It's been 6 years since the newspaper reporter mushed to a last place finish in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Yearning to challenge himself anew, her enters the Yukon Quest, a far more brutal 1,000-mile run through mountainous wilds along the upper Yukon River between Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and Fairbanks, Alaska. The author shares the trail with Khan, Hobbes, Scrimshaw, Cyclone, and 10 other excitable Alaska huskies, plus a diverse colletion of rival racers and resident Bush rats. The mushers' strategies, dreams, and disappointments; the antics of their furry athlets; the drama of the race; and the unworldly wilderness venue add texture to this punishing personal journey.