Subtle Hues of Light Are Almost Hypnotic
I am back in Eugene and in a relative sense, sweating like a pig, since it’s 40 degrees here.
Yesterday we woke up early and cleaned the cabin and got ready to roll out to the Yukon Quest, the annual 1,000 international sled dog race. We said our goodbyes to Tom and let him know how much we appreciated staying at his home. As predicted, some snow had fallen the night before. It was less than an inch but made everything look pretty and covered the ice. As people we had spoken with had stated, they needed the snow and it made it easier on the sled dogs too with softer trails to run on.
I had put the salmon roe outside so as not to forget it in the freezer and I noticed it had gone missing. I asked Dan if he had moved it and he hadn’t. Looking around, we saw the scoundrel Cooper trying to bury it and Dan chased him down to retrieve it. All of a sudden, Cooper and a Cooper look alike came charging into the house. Bogart, who I later found out was Cooper’s brother, and Cooper rolled around like puppies. It was too adorable and quickly they were forgiven for taking my stash of salmon roe.
We arrived at the cultural center 20 minutes before the Yukon Quest kicked off and we enjoyed that there were so many people in good spirit. Kids were bundled up and running around. Church groups were handing out hand warmers. And we even caught a glimpse people skating on the frozen Chena River. In even numbered years, the race goes from Fairbanks to Whitehorse. In odd numbered years, the race starts in Whitehorse and ends in Fairbanks. It traverses the rugged terrain of the Yukon Territory for 1,000 miles. This is the second biggest race in Alaska, the biggest race of course being the Iditarod. This year there were 23 mushers and Dan and I were excited to be part of the scene.
The Crowds Come Out to Watch the Yukon Quest
Nobody Refrains From Including the Little Ones in Outdoor Activities
A short time later, we heard the speaker announce the race and the crowds cheered. #1 is off with twelve dogs leading the pack. We were down the line a bit but in less than a minute, #1 and his team of dogs swooshed on by us. Riley told us the dogs go an average of nine miles per hour, so that gives you an idea of how quickly they are moving. About the speed of a leisurely bike ride. The master of ceremonies began the intro for the next musher, their history in past races and in three minutes, they were off. Again, the crowds were cheering. It’s likely that a lot of the attendees have some connection to at least one of the racers. The dogs wore boots to protect against sharp ice and they looked cute running by in unison with booties on.
And They Were Off, Booties and All
Brett Sass, #8, was the winner of the Yukon Quest last year and he was #8 this year. He was getting quite the applause during his intro and his dogs were on fire. We stuck around to watch his departure and then we made our way to the cultural center to explore the museum component of it. The layout was such that the rooms were arranged by season and mainly covered topics related to local foods, home tasks and age old traditions. One thing I found very interesting about Alaska and had never considered, since it’s the opposite situation in temperate regions, is that some parts of Alaska only become accessible in the winter once the ground is frozen, as the land is too marshy in the warmer season and could not support the impact from animals or bush planes. One point that keeps hitting home, when learning about Alaskans, is just how tenacious they are. Wimps cannot and do not survive here.
Some Traditional Lore About Athabascans and Bears
Sled Dogs LOVE Getting Attention – The Siberian Huskies Were Running a Shorter Distanced Race Later that Day
We found an acceptable lunch at Thai restaurant. The food scene is lagging behind Portland a bit in this regard. I’ll not broach the topic further and leave it at that.
Dan and I walked to the Co-op that was closed last night and there were art shops and a dog mushing museum. We met the artist on display at the gift shop and he was born on a greyhound bus when his sixteen year old mom was traveling from Alabama to Vermont. I am not sure exactly how he ended up in Alaska, but he is a perfect example of the eccentric storied man who chooses to live there.
The dog mushing museum displayed the history through the years – theories on how dog mushing came into being, which they suppose started in Russian in 16th century. The dogs were essential to their owners in the gold rush years through the Klondike region. Crossing over Chilkoot Pass, the people needed on average about 1,000 pounds worth of supplies. At points, the dogs could not climb that steep and their owners need to carry their dogs over the pass. Along with their supplies, they were making as many as 50 trips up and down Chilkoot Pass. Reading about these tall tales made me feel like our Alaskan adventure was for bourgeoisie wimps!
Look at the People Climbing Chilkoot Pass!
Actual Dog Sleds from Years Ago
We said our goodbyes to downtown, returned our snowshoes, picked up some extra buffalo meat, and salmon roe and went for our last walk in the area along a section of the Chena River that was not frozen. It is a very nice ritual to go for a walk before getting cooped up a plane. The fresh snow sparkles with shimmering rainbows and the hoarfrost crystallized on a good many of the branches. Adding in a healthy heaping of the special light that abounds in subtle hues, it was a magnificent sight and a vision that I will live inside me for a long time.
Hoarfrost Glistens and Sparkles
Even a Stroll in Town Is a Visually Intense Experience