Dalton Gang Kennels

Day Four of the Yukon Quest and Dave Dalton and his gang are running in the top ten. Following reports from the official Yukon Quest website can be extremely confusing, but the best information we have says Lance Mackey and Hugh Neff have pulled into Eagle within one minute of each other. After traveling all night and today on the Yukon River, Dave is either in eighth or ninth place and should be in Eagle before long. From there, it’s 150 miles to Dawson City – about a day and a half by dogsled. The first musher into Dawson collects a prize of gold, four ounces of it, provided they finish the race.

Currently, Dave’s handlers, Lee Lowery and Nina Schwinghammer, are on their way to meet Dave in Dawson City where the mushers have and enforced 36-hour layover. We should get more reliable information at that point.

Dave Dalton is running in his twenty-second Yukon Quest, but he’ll remember this one for the struggles he’s already had to endure. Between the Two Rivers and the Mile 101 checkpoints, he hit a tree, bruising his ribs and breaking his thermometer. After that, he ended up sliding down Eagle Summit, the biggest and baddest of the four summits, on his belly, losing equipment along the way. Then, in Central, he had to absorb what was perhaps his worst blow. His beloved New England Patriots were beaten in the Super Bowl. Luckily, the dogs are all in good shape and are pulling like champions.

Dave and Lance Mackey enjoying some down time in Central.

Two days into the race, Dave is listed in 9th place and is currently at the Circle checkpoint.

Half a world away, in the mythical land on Indianapolis, a few people are gathered to celebrate a football game. Meanwhile, here in Alaska, the state sport is on full display at one of it’s premier events, the 2012 Yukon Quest! Three nights ago, at the Bib Drawing and Musher’s Banquet held at the Westmark Hotel, Dave was awarded the number #4 starting position. It’s now a clear and crisp Saturday (-15°F) drawing out fans and friends for the annual spectacle and the race is officially under way. The official Yukon Quest website ( http://www.yukonquest.com/site/live-tracking/ ) is tracking all the mushers by satellite. You can follow Dave (as soon as he turns his tracker on) throughout the race. We’ll provide details as soon as they’re available. Thanks again for your support!

These are the final five dogs that will compete in this year’s Quest:

Sandy.

This four year old female is running in her second Yukon Quest. At forty-seven pounds, she is one of the smaller dogs on the team. Her litter-mates are Al, Mary, Sam, and Tom. Sandy is a very tough, yet very loving dog.

Mary.

Sandy’s litter-mate, Mary, is a rookie this year, running her first Quest. Last year, she was an alternate. Though slightly larger than her sibling, she shares the same loving nature.

Sam.

Sam is fifty two pounds and running in his second Quest. He and his four siblings were the offspring of long-time leader, Nicole and Torn.

Tom.

Ay sixty five pounds, Tom is the big boy of the litter and one of the biggest on the team. He is running in his second Yukon Quest.

Al.

Also running in his second YQ, Al comes in at just under sixty pounds. He is as even tempered as his litter-mates Sam and Tom and can fit in anywhere along the gang-line.

These, then, are the are the members of this year’s Dalton Gang Race Team. Incredible athletes, all, Dave will be depending on them to get across the finish line in Whitehorse.

Some more of the hard working sled dogs of the Dalton Gang:

Grumpy.

Another one of Dave’s “big” dogs, Grumpy is also one of the Seven Dwarfs – the litter that also gives us four of his teammates. Grumpy pushes the scales at 60 pounds plus and with his sweet disposition, he is anything but grumpy. He is three years old and this will be his first Yukon Quest.

Dopey.

Except for his brown eyes, Dopey is nearly identical to Grumpy, his gang-line partner and litter-mate. Another big dog, he also weighs in at over 60 pounds. This, too, is Dopey’s first Quest.

Sneezy.

Another male of the Seven Dwarfs, Sneezy is also a Quest rookie. The Dwarfs are from the Dalton line and the offspring of Gordon and Melli.

Sleepy.

Sleepy is the grizzled veteran of the Dwarfs. This will be the second Quest for the three year old. Although he’s not the biggest of his litter, he still comes in at over sixty pounds. He is also the biggest eater in the kennel. If he wasn’t constantly training, there’s no telling how big he would be.

Doc.

The last of the Seven Dwarfs on this year’s team, Doc is also a Quest veteran running in his second race. Doc and Sneezy are both at fifty-five pounds. What about the other two Dwarfs, you ask? Happy, unfortunately, had to be pulled due to a foot injury (she’s fine, thank you) and Bashful is in no shape having just had a litter of eight pups of her own, eight weeks ago.

