The YRQ, From Respite to Rapids

After paddling 200 miles the YRQ teams are mandated to stop in the village of Carmacks for a 7 hour respite. Carmacks is named for George Carmack, the prospector who first discovered gold in the Dawson region in 1896 triggering the Klondike Gold Rush.

Teams sleep in tents in a designated 'Quiet Zones', shower, eat and then ship off again for the Five Finger Rapids. Some have been paddling in their canoes and kayaks for more than 30 hours. Their legs feel like butter, their eyes bloodshot, their skin raw and red from mosquito bites. Still, having already accomplished nearly half the trip nobody dares drop out now.