Yukon Alone: The World's Toughest Adventure Race: Amazon.de: John Balzar, Michelle McMillian, Jeffrey L. Ward: Englische Bücher

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Twelve dogs, a sled, and your wits versus 1,023 miles of danger, snow, ice, and wilderness. The Yukon Quest is possibly the toughest race on earth. Held earlier, farther inland, and at a more northerly latitude than its famous cousin, the Iditarod, mushers on the Yukon Quest routinely experience temperatures dropping to 40 below zero, with 50 below not uncommon. Winning isn't everything; just finishing is an achievement in itself. John Balzar tells the story of the Quest, the dogs, and the mushers in Yukon Alone.

Balzar, a roving correspondent for The Los Angeles Times, volunteered to act as the press liaison for the 1998 Yukon Quest. As such, he traveled the length of the trail, sharing cabin floors with resting mushers, shivering as temperatures dropped to 50 below, and becoming somewhat delirious from sleep deprivation. Balzar does an excellent job of capturing the frozen feel of the race:

The visibility worsens and now Bruce cannot see his leaders in the swirling merger of snowpack and wind. He searches anxiously for a glimpse of a wooden stake that will tell him that his dogs have not wandered off the trail, perhaps to the edge of a cliff. Bruce is not conscious of time or of distance, but only of the wind in his face. The dogs appear to be moving forward, but there is no way to measure progress.

He also paints warm portraits of the mushers--men and women like Mike King, a 37-year-old biker with a Harley-Davidson patch on his sled bag and a tattoo of the Quest trail covering one third of his back; William Kleedehn, who finished seventh in the 1998 race despite his prosthetic leg; Aliy Zirkle, a rookie musher who recovered from losing a dog to finish the race.

Balzar describes the Quest as "a mixture of celebration and ordeal"; Yukon Alone will inspire a mixture of envy, admiration, and relief. Envy of the free-spirited mushers, admiration of their strength and dedication, and relief that they're the ones fighting their way up American Summit in a blizzard with a 70-below wind chill. A gripping read. Mush on! --Sunny Delaney

From Kirkus Reviews

A fascinating look at the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, a lonely and often dangerous trek in freezing temperatures over 1,023 miles of daunting wildlands from Whitehorse, Canada, to Fairbanks, Alaska. Traditionalists created the Yukon Quest some 15 years ago as a counterpoint to the commercialized Iditarod, and as a way of celebrating mushing in its raw form. A roving correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Balzar devoted more than half a year getting to know the male and female drivers of the 1998 race and following them along the racing trail. Here he presents a firsthand account of the race, addresses social issues such as the ongoing debate between animal-rights advocates and the partisans of the sport (he sides with the mushers), and offers historical facts about the Yukon Territoryin particular, the Gold Rush of the late 1800s. But Balzar is at his best when he focuses on the mushers, showing the details involved in devising a game plan (from selecting proper equipment to caring for and handling the dogs), and providing clues to the mindset needed to enter and endure such a race. Besides an adventurous spirit and a love for the wild country, mushers must also share a symbiotic relationship with their dog team. And while the drivers can't truly prepare for such life-threatening problems as losing a dog, succumbing to hallucinations, or becoming disoriented from the cold and exhaustion, they must be prepared to respond to any threat. A harrowing experience by the eventual winner near the end of the race illustrates just how perilous it can be for even the best- prepared. As a bonus, Balzar creates wondrous landscapes of the wild north country, depicting even more dramatically the cold, solitary ordeal of the courageous drivers and dogs who commit themselves to this demanding race. (Maps, not seen) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Excellent! Not only for msuhers 8. August 2001

Von xxx

Format:Gebundene Ausgabe

Yukon Alone is a really great book, because it deals with nearly every aspect of the Yukon Quest. The mushers are illustrated in rich detail, the Alaskan landscape really comes to live plus the historical and cultural backgrounds are described. The author successfully combines his personal experiences with the stories and adventures of the mushers. He doesn't fail to show the reader the problems connected with the race, its participants and most of the sponsors. He explains the special relationship between Alaskans and "outsiders". All in all a recommendable book not only for those into dog mushing.

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Good Job in describing a tough race 25. Juni 2000

Von Heiko Stribl

Not only does this book describe the toughest race in the world, it really gives a detailed description of the whole race event and the people who live and work in the far north. Very well written, and takes you into the icy cold race, (which is nothing for faint hearted).

One negative remark: I dont see what the need was to include swear words in the book?

he couldn't put it down! 22. Juni 2000

Von Donna Dwerlkotte

Bought the book for Father's day for my husband who loves outdoors, hunting, etc. He was visibly pleased as he read and I knew it was a serious read when the TV didn't come on as usual. He got a whole new idea of what the dogs were like. Don't think he is going riding on a sled!

Escaping Oklahoma

Reading "Yukon Alone" gave me the hint of the thrill of mushing across a frozen landscape that I could never hope to experience in my home state. Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 6. Juni 2000 von Laura Lee Hallman

Yukon Alone

I can't imagine a book that could describe the Yukon Quest any better. Balzar captures the race, the mushers, and the country just perfect. Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 22. Mai 2000 von Dick Mackey

3+ stars; good read, tackling both dogs and politics

Balzar takes the reader behind the scenes and behind the sled, without getting mired in "technical speak" and superfelous jargon. A good blend of analysis and attitude. Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 5. Mai 2000 von David Arlan

A Good Read

This is a good and compelling, but not a great, book. The author needs a little bit more polish in his writing style. As another reviewer points out, he swears a bit too much. Lesen Sie weiter...

Am 25. M�rz 2000 ver�ffentlicht

Great writing to much swearing!

John Balsar can write that's for sure, but I think he needs to cut out some of the swearing. A little ok, but to much is just filler. Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 19. M�rz 2000 von Shelly

Wonderful characters, fascinating lifestyle

Enjoyed the book and the intimate views of the people and lifestyle that create the dog sled culture. Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 12. Februar 2000 von "sandilea"

Excellent escape from the busy city

I really enjoyed the book. The emotions this book brings out make it well worth the read. My puppy "Rugby" may soon have some siblings on the way, siblings that pull... Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 2. Februar 2000 von "zwanziger"

Yukon Alone: The World's Toughest Adventure Race [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

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