First Canadian team crosses Yukon Quest finish line

Normand Casavant of Whitehorse became the first Canadian musher to cross this years Yukon Quest finish line Tuesday afternoon.

Casavant arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska, in seventh position, the same position in which he left the start chute Feb. 2 in Whitehorse.

He saidthe toughest part of the trail was Rosebud Summit.He and Alaskan musher Markus Ingebretsen decided to work together to get their teams over the mountain.

"We had to work together and that's why me and Markus did a great job," he said. "It was really, really cool. We did a team at a time, so we grabbed my team first and together we brought it to the top and after we did his team, and bingo we did it!"

Casavant, 50, said he intends to run the Yukon Quest again next year.

Thirteen more teams are still on their way to the finish line, including four more Canadian teams.

Among them is Quebec's Denis Tremblay, who was given a two-hour penalty Tuesday for not leaving enough dog food at the Slavens Roadhouse dog drop. The penalty will be added to his eight-hour mandatory layover at the Two Rivers checkpoint.

Susan Rogan of Whitehorse also has a one-hour time penalty to serve at Two Rivers for not having two items of mandatory gear upon check-in at Eagle checkpoint.

Alaskan musherAllen Moore won this year's Yukon Questwhen he arrived in Fairbanks Monday morning.