Whitehorse, YT – A crowd gathered despite the -32 C weather in Teslin for the start of Yukon Quest 2025 kicking off the familiar dog sled race with an unfamiliar route.
Many spectators packed into the Yukon Motel and Restaurant to warm up ahead of the official 1 p.m. start.
Erik Oline was the first musher to pass through the chute, launching a race that had undergone a last-minute reroute just 24 hours earlier.
The sled dogs moments before taking off. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Organizers made the call to bypass the Dena Cho Trail section between Ross River and Faro, citing concerns for the safety of both mushers and their dogs.
Instead, teams will now traverse a 40-mile stretch along the North Canol Road before returning to Ross River.
450-mile racer Connor McMahon rides off from the start line towards the Johnson’s Crossing checkpoint. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
