World Championship Sled Dog Races

We were downtown for the beginning of the sled dog races today, beginning with the parade at 10:30 -- (after 8 am yoga!) -- it was about 15 degrees but felt much colder due to the wind.  We've upped our equipment for standing around in the cold since we've been here, and Judy bought a white mink storm troopers hat today at one of the booths downtown (see picture)-- the celebration is called Fur Rondy, celebrating a tradition of fur traders coming in to town to sell their furs at the end of winter.  The week culminates in the Iditarod next Saturday, starting right downtown and the Tour of Anchorage cross-country ski race on Sunday (which Brian will be doing).  Pictures here of the dog sled races -- we stopped for hot drinks in a bakery downtown and talked to a young woman here in Anchorage for the weekend with her husband, who was one of the dog sled racers and two of her three young sons.  They fly here, fly the dogs too, as it's the only way to get here from their village of 300 people in southwest Alaska -- she only comes to Anchorage once a year.  We'll go to the fireworks right downtown in a little while - they start at 6:45 pm, when it gets dark.  The dog sled races go right down the main street of town and then onto the multi-use trails that run throughout the city, and back - about 20 miles. Some of the pictures are like "Heartbreak Hill" in the Heart Run in Utica -- it's a pretty steep hill, and you can tell by the pictures of the dogs trying to get up it on their trip back!  The final of three days of races is tomorrow and the times are totaled for the winners.  Dogs get dropped each day if they're not performing well so that they're running their fastest dogs, but they start with a team of 20 dogs in this championship series.  More skiing tomorrow - we didn't get much of that done this week, so we'll ski on part of the trails where we can see the dogs coming through on a cross - trail. 

Dogsledding and Back-country skiing

A full weekend!  We assisted at a dog sled race again this weekend -- we're getting "highly trained" now -- we're almost up to holding the dogs ourselves while they get "painted" - a spot on "right front paw" or "left back leg" or another combination!  And, it was COLD!  About 4 below the whole time.  Judy ordered boot s with felt liners but they didn't come yet -- today it was supposed to be just as cold for skiing but it was warmer than predicted - about 10 degrees when we finished.  There is one picture here that Brian took of Judy with two other Meet-Up people we were skiing with.  A perfect day, one of the few where there has been this much powder, so it was great for going up into the mountains a little and skiing down under control.  It was fun!  Brian was going to go back out and skate ski tonight, but we talked to Jessica and then Colin and April over Skype, and it might have been that second glass of wine he had while we were talking that has him now sitting on the couch watching basketball -- so maybe dinner and a movie in the DVD player for tonight!

An Afternoon Ski

Out for a quick ski before the Super Bowl this afternoon, and look who joined us on the trail -- a mother and her calf having a lazy afternoon -- if you call finding something to eat in the winter lazy, I guess!  On the way out I took a couple of pictures of them foraging along the trail, but they moved into the woods and they didn't turn out that well.  On the way back, they had found a spot to lay down and watch the world go by! 

Our First Dog Sled Race!

We volunteered to assist at a dog sled race today -- Brian was part of the "painting spots on the dogs' legs" crew and you'll see Judy here with the official clipboard!  This was the second of a three day race, but they were short races each day from the same starting point and slightly different routes.  The Tozier Track is about 20 minutes from our house.  They paint a spot on the leg or paw to signify a dog that is starting on the first day, and then a spot of a different color today for a dog that's being "dropped" -- too slow or some reason why they can't race, etc. If they don't race on the second day, they can't be put in the third day.  Then we checked at the start line to make sure they had the right number of dogs starting and that they all had the right number of spots!  They could start with ten dogs, but some had 7, 8, or 9 -- I guess you only want the fast ones, so if they're having a slow day or week, you're better off leaving them home! In the pictures, you may not be able to tell how excited the dogs are!  It takes all of those people to hold them back and keep them a little bit calmed down because they're yelping and yanking against the ropes and jumping around -- they're really loud! 

And it was cold this morning!  5 degrees at the start -- we ended the day with another ski and just finished -- only 10 degrees tonight but not too bad for a 10k ski, a beautiful and clear night. I think we're signed up to assist at another dog race next weekend!  More painting spots, more dogs in next weekend's race! 

A Warmer Alaska

Wow!  30 degrees when we skied tonight, we didn't go out til 8:00 pm, and saw a moose by the trail too!  Brian's trying to ski everyday - he's thinking of doing a race at the beginning of March.  He skied all weekend while Judy was in Los Angeles (high 60s there)!  The temperature has been wonderful here, 20s up to low 30s - when it's in the low 30s here, it's so much drier that the snow texture is still great. 

We have a new experience scheduled for this weekend - we're helping with a sled dog race -- maybe Sunday too.  I think we have to paint spots on the dogs' hindquarters or something to certify them as the ones in the race -- we'll know how to describe it better after we do it -- maybe pictures too! 
We're leading up the weeks just before the Iditarod, so we're trying to get in the spirit of things and understand this dog race stuff!

And . . . we bought a new spring and mattress the other night so we'll have a guest room totally set up in a couple of weeks waiting for company!  Tomorrow is Friday -- the start of another weekend - a little fresh snow and in the 20s all week -- Brian just said tonight, "you have to pinch yourself!" 

Enjoying life in Alaska!