Gerry Willomitzer's
Blackjack Racing Kennel
July 31, 2005
A musher's summer vacation - On the Quest and Percy Trail in July
During the last week of July 2005 I went canoeing with my partner Leslie and my parents (who live in the "old country" and spent parts of the summer with us). We took the Yukon River from Dawson City, Yukon, to Eagle, Alaska, and returned by vehicle on the Taylor Highway to Dawson. On the trip we followed parts of the Yukon Quest trail (Dawson to FortyMile by canoe, and the Taylor Highway section by truck), and the Percy DeWolfe Trail (Dawson to Eagle). It was a memorable journey through northern wilderness, where we met old friends and made new ones. For myself the trip stirred up memories of past races and sparked plans for future ones. In fact while we were gliding down the mighty river and enjoyed the silent subarctic landscape around us I was hammering out secret race plans for my 2006 and 2007 Quests. I am a true addict, I guess. Take a look at the photos and text, and see a dog trail in its summer state.
My mom and Leslie floating down
the Yukon.
Between Dawson and Fortymile the Yukon is used by both the Yukon Quest and
the 210-mile Percy de Wolfe, which leads from Dawson to Eagle and back every March
(www.thepercy.com).
Cor's place at Cassiar Creek.
This homestead is located 37 miles downstream from "Dodge".
Yukon Quest mushers Cor Guimond and Agata Franzcak live here and lead a subsistence
lifestyle (fishing, trapping and some tourism).
Fruit of the river.
Fresh Yukon River salmon is salted on a table in a cabin at Cassiar Creek.
Pups at Cassiar Creek.
After waking us in our tents at 5 a.m. these rowdy pups had spent all their
energy by seven. After a short nap in front of Cor and Agata's place they were ready to
play again.
Fortymile General Store.
Quest volunteers Sebastian Jones and Shelley Brown have lived in this cabin for
many years and always open it to Quest and Percy mushers. This place is an oasis for
mushers in the winter and other river travellers in the summer (It was also an oasis for
mosquitos while we were there.) To my knowledge this cabin is the oldest inhabitated
structure in the Yukon. It was built in the 1890s. Fortymile was the largest community on
the upper Yukon River, before the gold discoveries on the Klondike transformed it into a
ghost town in 1896.)
From here the Quest trail leads on the Fortymile River and Taylor Highway to
Eagle (100 miles), while the Percy trails stays on the Yukon (55 miles from Fortymile to
Eagle).
Old Man Rock (left) and
Old Woman Rock (right).
This geological formation is located on the Percy Trail between Fortymile and
Eagle. It can be quite windy here.
Eagle Bluff is a well-known
landmark.
From here the Yukon Quest trail continues another 160 miles downstream to Circle, while
the Percy DeWolfe racers and their dogs return to Dawson after a mandatory 6-hour layover
in Eagle.
"Finally a sled big enough
for me to sleep in".
This freight sled was used by the US National Park Service on patrols in Denali National
Park, but is now retired in Eagle. It is about twice as long as modern race sleds. (During
the Yukon Quest I sleep in my sleeping bag in the snow, my sled is too small to sleep in).
Wayne and Scarlett Hall.
Quest musher Wayne Hall, his wife Scarlett and son Garf live a few miles
downstream from Eagle near the Yukon River, where they trap, fish, and operate a small
tourism business. They are extraordinary people and offer great hospitality. You can find
them on the net at www.bushalaskaexpeditions.com .
Ride on the river
Wayne gives us and the canoes a ride back from his place to Eagle, where the
river trip ended for us. From there we took my truck on the Taylor Highway over American
Summit back to Dawson City. Wayne can do the same thing for you. Send him a email!
The Old Eagle School House.
Eagle has a population of about 120 people, 75 of which are Yukon Quest and Percy
volunteers. Every year in February and March they transform this old school house into a
checkpoint for the dog races, with dog team parking outside, water for the dogs, delicious
meals and beds for the mushers. Without their exceptional hospitality these races would
simply not be possible.
American Summit on a smoky July
day.
Nearby forest fires generate dense smoke in the area. The Yukon Quest uses the Taylor
Highway, which is not maintained during the winter (form September to April) to connect
Eagle with the Fortymile River. American Summit is one of the four major summits on the
Quest trail. A five hour ride in the truck brought us all back to Dawson.