| Disclaimer: Alaskan Winds is a Virtual Aviation
Company; Pilots fly these events in their computers, virtually, using
flight simulator software. All information provided here is ONLY
for flight simulation use, it is NOT
for real aviation use. Alaskan Winds is not
associated in any way with real life Yukon Quest
or Iditarod organizations, persons or websites. |
| The Iditarod
Trail Sled Dog Race |
The Yukon
Quest Sled Dog Race |
 |
 |
| Iditarod
XXXVII |
Yukon
Quest XXVI |
| Iditarod
Website / Wikipedia |
Yukon
Quest Website / Wikipedia |
| Northern Route (even years) / Southern Route (odd years) |
Trail
Map/Trail Elevations - Start:
Fairbanks
(even years) Whitehorse (odd years) |
| Virtual
Trail Fly Bys (requires paid Iditarod Insider Account) |
Yukon Quest Flyover |
| 2009 Mushers |
2009
Mushers |
| 2009
Rules Final (PDF on website) / (PDF
backup) |
2009
Rules Final (PDF on website) / (PDF
Backup) |
| Eye
on the Trail: Official Iditarod Race News and Perspectives |
|
 |
 |
| (copyright
of Iditarod
Air Force) |
(copyright
by Rochejaune) |
Important
Websites
|
| Iditarod
Air Force Website |
Flying the Yukon Quest (Plane and Pilot Mag)
|
| Ultimate
Iditarod Website |
Yukon
Quest Student Challenge Website |
| Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth: Discovery
Channel |
Working
Dog Web: Guide to the Yukon Quest |
| Joost
(search for "Yukon Quest" |
| Musher Food Drops |
| We will meet on the following
dates and places to pick up the cargo,
and will start the distribution flights into the Races' checkpoints
according to Alaskan Winds Load Management Plan (to be published soon) |
 |
 |
| (copyright
of Ultimate Iditarod) |
(copyright
of Ultimate Iditarod) |
Fairbanks
- Mon, Feb 16, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Anchorage - Tue, Feb 17, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Anchorage - Wed, Feb 18, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Anchorage - Thu, Feb 19, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. |
Whitehorse
and Fairbanks on Saturday, January 31st |
 |
| (copyright
of Iditarod
Air Force) |
| From the Iditarod rules: "Each
container must be clearly marked with name and destination and must weigh no more than 60
pounds.
No boxes of any kind may be used as the primary container. No straw,
charcoal, fuel or other combustible material, or hazardous materials
(including lithium batteries) may be shipped through the ITC food
drops. No cookers, plastic buckets, coolers or dog dishes may be
shipped except with any sled that is shipped." |
|
| From the Yukon Quest rules: "All
food and equipment shipped to checkpoints for the
race must be in CLOTH BURLAP BAGS OR WOVEN POLY-BAGS, PERMANENTLY
MARKED WITH MUSHER NAME. GROSS
WEIGHT NOT TO EXCEED 40 POUNDS / 18.1 KILOGRAMS.
Bags must be turned in to YQI prior to food shipment deadline or
delivered to the checkpoints prior to the start of race. Straw is not
to be shipped in drop bags. NO FOOD OR EQUIPMENT WILL BE DELIVERED TO
CHECKPOINTS AFTER START OF RACE with the exception of Dawson City." |
|
Food is required to be
shipped to the following checkpoints:
Skwentna,
Rainy Pass, Rohn, Nikolai, McGrath, Takotna, Ophir, Iditarod, Shageluk,
Anvik, Grayling, Eagle Island, Kaltag, Unalakleet, Shaktoolik, Koyuk,
Elim, White Mountain, Safety, Nome.
Food
and/or gear will not be shipped to the checkpoints of Yentna and Finger
Lake.
The
Safety checkpoint is optional for shipment of gear and/or food. |
|
We will be flying Food and
Gear to the following checkpoints:
Braeburn, Carmacks, Pelly Crossing, Dawson City, Eagle, Circle City,
Central, Chena Hot Springs.
Note
that usually supplies are divided into an "Alaska pile" with
destination Fairbanks, Central,
Circle and Eagle, and a "Yukon pile", which will is trucked up the
North Klondike Highway
to Dawson with stops in Braeburn, Carmacks and Pelly. |
|
| Race Start |
 |
 |
| (image
from here) |
(copyright
of Rochejaune) |
Race
Start - Sat, Mar 7, 10:00 a.m. - Downtown Anchorage
Race Re-Start - Sun, Mar 8, 2:00 p.m. - Willow Lake, Willow Community
Center |
Saturday,
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 am local time - Whitehorse |
| Race
Hubs (to where we will fly the dropped dogs) |
| During
the Races, we will pick the dropped dogs at the various
checkpoints (Iditarod/Yukon Quest) and dog drop points (Yukon Quest
only) and will fly them to the closest Race Hub. |
| Anchorage,
McGrath, Unalakleet or Nome |
Fairbanks
(AK), Dawson City (Yukon), Whitehorse (Yukon) |
| Dogs |
| Weights
(compiled from "Dog Profiles" at Eye on the Trail) from 42 pounds to 63 pounds, 55
pounds average. |
 |
 |
| (copyright
by Iditarod
Blogs) |
(copyright
by Iditarod Blogs) |
| Dogs at start: 16
(maximum) 12 (minimum) |
Dogs at start:
14 (maximum) 8 (minimum) |
| Dogs at finish: 6 |
Dogs at
finish: 6 |
| Hauling
Dropped Dogs |
 |
 |
| (copyright
of Iditarod
Air Force) |
(copyright
of Iditarod
Air Force) |
From the Iditarod rules:
"Dropped dogs may be moved form the originating
checkpoint to the closest dog collection area at Anchorage, McGrath,
Unalakleet or Nome. Dogs may be shipped from the collection areas to a
location designated by the musher at the musher’s expense.
Dogs dropped in ANCHORAGE , Nome and the re-start are the musher’s
responsibility." |
|
| From the Yukon Quest rules:
"Any injured, fatigued or sick dogs may be dropped at checkpoints or
dog drops, as designated by the Race
Marshal, without penalty. (...) Dogs may be dropped for emergency
medical reasons between checkpoints and designated dog drops." |
|
| "A dog
handler will meet you when you land at a Hub" |
| Dog Food Distribution Procedure / Procedure
for Hauling Dogs (from the Iditarod Air Force Website) |
 |
| (copyright
by Iditarod Blogs) |
