Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
It’s unclear who is leading the Yukon Quest sled dog race. Quest officials say extreme cold has hampered the GPS trackers each musher is carrying, making them unreliable. Hugh Neff left the central checkpoint in the lead this morning at 4:11. Dan Kaduce followed at 12:30 and Ken Anderson at 1pm.
The trail from Central to the Mile 101 Dog Drop is only 28 miles long, but includes overflow plagued lowlands followed by seriously steep climbing. Severe overflow and extreme cold are slowing down the mushers speed, as they just try to survive.
Hugh Neff encountered overflow trouble before Central. He says he was up to his knees at one point, and facing deadly conditions. The incident forced Neff to drop a key lead dog at Central. The animal apparently got sick after being submerged in overflow at 50 below temperatures. Four-time and defending Quest Champ Hans Gatt scratched at Central this morning after going into the ice water. Sebastian Schnuelle says Gatt was submerged chest deep and his dogs were swimming.
Schnuelle made a fire and helped Gatt fashion some boots from dog blankets, food sacks and lines. When the two finally made it to Central, Gatt had 3 frostbitten fingers and decided to drop out.
Gatt had a difficult race. He nearly froze to death after being caught by a blizzard on American Summit outside Eagle. Sebastian Schnuelle says racing is also off his mind. After rescuing Gatt outside Central, he says he lost his chance to make up the time on Hugh Neff.
Meanwhile, another Quest veteran isn’t giving up. Dan Kaduce has run a conservative race and his team has been gaining speed. Kaduce is well positioned to keep moving up, but he wasn’t overconfident after arriving in Central in 3rd place.
Kaduce, Schnuelle, Sass, Ken Anderson and rookie Dallas Seavy make up the chase group, while Allen Moore and Kelly Griffin have been running a little farther back. The Quest field has shrunken from 25 to 16. The latest to scratch are Gatt, Josh Cadzow and Didier Moggia.
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Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
It’s unclear who is leading the Yukon Quest sled dog race. Quest officials say extreme cold has hampered the GPS trackers each musher is carrying, making them unreliable. Hugh Neff left the central checkpoint in the lead this morning at 4:11. Dan Kaduce followed at 12:30 and Ken Anderson at 1pm.
The trail from Central to the Mile 101 Dog Drop is only 28 miles long, but includes overflow plagued lowlands followed by seriously steep climbing. Severe overflow and extreme cold are slowing down the mushers speed, as they just try to survive.
Hugh Neff encountered overflow trouble before Central. He says he was up to his knees at one point, and facing deadly conditions. The incident forced Neff to drop a key lead dog at Central. The animal apparently got sick after being submerged in overflow at 50 below temperatures. Four-time and defending Quest Champ Hans Gatt scratched at Central this morning after going into the ice water. Sebastian Schnuelle says Gatt was submerged chest deep and his dogs were swimming.
Schnuelle made a fire and helped Gatt fashion some boots from dog blankets, food sacks and lines. When the two finally made it to Central, Gatt had 3 frostbitten fingers and decided to drop out.
Gatt had a difficult race. He nearly froze to death after being caught by a blizzard on American Summit outside Eagle. Sebastian Schnuelle says racing is also off his mind. After rescuing Gatt outside Central, he says he lost his chance to make up the time on Hugh Neff.
Meanwhile, another Quest veteran isn’t giving up. Dan Kaduce has run a conservative race and his team has been gaining speed. Kaduce is well positioned to keep moving up, but he wasn’t overconfident after arriving in Central in 3rd place.
Kaduce, Schnuelle, Sass, Ken Anderson and rookie Dallas Seavy make up the chase group, while Allen Moore and Kelly Griffin have been running a little farther back. The Quest field has shrunken from 25 to 16. The latest to scratch are Gatt, Josh Cadzow and Didier Moggia.
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