First, Ryno Kennel would like to give a shout out to Scooter Thomas and his fellow Marines as they follow Ryno Kennel’s journey on the Yukon Quest.

Also, fun to see Ryno Kennel sponsors Louise (Sally’s sponsor) and Jeanne (Amy’s sponsor) out at the race. Thanks for braving the frigid temperatures on the trail.

Brief update on the 24 hour mandatory layover in Dawson City:

The team pulled into town at 8:38 PM, completed chores at the check in, and then trotted on over to the tent city set up across the Yukon River. Our extraordinary handlers, Riley and Derek, spent the afternoon massaging each dog, checking for any soreness or rubs, feeding and walking each dog, hanging up all the equipment to dry, and then scouring the stores in town for supplies to fix a broken sled. During this time, Ryne was whisked into town, fed a nice hot meal, and then settled in for a long afternoon nap.

After regrouping with the handlers for a nice dinner in town, Ryne shared with us a few stories from the trail (that post to come later!) Ryne then decided to forgo the comfort of the hotel, and instead, sleep in the tent to be near her dogs.

As hoped, the dogs had a wonderful night sleep bedded in the straw covered by blankets in their tent. They were up bright and early for feeding, walking, bootying, and harnessing. With the forecast of warmer trails for the second half of this race, a happy Ryno Kennel team left the Dawson City checkpoint at 8:44 AM with Fire and Jana in lead. Go Ryno Kennel!

Before heading back on the trail, Ryne wanted to make one more shout out to all the incredible people whose hospitality and volunteer time make the Yukon Quest an exceptional race. An example shared by Ryne was her experience at the Pelly Crossing checkpoint. The Ryno Kennel team trotted in at 5:47 PM, and after feeding and settling the dogs on their straw, Ryne entered the community center to grab some dinner for herself. Two dinners were offered, free of charge for the mushers, but Ryne had a hankering for breakfast food. Minutes after she got her gear off and hung up to dry, the kitchen staff presented Ryne a feast of eggs, bacon, toast, fresh fruit, muffins, oatmeal, and orange juice. Ryne enjoyed the meal immensely!

From Ryne: thank you to the amazing volunteers who keep a smile on their faces after giving their time to accommodate these sleepy, grumpy mushers.