Posts by Davis Hovey
SNC Appoints Former Director, and Lawsuit Defendant, As New CEO
Charles E. Fagerstrom of Nome has been named as the next CEO of Sitnasuak Native Corporation. The same Fagerstrom that was a former member of SNC’s Board of Directors and named in a previous lawsuit with the Corporation over an anonymous mailer. Following almost a year of litigation, the lawsuit between SNC and three of its…
Read More2020 Yukon Quest Pivots to Yukon Side of Trail, 7 Into Dawson At This Point
Seven mushers have arrived into Dawson City, the halfway point in the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest, and that includes the first rookie. Nora Sjalin of Sweden joined Brent Sass, Michelle Phillips, Cody Strathe, Allen Moore, Torsten Kohnert, and Ryne Olson in her 36-hour mandatory layover just before 7am PST. All mushers in the field of 13…
Read MoreNew Coronavirus Not in Nome or State Of Alaska, Officials Taking Precautions Regardless
Despite the growing number of those infected with novel coronavirus, which started with an outbreak in Wuhan China, Alaska’s Section of Epidemiology has not confirmed any cases in the state including Western Alaska. Locally in Nome, health officials say they are taking precautions related to strains of the coronavirus and other respiratory illnesses. According to reports…
Read MoreSass & Phillips Reach Halfway Point in 1,000 Mile Quest, Strathe & Moore Neck And Neck
Leaders in the 2020 Yukon Quest have begun the long wait, 36-hours to be exact. Brent Sass checked into Dawson City, what is considered the halfway point in this race, early this morning at 5:43am (PST). Michelle Phillips is the second and only other musher to reach Dawson at this point. She pulled in just…
Read MoreQuest Leaders Close in On Alaska-Yukon Border, Sass Out in Front
*9am Update: Not much has changed within the last hour at the top of the 2020 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race as the top mushers crest 400 miles in and head towards Dawson City. Brent Sass is holding onto first position, with the GPS saying he’s about 10 miles ahead of second position and…
Read MoreQuestions Over Cause for Hundreds of Stranded Seals in Bering Sea Set Scene for NOAA Research Cruise
An Unusual Mortality Event (UME) was designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for ice seals in the Bering Strait region in 2019. With hundreds of ice seal strandings last year in the Bering Sea, researchers from NOAA Fisheries plan to set sail this April to find out more information about how ice…
Read MorePhillips and Sass Race Past Cabin After Cabin Between Circle and Eagle, Alaska
Mushers in the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International sled dog race are currently in-between checkpoints on a portion of trail stretching 160 miles along the Yukon River. Most seem to be moving at a pace of 6 to 9 miles per hour. The unofficial, but sometimes reliable, GPS race tracker shows Brent Sass is slightly ahead of Michelle…
Read MoreMushers Past Eagle Summit, Michelle Phillips Takes Lead into Circle City in 2020 Quest
More than two-hundred miles into this year’s Yukon Quest, race fans have already seen several lead changes. Currently Michelle Phillips holds first position as she rests in Circle, but she had to pass reigning Quest champ Brent Sass to claim that spot. Since the Mile 101 checkpoint, Phillips was within 30 minutes of Sass, nipping…
Read MorePre-race Interview with 3-Time Yukon Quest Winner: Allen Moore
The 2020 Yukon Quest started Saturday at 11am in Fairbanks. Though this is the smallest field in the race’s history, on paper it looks like a very competitive lineup. One musher competing this year is 3-time winner Allen Moore of Two Rivers, who holds the record for fastest finish time and is the oldest person…
Read MoreSmallest Field in Quest History Set to Leave Fairbanks This Weekend
On several occasions over its 37 year-history, the Yukon Quest has had less than 15 mushers finish the race. But according to its archives, never before has the Quest had 15 or fewer start the international sled dog race – until now. New race marshal Peter Reuter, who took over for Doug Harris at the beginning of…
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