Yukon Alone: The World's Toughest Adventure Race
by John Balzar
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In the tradition of Into the Wild, John Balzar's Yukon Alone is a story of daring and determination in one of nature's harshest, loneliest, and most beautiful places.The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race is among the most challenging and dangerous of all the organized sporting events in the world. Every February, a handful of hardy souls sps over two weeks racing sleds pulled by fourteen dogs over 1,023 miles of frozen rivers, icy mountain passes, and spruce forests as big as entire show more states. It's not unusual for the temperature to drop to 40-below or for the night to be seventeen hours long.Why would anyone want to run this race? To find out, John Balzar moved to Alaska months before The Quest began and he spent time in the homes of many of the mushers. Balzar then spent many days and nights on the trail, and the result is a book that not only treats us to a vivid day-by-day account of the grueling race itself but also offers an insightful look at the men and women who have moved to this rugged and beautiful place, often leaving behind comfortable houses and jobs in the lower forty-eight states for the sense of exhilaration they find in their new lives. Readers will also be fascinated by Balzar's account of what goes into the training and care of the majestic dogs who pull the sleds and whose courage, strength, and devotion make them the true heroes of this story.For anyone captivated by the wild north country, this riveting tale of courage and adventure will inspire and entertain. show lessTags
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I don't know how anybody can give this book a rating less than 5 stars. Great book. Maybe not the best sled dog book, but up there with the great ones.
I don't know how anybody can give this book a rating less than 5 stars. Great book. Maybe not the best sled dog book, but up there with the great ones.
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Author Information
4 Works 128 Members
John Balzar, a roving correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, was awarded the Scripps Howard Foundation prize for human-interest writing. Balzar has worked as a river boatman in Alaska & sailed across the Pacific. He lives in Portland, Oregon. (Bowker Author Biography)
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1999
- People/Characters
- Aliy Zirkle; Joe May
- Important events
- Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race
- First words
- "Mush-on"...is the dog-drivers' rendering of the French-Canadian driver's command of "marche on"-to go-hence,also the Alaskan verb"to mush" meaning to travel,in dog driving.
-James Wickersham, Old Yukon,1938 - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)In the memory of Benson. For all those good years,he pulled his share of the load. And for Prince, who tried.
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Statistics
- Members
- 115
- Popularity
- 283,687
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.03)
- Languages
- English, Portuguese (Portugal)
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 2
