The race, which started in Dyea on June 16 near Skagway, required contestants to hike the 33-mile Chilkoot Trail to Lake Bennett, then canoe 570 miles through huge, wild lakes and down the Yukon River to Dawson City. This whole adventure started when my wife, Sylvia Slotnick, knowing my predilection for wild and crazy races, read me an article about a long race, in which teams of two hiked and canoed from Skagway to Dawson. I was hooked. But I needed a partner. Enter Art Ward.
Art is a commercial fisherman who lives near Harding Lake.
In his Super Cub, we have flown all over the state to climb mountains, hunt and explore. Art has a combination of endurance and competence I had never seen matched. I easily convinced him that this would be a fun way to spend a few weeks in June. Along with backpacks, boots, camping gear, etc. Of the 50 teams of two that entered the race, some were just doing it for the experience, but others were going to be hard to beat.