The 2016 Yukon Quest gets underway in Fairbanks this Saturday, with 23 teams running a thousand miles to Whitehorse. Dog teams will be traversing a trail rooted in history.
Saturday’s Yukon Quest start is being relocated due to rough ice conditions on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks. Race organizers say the start chute will shift from its traditional spot on the ice near the Cushman Street Bridge, several hundred yards up river to solid ground behind the Morris Thompson Center. From there, dog teams will drop onto the Chena, in an area where ice conditions are better. Some 23 teams are slated to compete in the thousand mile event, which begins at 11 Saturday morning.