In and Around Fairbanks

Well, Philadelphia is known as the mural city.  But Fairbanks has its art too.  We have many, many ice sculptures dotting the town, not to mention our world class ice park which attracts sculptures from all over the world.

The ice is delivered in huge blocks to various businesses, etc. who then pay a carver who starts in January.  The sculptures last until the end of April.  Last year the University, which has several sculptures of its mascot, Nanook (polar bear) around the campus, then took the melting sculptures and put them all in one place and it was fun to watch them shrink!

       Our census advertisement!

 This is supposed to be Al Gore.

 This is one of my favorites outside a local sports store called Prospectors.

 Outside the local Wendy's.  Go figure

        This one was an utter mystery to both us!  

 Nanook

  Ad for the local wood stove shop.

 Outside David's office.  Every year Design Alaska sponsors the holiday concert and makes an ornament and ice sculpture representing an instrument.  This year was a flute.  Each builing at UAF gets to design their own ice sculpture.  This is outside the Biology and Wildlife building.   This is outside of my building and, I think it is supposed to be Rocky and Bullwinkle.

  Outside of the International Arctic Research center.

 This is in a rotary in North Pole.

ITS QUEST TIME

Well, the Yukon Quest began in Fairbanks today, February 6.  The week started off with the Banquet during which all the mushers pick their start numbers and give a little speech.  I did the silent auction and was pleased that we raised $1000.00.

Then two days later came Meet the Mushers, a free event during which the mushers sign posters and talk to their fans. 

Then Saturday was the start of the 1000 miles race to Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. We met at 8 am for a pancake breakfast, hung around until 10:30 and then the race started to start.  Below is a photo of our city before the crowds.

The staging area was above the bridge in town. 

  

 

         

   

      





Then when it was time, each sled to race, each sled led down the ice ramp onto the river, dragging a braked snow machine to slow the dogs down.  Then the dogs and sled were released from the snow machine and run to right before the strat line where they waited for the team before them to go off, then they had three minutes and they were off!

 I was working chute security which meant that I got to keep the crowds away from the dogs as they were led into the shoot.

The weather was a warm 18 degrees ABOVE zero, the warmest its been all winter, so everyone was quite happy.  But they did provide us with a moveable feast of fire!

Then the race started!  Here is the crowd favorite, Lance Mackey off at #11.

          

 

  

   

   

  

 



Once all the 24 mushers got off, David and I drove past our house and followed the trail to about 10 miles past our house where we could see the teams run towards the first checkpoint.  It took them about 4 hours to run the first 40 or so miles and in that time the order of the racers switched dramatically (which meant nothing in terms of the final outcome).

David and I stood watching into the woods for the first sign of mushers and then one by one they were upon us (with many minutes in between) as silent as the night.  But, so happy!  As Lance went by he said, in quite a conversational tone, "Isn't this just the greatest ride?"

 

  And then my favorite, Brent Sass rode on by, waved and again said as he ran by, "What great weather.  This is a great race."  Just the idea that these guys recognized me and talked as they ran!  Wow!

  Now we will follow the race on line as they head for the next 10 days to Whitehorse.

Then we will pack up and go to Anchorage the first weeekend in March for the Iditerod where 5 of the Quest mushers will run the Iditerod.

Something New

David and I were lucky enought o go to Valdez this past weekend, January 16 and 17 for a survey related trip.

Alaska certainly is a state of extremes. Although it was warm (by Fairbanks standards...20 - 34 degrees ABOVE 0)..the snow was certainly noteworthy. About a month and a half ago Valdez had over 4 feet of snow fall in 3 days. AND TAKE NOTE ALL YOU TEACHERS...NOT ONE DAY OF SCHOOL WAS MISSED. THE STREETS WERE CLEAN BY 8 AM EVERY DAY. That being said, there were lots set aside just for snow removal and, as you can see, the parking lot snow mounds were about 16 feet high. Please note that the first mound is the parking lot snow pile, mirrored by the mountain in the background. 

This guy is shoveling snow off the roof onto a pile of snow that reaches from the ground to the roof!

As a town of 3000, Valdez makes Fairbanks look quite city like.  And although the setting is spectacular, similar to Homer with the sea and the mountains, because it is on the coast, it is gray and snowy much of the time.  Not for me!  Give me the cold any time.

The trip to Valdez was spectacular.  Here is a sample of what we saw: The caribou and moose were all over!

The frozen waterfalls were blue! And the lighting was marvelous.           

Valdez is the end of the pipeline.  Here is the terminal.  Unfortunately we could not take any photos of Prince Williams Sound because a squall blew in and there was no visibility over the water!

Valdez is a long (7 hour)...360 mile trip) from Fairbanks but well worth it!

A New Year, 2010

Some folks have complained that we have not posted a blog in a long time. Well, that is true, not because we are not doing anything, but because we are now repeating everything we have done. NOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING!!!!

If we liked it the first time, we are loving it the second time.

For David's birthday we rented a cabin in one of our favorite parks, Wrangle St Elias.  The only problem with it is that it is very far away...about 5 hours from Fairbanks.  The plus is that it is the largest park in the US and has only one road.  the park is the size of West Virginia, so the likelihood of meeting anothe person is quite remote.

We rented the only cabin you can easily walk to.

       

    

We have been busy just living and enjoying.  This is why we love Fairbanks:

 David stepped outside of his workplace on Jan. 14 at about 3:30 and took this photo of the sunsetting behind the power plant.