Creek Cabin, where they rested Sunday morning. The temperature took one final dive to -53°F, and we spotted Brent on the Yukon just after sunset. We landed ahead of him, and he stopped and talked to us. It was one of the most frigid pastel moments I’ve ever seen. All the dogs were healthy, but tired from 700 miles of trail. Brent said that they were moving about five mph. We wished him luck, then flew 10 miles downriver to Slaven’s Roadhouse, a National Park Service cabin. When Brent arrived a couple hours later, he was shaken-up. Melville, the wheel-dog, had collapsed without warning and died on the trail.

Moments before Melville’s collapse, Brent experienced the high point in his mushing career. After 10 hrs of running at 5.5 mph, the team accelerated to 13 mph and held that pace. Brent later recollected that he had been telling the team to “Do it for Silver.” He speculated that their hearing Silver’s name excited the dogs and caused the acceleration. After 20 minutes at high speed, they slowed and sustained 9 mph for another 30 minutes, and then Melville collapsed.

Brent rested himself and the dogs 12 hours at Slaven’s, but it was a cold rest for the dogs. He had to drop The Dude to frostbite, but the vet said that the other eight dogs were in good shape. She added that it was evident from the dogs’ demeanor that Brent treated them well.

The cumulative weariness and extreme temperatures have taken their toll on other teams as well. Several mushers in this part of the pack are considering scratching, and their attitude seems to have shifted from one of competitive racing to one of dog care and finishing. Mushers could be seen coaxing teams out of Slaven’s this morning, ready to be done with fifty below and the now-monotonous Yukon.

The preliminary necropsy results revealed that a piece of fleece blanket had lodged at the entry to Melville’s intestine. None of the blankets on the trip have been chewed, so the fabric was likely ingested prior to the start. Melville’s collapse was apparently unrelated to the conditions or aerobics.

Brent left Slaven’s this morning, determined to make it to the Circle checkpoint, but perhaps not further. He was concerned about ruining his remaining eight dogs by pushing them beyond Circle, particularly with two large climbs still ahead. He arrived at 19:03 and decided to continue the race.

Brent and the team leaving Eagle under aurora.

A frigid dusk.

Benedikt Beisch leaving Eagle.

Mike Jayne and Richie Beattie at Slaven’s.

Brent on the Yukon.

Russ Bybee on the Yukon.

In Memoriam, Melville.

After a good rest at Forty-mile yesterday, Brent and Richie ran slow and cold up the Forty-mile River to the wall tent at the Taylor Highway bridge, where they rested again. Today, they climbed up and across American Summit, before descending into Eagle. Brent had not slept since Dawson (36 hours) and told stories of falling asleep behind the team.

He described the inadvertent practice of “ditch-diving,” in which you jerk awake to find the sled dragging through the ditch. The Quest trail has no rumble strips, unfortunately. Brent adopted the habit of wrapping a rope from his sled around his waist. This way, when his body relaxes into sleep and his knees break, the rope prevents him from falling backward off the sled. In stark contrast to these stories, Brent appeared totally coherent in Eagle this afternoon.

Brent’s team and Richie’s team are moving at the same pace, resting on the same schedule, and sharing similar trail habits. It is -34°F and dropping, and both teams are scheduled to leave around 22:00. They follow the Yukon to Circle from here, where they turn southwest and head overland toward Fairbanks.

Lance Mackey on the Yukon, pushing record time.	American Summit.
Brent and the team in Eagle.

Temperatures have plummeted to -42°F, and an incredible race is underway on the Yukon! Mike Jayne, Richie Beattie, and Brent Sass (11th-13th) could be seen running within a half-hour of each other down the river. At 24, 33, and 26 years old, all three Fairbanks locals were poling hard down the trail. They have all run conservative races so far, have rested their dogs adequately, and are vying for top-ten finishes.

Fifty miles from Dawson is the Forty-mile ghost town, which predates Dawson itself. At this junction, the trail leaves the Yukon, goes up the Forty-mile River, and over American Summit, before descending back to the Yukon village of Eagle. Some trail times and arrival times for the Dawson to Forty-mile section are as follows:

Dalton (6:37, 10:38)
Schandelmeier (6:45, 10:38)
Jayne (6:20, 13:02)
Beattie (6:10, 13:28)
Sass (6:10, 13:29)

Dalton, who has repeatedly finished strong in the Iditarod and the Quest, said that his “Dogs have regained trust in me, after running them too long early in the race.” Schandelmeier was not so upbeat, saying that he had 10 dogs, but that only 8 were pulling. Jayne has eight dogs, and said he was balancing the racing element with a desire to finish. Beattie’s team looked strong, although one dog had broken a toenail near the root.

For Sass, ten strong dogs remain: Madonna, Pixie, Ling-Ling, Ross, York, Busta, Melville, Taco, The Dude, and Thunder. In Dawson, Rocky was dropped due to sore wrist and a temperature, and Vorlox was dropped due to a sore shoulder. Busta Rhymes and The Dude are the unsung heroes. If it ever gets transcribed, the halftime Brenterview, and his trail blog, might have more on the dogs’ condition and some trail recollections. Tomorrow morning the Dalton through Sass teams will be climbing American Summit and heading down into Eagle. Go Brent!

Jayne, after arriving at Forty-mile.	Beattie on the Yukon.
Brent, after arriving at Forty-mile.	Dalton and resting team at Forty-mile.

Hello everybody.

AMAZING is about the only word that explains this experience. Like I have said a million times in the past 36 hours I am having the time of my life. The first half of the race has been full of great experiences and I am sure the second half will be even better. The best part about the second half is that I have learned so much in the first half that my 500 is going to be even better. I wish I could sit here and tell stories all night long, but I really need to get some sleep. Thanks a lot to all of you that are following me along this trip I really appreciate it. Make sure to stay tuned things are going to heat up, the Dogs are looking good and I am raren to go, its time to race!! Ken and Zach will be there the whole way given you the latest news . See ya all in Fairbanks!!!!

