This was my first time covering this race and it was a challenge in many aspects for mushers, trail breakers, officials and volunteers. The weather didn’t want to cooperate, 30 minutes before the official start time it was 8 below with a windchill of 34 below with less than a mile (if that) of visibility. This race is often a beautiful spring event, but in 2021 it proved why it has been titled “The toughest race above the Arctic Circle.”

Thanks to Rock on Racing, I was able to get to a spot just a few miles out the trail for the day of the start. Mushers were still just starting their race, but it was a beautiful day and we were able to see all the mushers pass us by.

Teaming up with Nathanael Hardy, together we were able to each cover a day of the race of the North Pole Championships.

Taking photos of the future of sprint and distance mushers is so fun! Check out all these kids, serious and not so serious having a great time out on the runners.

Teaming up with Cross Fox Photography for a second season, we offered race coverage to mushers! We love following the race as much mushers love running it (we have a love/hate relationship too—if you’re a musher or fan, you know you know what I’m talking about!). *Full Gallery to be complete within a week of the race finish.

Teaming up with Cross Fox Photography for a second season, we offered race coverage to mushers! We love following the race as much mushers love running it (we have a love/hate relationship too—if you’re a musher or fan, you know you know what I’m talking about!). *Full Gallery to be complete within a week of the race finish.

Teaming up with Cross Fox Photography for a second season, we offered race coverage to mushers! We love following the race as much mushers love running it (we have a love/hate relationship too—if you’re a musher or fan, you know you know what I’m talking about!). *Full Gallery to be complete within a week of the race finish.

Teaming up with Cross Fox Photography for a second season, we offered race coverage to mushers! We love following the race as much mushers love running it (we have a love/hate relationship too—if you’re a musher or fan, you know you know what I’m talking about!). *Full Gallery to be complete within a week of the race finish.

This was my second time following and helping with this race. The weather was beautiful, the dogs and mushers were excited to kick off their season and the trails were not holding them back because boy were their runs fast!

This is the race. The race that mushers strive to run, that they dream to run once they know about it. The nascar of sled dog racing. I can almost say the same about photographing it. This year I followed one musher but took photos of other teams as well. I didn’t get to go to all the checkpoints but it was a blast to go to the ones that I did.

2020 race photos, uploaded in real time.

For the seventh year I was fortunate enough to follow the Yukon Quest as one of the official photographers. The field was much smaller this year but the temperatures weren’t as cold as previous years, both of which added their own challenges to covering the race. This link has photos from other official photographers as well, check them out!

Though the Two Rivers 100/ 200 did not follow the Yukon Quest trail exactly, it was so nice to get to see parts of the trail, and the Two Rivers checkpoint in the DAYLIGHT.

The race has its own challenges when it comes to logistics and weather, but the organizers, volunteers, mushers, and dogs are what makes this race great. No matter where you sit in the line up, each person embarks on their own Quest.