To be continued…

Introducing the 2012 Dalton Gang Race Team, the fourteen canine super-athletes that will carry Dave Dalton over 1,000 miles of Canadian and Alaskan wilderness. Their weights range from forty-three to sixty-five pounds and it’s a lot of muscle. In no particular order, they are…

Denali.

One of Dave’s leaders, Denali is running in her second Yukon Quest. The five year old female is litter mate to Healy and Sheldon (named after mountains in the Alaska Range.) Her parents were Sally and Kuparak.

Healy.

Runs in tandem with litter mate, Denali. Healy is running in her third Yukon Quest and is one of Dave’s strong-willed leaders. Both Denali and Healy tip the scales at fifty-one pounds.

Sheldon.

This year, Dave’s team has some big males and Sheldon is the biggest. At sixty-five pounds, Sheldon packs the power to get Dave wherever he needs to go. Also running in his third Quest, Sheldon is comfortable in any number of positions on the team.

Panda.

Weighing in at forty-four pounds, Panda is the lightest of the team, but one of it’s most tenacious leaders. Unlike most of the others, Panda does not come from the Dalton line, but from the Mackey line (Zorro and Moose), by way of Rick Casillo. The four year old is running in her second Yukon Quest.

To be continued…

Outside the Summit Logistics bldg. in South Fairbanks, the temperature was an icy -50°F. Inside, the temperatures ranged anywhere from 98°-102°, for the dogs, that is. This was Vet Check for the 2012 Yukon Quest, when mushers bring their dogs in to be checked by a brigade of volunteer veterinarians. The health of these animals are paramount for the mushers depend on them for their lives. At home, they are fed special diets with food supplements and vitamins. Their feet are inspected on a daily basis and any problems are dealt with immediately. Their training runs have been regulated and measured. By the time they arrive here, at Vet Check, they are (hopefully) at the peak of their powers. The mushers take great pride in the health of their teams. To win the Veterinarian’s Choice Award is a highly respected honor… “Presented to the musher who demonstrates outstanding canine care for their dogs throughout the race, in the best spirit of the Yukon Quest. ” The doctors here, mainly confirm the dogs’ good health, but occasionally they will run into a problem and they freely exercise their right to disqualify any pooch for poor health.

The routine Saturday called for mushers to drive their trucks w/attached dog boxes directly into the building. The dogs would be taken out, one at a time, weighed, and then put on an examining table. The doctor will check their dental heath, heart rate, temperature, joints and feet and answer any questions a musher may have. Here is a clip of Dave running Denali through the exam: Vet Check 2012

When you sign up and pay your entry fee for the Yukon Quest, you’re officially in, but the food drop is when it becomes real. The hundreds of 40 lb. burlap bags lined up for each musher, each checkpoint give visual reference to the hard work of the mushers and their handlers. A process started months ago, outfitting for the World’s Toughest Sled Dog Race is a time consuming and costly endeavor. Careful thought is necessary and organization is key. This is the kind of event that logistics experts long for. Deciding what and how much of it to bring is every bit a challenge to the racer as overflow on the Yukon River. A seasoned veteran like Dave Dalton, entering his 22nd. Yukon Quest, has a good idea of how to pack.

Everything starts with the dogs and their needs, chief of which is food. Cut into two-inch cubes, the Dalton gang has about 450 pounds of beef to take them through the race. Coupled with another 450 lbs of dry kibble and 300 lbs of doggie treats like frozen turkey skins and poultry fat, and the dogs are well taken care of.  This is divided among 45 burlap bags that also includes Dave’s food and clothing, parts for the sled, extra collars, harnesses, gang lines, and dog booties (at least 1000). When all is said and done, each musher will have about a ton of supplies for their use. These supplies are then taken to the central collection point. This year, the collection point was Summit Logistics in Fairbanks. For Canadian dog mushers, the collection point is at the White Pass & Yukon Route Depot in Whitehorse.

The minute Dave, or any musher, pulled into the parking lot, they were greeted by an army of volunteers, directing them to a designated spot and helping them unload their trucks.

The bags were put onto pallets and prepped for long-distance hauling. With twenty-four mushers registered for the race, that’s a lot of pallets, each heading to one of the ten checkpoints along the trail. Once the race starts, no food or equipment can be delivered, with the exception of Dawson City.

The judges want to make sure mushers are independently able to care for their dogs, themselves and also have the ability to offer emergency assistance to another musher in need. Just another reason why it’s “The World’s Toughest Sled Dog Race” and why Dave Dalton wouldn’t have it any other way.