Fur Rondy 2012 Parade and Speed Dog Race

 We have been getting so much beautiful white fluffy snow in Anchorage these past weeks.  This is the snow pile that is accumulating on the roof of one of the outside classrooms at school.  If you look closely the roof snow is close to reaching the ground snow.







 I took this picture with my phone and decided to take my Cannon camera the next day to get a great photo. Unfortunately, the maintenance department was called to remove the snow curl because of the safety risk to the students.

Snow does not stop recess nor a friendly soccer game.  If you look closely, everyone is bundled up except my soccer players.  Dennis is in short sleeve and no gloves.  It is 10 degrees outside.  He doesn't even feel the weather!

 I was leaving school to attend a meeting and had a slight delay.  This bad boy crossed right in front of my car at the last minute.  Our snow piles along the street are higher than most cars so you have to slow down at street crossings to make sure no car is coming.  Well, this was bigger than a car.  This moose stopped and looked both ways before crossing into the street.

 This moose just followed.  He must have felt he was bigger than cars or since the other moose checked for cars and went he must be okay to cross the street as well.

This is the Anchorage School District Mascot. It was a collaboration from all 52 schools in the district.  Each piece represents a specif attitude, culture, and the statehood of Alaska. 

The girls made a quick stop at the Mug-Shot Saloon last week. Unfortunately, the artist wasn't there to draw our Mug-Shot photos to hang on the wall. I guess this means we have to go back another weekend to be placed on the Wall!

 If you remember I started my knitting career in Nome last year.  I started to make a quiviet headband. This extra soft and water proof yarn is from the undercoat of the Musk Ox.  It has taken me a year to finish it and I put it around a piece of paper so you can see the intricate pattern.

Let the day begin with a Parade. It was 7 degrees outside and a beautiful blue sky.  Snow and cold doesn't stop Alaskans from one of the biggest weekends in Alaska.  The World Championship Speed Dog Races will be one of the highlights of the day.

Let the parade begin.  I would like you to notice the differences in an Alaskan Parade versus a parade in your Town.

This is the mural on the side of building downtown.. Alaskans are very big on providing artwork on the city buildings.

This year's Ice Sculpture theme was Disney.  This is a tea cup that spins when you have a person sitting inside it.  Cleaver!
Ice Train.
Ice Raven

I stood next to this little three year old girl and admired her mukluk's. They are so cute. She has several pairs of socks on her feet so she can wear them for many years.

Remember it is 10 degrees outside.  This is how Alaskans watch parades.

Salute to our Military men and women.  Don't you love the whale mural in the background?

Fur Rondy KING.  Pretty awesome.

Fur Rondy is when the Native and Bush people bring their furs into Anchorage for auction. 

Lord Trapper and Lady Trapper. Quite the honor. Very similar to the Cotton Queen and King.

Anchorage has a HAZ-MAT unit.  We are so up scale.

When you think of a Trolley, most people think San Fran or downtown Memphis.  We have trolleys in Anchorage too!
The Kiwanis Club raises money by selling Fur Rondy pins.  If you are caught without wearing a Fur Rondy pin you run the chance of being put into JAIL.  It costs you $10 to get released.  It costs $7 for a pin.  A much better and safer deal.

Alaska even has its own Rodeo League.  I got hooked on watching Professional Bull Riding (PBR) on TV a few years ago.  I still watch it up here in Anchorage.  When the Midwest Vixens (Beth, Sheryl, Niki, Vanessa, Kara, and Kristin) went and rode the electric Bull downtown in January, we met several young men who were in the Alaska Rodeo League. We weren't sure they were telling the truth but now we know they were.

That is the biggest Radio Flyer Wagon I have ever seen.

The Bernice Mountain Dog Association participated in the parade.

The Alaska Horse Riding Trick Riders Club.  Who would have known? Look at that saddle.  Pretty tricky to me.

This is Princess Court for Fur Rondy.  Look closely, you will see they all look just like Germantown girls.

Have you ever seen a semi-truck in a parade? This one is hosting the Girl Scout troops.

Ahhh, the Motorcycle Gang.  Cheers! They are all here.

Perhaps I should get a fur hat with a crown for when I ride with David.

This is the future David and Sheryl!!!!

Have you ever seen a Polyp float?  I haven't but this is pretty cute.

Star is the Reindeer of Anchorage.  She can be visited by the public every day downtown.

This was so cute.  The boom box is playing "She thinks my tractor is Sexy".

And her boom box was playing "I am too Sexy for my tractor".

More parade goers.

Fur Rondy supporters!

Shriner's make their annual appearance.

Betcha have never seen this kind of Shriner before? Neither had that little boy.

A group of people danced in the parade to support the salmon industry.  Yummm!

Now this was another first.  The Airport Aircraft Fire and Rescue truck.  The Anchorage parade  offers a full spectrum of our wonderful town.

Miss Alaska 2012

Miss Alaska 2011

And another first.  I huge snowplow in our Anchorage parade.  Wow it is big.  Do you see the man standing next to the front blade. 

