“It’s not big and corporate,” says Mark Van Dyke, the journey manager, of the Quest tour. “If you want your margarita at 4 p.m., stay the hell at home. This journey is about experiencing the event and being part of the race.”

Over 12 days, groups of up to 16 guests get a feel for the race by becoming event sponsors. They run their own team of sled dogs on Lake Laberge, have an opportunity to meet the mushers at a special event, and can pal around with locals at select checkpoints.

There are 11 such checkpoints hosted by communities along the trail, ranging from about 100 to more than 300 kilometres apart, where race-goers can watch the competition. For competitors, these stops are a chance to replace worn or lost gear (for a time penalty) and get a few hours of rest before heading back into the wilderness. Their dogs are also checked by race veterinarians. (There are also three “dog drops” along the course, where mushers can leave a dog from their team that is injured or not doing well with a vet.)

“These communities wake up with the Quest,” says Marie- Sylvestre Belanger, executive director of the Yukon Quest International Association in Canada. “Sled-dog racing is a lifestyle and the spirit of the North.”

It’s in these small towns that the soul of the Yukon Quest is revealed. Racers share meals, visit with community members — some of whom have become old friends — and chat with some of the thousands of volunteers who come from far and wide.

“That’s what the Quest is about: the people and the dogs. It’s a cliché. You hear that all over the world, and I think most of the time, it’s bull,” says Van Dyke. “But in the Yukon, it’s very true. And once you’re a Yukoner, you’re always a Yukoner.”

The 2015 Yukon Quest journey runs from February 4 to 15. For info on it and Jerry Van Dyke Travel Service, visit jerryvandyke.com. For more details on the race itself, visit yukonquest.com.