EAGLE — Overdue Two Rivers musher Greg Parvin and his dogs were found “safe and healthy” by friends on snowmachines Saturday morning.
Parvin, traveling in last place in the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, was located by Fred and Angie Kuykendall of Fairbanks about 22 miles from the Stewart River checkpoint, where he left with three other mushers Thursday morning.
“He wasn’t really found because he wasn’t really lost. He was just overdue,” Quest official Doug Grilliot said Saturday from Dawson City.
Quest officials became concerned when Parvin, an experienced musher but Quest rookie, did not arrive Friday afternoon as expected after becoming isolated from fellow back-of-the-pack mushers Bob McAlpin, Kyla Boivin and Yuka Honda on the 99-mile leg from Stewart to Dawson City.
Late Friday afternoon, two planes made a cursory search for Parvin as well as Honda, who was also running behind. Honda was spotted and mushed into Dawson City Friday at 6:36 p.m. following a nearly 34-hour trip from Stewart River, also known as Scroggie Creek.
Parvin, however, remained unaccounted for and a Quest-arranged search by airplane and snowmachine using Canadian Rangers was set for 8 a.m. Saturday.
The Kuykendalls, however, took matters into their own hands Friday night, obtained snowmachines and followed the trail in reverse, discovering Parvin Saturday morning, Grilliot said.
“He was just camping,” Grilliot said. “He was having some (dog) leader problems, I think.”
The Kuykendalls, who took food for Parvin and his dogs, then alerted Quest officials by satellite phone that Parvin had been found, said Grilliot.
Parvin declined the option offered by officials of backtracking to Stewart River to be airlifted out with his dogs.
Parvin was reportedly in good spirits and running his dog team toward Dawson City. He is expected to arrive there this morning, his girlfriend Leslie Dickson said late Saturday night.
Parvin, 39, will officially scratch from the race after reaching Dawson City, Grilliot said.
What had further worried officials and Parvin’s friends was word that Parvin had initially left Stewart River late Wednesday afternoon and inexplicably returned there about eight hours later before setting off again Thursday morning.
“The dogs, I think, maybe after making that extra loop just ran out of steam at the front end,” Grilliot said.
Parvin has mushed for eight years and last fall moved from Nome to Two Rivers.
Meanwhile, Honda became the fourth musher to scratch, dropping out on Saturday afternoon. Honda, from Japan, had been scheduled to leave Dawson City this morning after her 36-hour mandatory layover.
No official reason was given for Honda’s scratch, though her slow speed contributed to the decision, said Grilliot.
A 5-year-old female in Honda’s team, Jewel, died Sunday from choking on her vomit after the sled got away from Honda for about 10 miles.
“We all were (rooting for her to finish),” said Grilliot.
With Honda and Parvin dropping out, Kyla Boivin of Whitehorse is the new Red Lantern musher, being the last to leave Dawson at 8:28 p.m. Saturday.
In addition to the four scratched mushers, J.T. Hessert was withdrawn from the race Thursday, primarily for not having a handler.
Hessert said Friday he intended to continue to run the Quest trail with his dog team independently.
“I believe he is still traveling up the trail,” said Grilliot.
Contact staff writer Matias Saari at msaari@newsminer.com.
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