So begins the World Championship of Sled Dog Race 2012.  You will notice that these dogs are a whole lot different than Iditarod dogs.  Most of these dogs are Blue Point and some blends and a few huskies.

These dogs are short haired, lean and all they want to do is RUN!! The race is three days of a 25 mile sprint.The first day of the sprints the teams take off from the start line in Bib number order.  The second day the slowest team goes first, and the third and final day the fast team goes first.  The fastest team on day one went 25 miles in about 85 minutes.  That is pretty fast.

I took this picture of this particular athlete because he has a spotted body and dark head with a brown streak down his face.  Very unique but wow was he fast.

Here are some other athletes.  As you walk around the start line you all you can hear are the dogs howling "I am ready to race, let's get started, let me RUN". 

Now LOOK CLOSELY at this photo.  See the black dog in the harness.  A dog handler holds every two dogs on the rope so that they don't get tangled and they don't pull and run too early.  This ATHLETE (the black dog) is so ready to run he is jumping with adrenalin.  He jumps just about as high as the handler.The teams trainer is the gentleman in the fur hat and brown jacket in the background.  He walked over and loved on the black dog to calm her down before the race.

Again, LOOK CLOSELY.  The 16 dog team is so strong and all they want to do is RUN the musher and the dog sled is not strong enough to hold them back.  A snow machine (snow mobile) is required to be attached to the back of the sled to provide weight so the dogs don't keep running past the start line.  This particular team was so strong it required TWO gentlemen on the snow machine.

Another team was so excited that snow machine was trying to keep them slow and the dogs jumped so much the sled fell over.

In case you are wondering how the dog team is lined up and which dogs are going to run a particular race.  Each Dog Team has about 20 - 24 dogs available to run.  Some dogs get a dog off and cycle into the team rotation - just like human athletes.

The K-9 Ambulance is ready when and if needed.

Technology is everywhere.  But not when it comes to Dog Sled races.  The board is and moving pieces of paper with Team Numbers is the only way to keep track of where the team is on the trail.  It is 25 miles and when the team get to the farthest outpost they make a wide turn on the small float plane tarmac.  Then return to downtown Anchorage.  There are "watchers" every mile reporting in with walkies talkies. 

This is the Number 1 Musher who won the World Championship Dog Sled Race.

While the dogs are running the race, handlers are getting their food ready for them to eat when they return.  This team will be eating rice, fish bites, pork bites and a warm broth over all of it.  YUMMY!

This is one of the distinguished guests of the race. 

The grandstand seats (bleacher) for the race.  It was amazing to listen to these supporters. The lady in the back row had the most unusual cheer for her Home Town musher.

This is George Attla. He is from North Pole, Alaska.  George is 75 years old and the Most Winningest Fur Rondy Dog Sled Races.  George has won over 12 times.  Pretty impressive.  He was amazing to listen to his stories.  He told how the sleds have changed, how the technology of training has made the times so much faster, and of course he said he misses racing but his knees just can't take it anymore.

George's mother made these beautiful gloves.  They are made out of moose hide, sheared beaver and beads.  She beaded them herself.  The gauntlet portion of the glove goes almost up to the elbow.  The lady wearing them was so proud to show off the craftsmanship of this elder.

A close finish at the end.  The first two teams are coming across the finish line. 

The view never changes on a dog team!!! You can see the snow on the faces of the team. 

His is a great looking team coming across the finish line.  You see the dogs all in a row and the musher is really "pushing" to get the team across the finish line sooner. 

Please note the perfect form of this musher. Note his weight is over his straight leg, his pushing leg is bent and almost as high as his head.  You may have to look closely to see his black boot behind him (is is just to the bottom right of the girl in the turquoise hat).  Don't you love his fur gloves?

Musher 23, Mari Woods, had a bad day. At mile 15 her team lost it.  They might have got the scent of another dog or animal and got completely tangled up.  It took Mari almost 15 minutes to untangle the dogs. Just as she got them back in line the musher behind her passed her team and then Mari's dogs got all tangled again.  Poor Mari.  She crossed the finish line with her lead dog in the basket.  Apparently, the lead dog got injured and had to ride back in to town.  There is always next year to win.

Do you see Mari's sad face and the lead dog in the basket.

Here are two other athletes from another team.  They looked so calm and they wanted to keep running even after finishing the race.  They had to be unhooked from the line and attached to truck so they can eat to keep them from running.

As I got in my car this Big Raven cawed at me several time.  I took his call to mean "the race is over."

I hope you enjoyed seeing an Alaskan Parade and World Dog Sled Races.  It is another amazing event in my Alaskan adventure. 

My brother, Chip, arrives later this week to share the beginning of the Iditarod Race with me.  I have so many wonderful things planned for our week and he will be going home to Chicago very tired. 

  Share what you have because it will make you richer. 

Until my next post.

Hugs from the North

Nanuq