Jun 24, 2005 — One of northern New York's top canoe racers is traveling west today. Brian McDonnell will compete in the Yukon River Quest, a 400-mile paddle race in northern Canada. McDonnell is 47 years old and runs a guide service in Lake Clear. He also organizes the annual 90-mile canoe race between Old Forge and Saranac Lake. He told Brian Mann that the Yukon race passes through some of the wildest country in North America. The Yukon River Quest begins next Wednesday.