TEXT IS FROM August QST pages 86 and 117 and OCTOBER 2001 QST PAGES 62, 63 AND 111 ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ ‰ NOW 40 WPM ‰ PUBLIC SERVICE THE YUKON QUEST INTERNATIONAL SLED DOG RACE STARTED ON FEBRUARY 11, 2001, IN WHITEHORSE, YUKON. THERE WERE 30 TEAMS AT THE START LINE WITH 419 DOGS STRAINING TO GET ON THE TRAIL. THE TRAIL STRETCHES FROM WHITEHORSE THROUGH YUKON TERRITORY TO FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. THATS 1023 MILES OVER WILDERNESS, RIVERS, AND PEAKS RISING TO 3650 FEET. THE LOGISTICS OF ONE OF THESE EVENTS IS STAGGERING. THERE ARE RACE MARSHALS, VETERINARIANS, CHECKERS, CHECKPOINT MANAGERS, AIR SUPPORT, PICKUPS FOR DROPPED DOGS, TRAILBREAKERS ON SNOW MACHINES, DOG HANDLERS, COMMUNICATIONS AND A MULTITUDE OF VOLUNTEERS. MUSHERS HAVE TO ARRANGE FOR THEIR SUPPLIES TO BE SHIPPED TO THE CHECKPOINTS. STRAW BALES ARE SHIPPED TO CHECKPOINTS FOR THE DOGS TO BED IN, AND FOOD IS ALSO SENT FOR THE INFLUX OF MUSHERS, RACE OFFICIALS, VETS, FAMILY MEMBERS, TEAM HANDLERS AND MEDIA. THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT, AND THAT ADDS ADDITIONAL LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS. THIS YEAR THE TRAIL WAS THE WORST THAT THEY HAD SEEN IN THE HISTORY OF THE YUKON QUEST, BUT WE HAD REALLY GOOD WEATHER COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN PAST YEARS. WE DIDNT HAVE SEVERE COLD AND ONLY ONE SNOWSTORM. THERE ‰ FROM PAGE 117 ‰ B BC N9QQB 969 57 17 B AB N9LIA 666 32 18 B ABCD N9MYK 6,600 116 40 Q ABCDE KA9BXG 2,496 85 24 Q ABD 0 Colorado W6OAL 19,459 181 61 A ABCD 9EFGHI K5GZ 42 7 6 A B N0VSB 22,649 216 71 B ABCDE W0ETT 3,762 82 33 B ABCD Iowa N0SM ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ WAS WIND ON TOP OF EAGLE SUMMIT, BUT THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED. THE YUKON QUEST IS MORE LIKE OLD TIME MUSHING. THERE ARE FEWER CHECKPOINTS, AND LONGER DISTANCES BETWEEN THEM. PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO FINISH WITH THE SLED THEY STARTED WITH, AND IT IS A TEST OF ENDURANCE AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND DOG. IT IS MORE IN THE SPIRIT OF THE NORTH AND THE WAY FOLKS TRAVELED 100 YEARS AGO. JUST TO FINISH THE QUEST IS QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT. AMATEUR RADIO INVOLVEMENT THE ARCTIC AMATEUR RADIO CLUB AARC IN FAIRBANKS HAD THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATIONS RESPONSIBILITY. WEEKS BEFORE THE RACE WAS TO BEGIN, PREPARATIONS WERE BEING MADE FOR EQUIPMENT AND OPERATORS. BENNY BENEVENTO, NL7XH, SET UP THE EQUIPMENT AND MANAGED THE OPERATION. THE HEART OF THE COMMUNICATIONS WAS A FULL AMATEUR RADIO STATION SET UP IN THE FAIRBANKS VISITOR AND CONVENTION CENTER A LOG CABIN THAT SITS ON THE BANKS OF THE CHENA RIVER IN DOWNTOWN FAIRBANKS. THE QUESTS FINISH LINE THIS YEAR WAS ON THE CHENA RIVER IN FRONT OF THE CABIN. ‰ FROM PAGE 117 ‰ 1,860 60 31 A AB NE0P 1,809 57 27 A ABD WA9ENA 1,560 57 24 A BD N0SPP 1,484 43 28 A ABD AB0HF 420 30 14 A AB KE0FT 276 23 12 A B W0NKN 216 18 9 A BD IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A MORE CONVENTIONAL PURCHASE, CHECK OUT UBIDS ONLINE AUCTION OR ELECTRIFIED DISCOUNTERS. AS A DOT COM SURVIVOR, UBID IS A GREAT PLACE TO FIND EXCELLENT DEALS ON NEW, USED AND REFURBISHED COMPUTER STUFF ƒ QST DE W1AW ‰ AND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE. AND THE SELLERS ARE ESTABLISHED COMPANIES ‰ FROM PAGE 111 ‰ Oman A45XR 55,818 443 42 C 10 Taiwan BV7FF ‰ END OF 40 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