Brent

Lance Mackey was the first into Dawson at 23:35 Tuesday, followed by William Kleedehn and Hugh Neff several hours later. There is a 36-hour mandatory layover here, so Mackey can depart around noon on Thursday. Today (Wednesday), Dave Dalton, John Schandelmeier, Mike Jayne, Richie Beattie, and Brent Sass could be seen ascending and traversing the taiga ridges of King Solomon’s Dome, which is about 15 miles outside of Dawson. They reached Dawson this evening in that order, placing 9th through 13th. Kiara Adams scratched.

Brent dropped the stoic “Gene” at Scroggie Creek (see photo from 02/11/07), and ran 12 dogs into Dawson. I was waiting near the trail, on the Yukon, and shortly after Beattie went by, I heard the familiar sound of cross country ski poles. Back at the Pelly Crossing checkpoint, someone astutely observed that Brent was the first musher they had seen strap the pole to their wrist before calling up the dogs to depart. Watching Brent arrive in Dawson gave me the impression that he had not stopped poling since that moment in Pelly Crossing, some 200 miles earlier. Madonna (see photo from 02/11/07) and Pixie (see photo from 02/11/07) were leading the team, and spirits were high. Brent said, “I’m having the time of my life.”

The last report here placed Brent in 11th out of Pelly Crossing, but that statistic was inaccurate. According to the most recent information, Brent was 20th out of Braeburn, 18th out of Carmacks, 13th out of Pelly Crossing, and 13th into Dawson. If you have any words of encouragement, now is the time (post comment)!

Kleedehn speaks to the head veterinarian after arriving in Dawson.		Dalton on a ridge near King Solomon's Dome.
Brent coming into Dawson.

Hugh Neff, Gerry Willometzer, and William Kleedehn were first to leave the Pelly Crossing checkpoint, with Neff out at 07:30 Monday. It is 201 trail miles from Pelly Crossing to the 36-hour mandatory rest in Dawson, and that includes the climb up 4,000-ft. King Solomon’s Dome. Catherine Pinard scratched.

We flew by Brent resting his dogs along the trail between Carmacks and Pelly Crossing at 11:00 on Monday. He arrived at Pelly Crossing 19:30 Monday and departed a brief 17 minutes later, sled piled high with two days and 201 miles worth of provisions. The dogs were calm, and Brent was pleased with their performance and demeanor. He had broken a ski pole and had banged-up his knee in the jumble ice of the Yukon, but he appeared unfazed. Wearing only glove liners at -30F, he left Pelly Crossing in 11^th place.

Race official Josh Horst checks the time and records Brent's arrival in Pelly Crossing.

A Greg Parvin dog enjoys some well-deserved rest at Pelly Crossing.

Brent arrived in Carmacks last night at 21:30, and he stayed at the checkpoint until departing at 3:30 this morning. Unfortunately, lead dog Silver was dropped last night after a fluke shoulder injury just before reaching Braeburn. Brent described the loss as an “emotional blow,” but was in good spirits and emphasized the strength and experience of the 13 remaining dogs. Ling-Ling – “Silver’s prodigy” – and Madonna now lead the team.

Two miles out of Braeburn, Brent encountered Yuka Honda on the trail, her dog team nowhere in sight. Brent put her on his sled and went full speed for 10 miles, until they caught Honda’s loose team on a frozen lake. Unfortunately, Honda’s team had an expired dog, so Brent stayed with her for half-an-hour until he flagged us down as we flew over in the plane. We landed on the lake next to the teams, and Brent explained the situation to us before continuing down the trail. It was traumatic for Honda, but she maintained her composure, made it into Carmacks last night, and is currently on the trail to Pelly Crossing.

Brent and a passing musher continuing down the trail after the incident with Honda.	Dog team on the Chain of Lakes.
Dog cooker and resting team.	Brent single-poling.
Two teams resting.

Hugh Neff led the charge into Braeburn Saturday night, several hours ahead of the nearest competition. The remaining teams arrived Saturday night, meanwhile temperatures dropped to -28 F by Sunday morning. By the afternoon teams could be seen resting in the calm, afternoon sun along the Chain of Lakes. Lance Mackey, Dave Dalton, and Neff are the leaders into Carmacks this afternoon, with Mackey arriving at 13:29.

At 11:00 am Saturday morning, 28 world-class dog teams shot out of the chute at 3-minute intervals, with Brent leaving 3^rd. Every team exuded power as they exploded past crowds of spectators and photographers. Hours later, we flew over all of the teams on the trail. Brent was resting his dogs, while other teams rested nearby. Teams are expected into Braeburn tonight.

Mark Sass, handling.

Brent on the trail.

Brent found a place to park his dogs outside of town, and he spends nights and partial days out there running and hanging with the dogs. Every day seems to be filled with meetings, particularly if you’re a rookie running the Quest. But hey, you get to sign autographs, too, and the race hasn’t even started. Some of the meetings are public, so even novices such as myself get to rub elbows with these unlikely celebrities. It was fun to recklessly speculate about which of the current rookies might someday fill the shoes of the Lance Mackeys and Hans Gatts when they decide to drop the snowhook for good.

At the banquet, Brent drew the 3^rd starting position, 11:06 am Saturday.

Brent and the dogs at the camp outside of Whitehorse.

Race Manager Alex Oleson doing some cross-training.

Brent and Mark listen intently to race official Josh Horst.

Signing autographs for an Aussie.

Sebastian Schnuelle's hair barely fits in the picture.

A typical moment for Lance Mackey, last year’s Quest champion. Intense!