Allen Moore is maintaining a big lead in the Yukon Quest, but last year’s winner Matt Hall is making a push, as the race heads toward the final checkpoint at Braeburn. The only musher still running a full team of 14 dogs, Moore left Carmacks before midnight for the 77-mile run to Braeburn. Hall departed over five hours later with 11 dogs. Teams must rest 8 hours at Braeburn, so teams typically run hard to get there. It’s 100 miles from Bareburn to the finish line in Whitehorse.
Paige Drobny and Ed Hopkins are several miles behind Hall, in the three and four spots. Laura Neese is 5th, with top rookie Vebjorn Reitan close in 6th. Ten other mushers are strung out along nearly 150 miles of trail. Dave Dalton has taken over the red lantern and 15th place, after rookie Severin Cathry decided to scratch yesterday in Dawson City.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
