The Yukon Quest is more than just a sled dog race. It was the dream of two Fairbanksans--a recreational musher and an amateur historian--who conceived of a race closer to the roots of Alaskan dog sledding. The Yukon Quest is a 1,000-mile slog through trails used only for this race that cross mountains, rivers, and lakes in some of the harshest weather on the planet. It celebrates the history of the dogs that carried freight and delivered mail, dogs that many times over saved lives before the advent of aviation and snowmachines made them obsolete. The inaugural Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race of 1984 was a great success with the wholehearted support of the Fairbanks community, and it has become a much-anticipated annual event ever since.