Meet the Mushers draws hundreds of Yukon Quest fans days before Race Start

The start of the Yukon Quest is just two days away, and fans were able to go see the competitors for this year race last night in the annual Meet the Mushers event.

Hundreds of mushing fans all piled in to La Quinta Inns and Suites for a chance to talk to their favorite Mushers.

Most people in attendance also had the opportunity to get this year's race poster signed by the competitors .

The Mushers also received some gifts for the trail.

Fred Meyer provided them a hat full of snacks, hand warmers, and other things that may come in handy on the tough thousand mile trail to White Horse.

Fred Meyer also sent out food to the checkpoints for the teams.

There are 26 competitors in this year's edition of the Yukon Quest, including last year's champion Matt Hall and fan favorites Hugh Neff, Rob Cooke, Laura Neese, Allen Moore, and Ed Hopkins.

The starting order will be decided tonight at the Start and Draw Banquet.

The 35th annual Yukon Quest will begin on Saturday by the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.

The first musher will leave the Shute at 11am.

Marti Steury; Executive Director - Yukon Quest>>: "It was Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, oh my god. And here we are. And this is what we work all year long for. There's two staff members on each side of the border that just concentrate on the race. We also have store help and volunteers like crazy. But the whole year culminates in this. How crazy is this? We're here, the mushers are here, the dogs are here, the food has been shipped, the dogs have been checked, and the race starts on Saturday. Oh my gosh."