The start of the Yukon Quest Dog Sled Race took place in downtown Fairbanks on Saturday. The race takes place between Fairbanks, AK and Whitehorse YT, with the two cities alternating start years. Normally, the race starts on the Chena River when it takes off from Fairbanks, but poor ice conditions led to a start on 2nd Avenue this year.
Eight mushers made it to the first check point at Two Rivers, which is a 73 mile leg, in 8 hours or less. The trail is fast and icey from all reports.
Photos courtesy of the Daily News-Miner