SURPRISING STORIES THAT CONNECT AMERICANS AND CANADIANS
2020 WINNER OF THE GOLD AND SILVER Lowell Thomas AWARDS FOR BEST PODCAST
2020 Winner of Gold Lowell Thomas Award for Best Radio Broadcast — Host Liz Beatty
FROM THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITERS FOUNDATION
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this Week’s Episode:
Starting line of the Yukon Quest. Photo: Whitney McLaren of www.mushingphotos.com
Welcome to the Yukon Quest, a thousand-mile sled dog race through the subarctic wilderness, from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon.
As our feature contributor and award-winning photographer Katie Orlinsky explained for National Geographic, “The race takes place in the dead of winter along a route that was used by sled dog teams during the gold rush to deliver mail and supplies. The Yukon Quest is considered one of the toughest sporting events on the planet: Temperatures frequently reach minus 50°F, winds can blow over 40 miles an hour, and the days are so short that most of the race happens in the dark.”
And from mushers and race organizers to spectators and dogs — Alaskans and Yukoners alike cherish every minute of it.
With all this in mind, our story here tackles one big question: How can a landscape so harsh, so unforgiving engender such a powerful sense of community, a love of the land, of all creatures who inhabit it, and even a profound sense of healing? Listen in as host Liz Beatty and feature contributor, Katie Orlinsky, share how this event reveals the true heart of these far northerners — on both sides of the border.