| |
Circle City, Alaska
- 6th Checkpoint - 760 miles
|
| |
 Circle
is quite literally the end of the road, the end of the phone
lines. Tiny and remote, Circle is located on the flats of the
Yukon River. Originally, there was a lot of traffic to and through
Circle on the river. For many years, however, the road has afforded
the only access. Only a couple hundred people remain in the
small town, and the main attractions are the community firehall,
a small restaurant and bar, and an even smaller convenience
store /souvenir shop. |
| |
 There
are many older buildings, left behind from the Gold Rush era.
By 1896, before the Klondike Gold Rush, Circle was the largest
mining town on the Yukon River, with a population of 700. Early
inhabitants believed the town was on the Arctic Circle, hence
the name. The town virtually emptied after the gold rush, but
remains home to a few hardy souls.
|
| |
 Quest
teams park in a field by the firehall, and the firehall itself
serves as the checkpoint, vet office, communication hub, musher's
rest area and gathering place for team handlers, reporters and
fans.
To the left, Frank arrives in the 2004 Quest.
|
| |
 The
dog yard in Circle is right in the center of town, as you can
see from the picture on the right.
|
| |
 It
is not unusual to see a musher sprawled out on a picnic table,
or on top of the fire engine, asleep, a few feet away from reporters
typing news reports on laptop computers, while team handlers
nap by the door, and race officials and vets await the arrival
of another team. Community members prepare food for mushers
and crews.
|
