In Weather Related News
The Yukon Quest has changed the trail in response to the effects of the recent ‘heat wave’ in Alaska and the Yukon.
The start was moved from the Chena River to Second Avenue in Fairbanks. The river is not considered stable enough to support the teams and spectators. Snow will be hauled in to cover the road for the start.
The finish has been moved from Whitehorse to Takhini Hot Springs, about 18 miles North, as there is no snow in Whitehorse.
For the second year in a row the trail over the American Summit is impassable, so the trail has routed around it.
The changes has reduced the length of the race to just over 900 miles from the normal 1000 miles.
In local news, the bridges, airports, schools, and government offices are closed and will remain closed until noon tomorrow at the earliest, which is anticipated to be the soonest the temperature will get above freezing and melt the ice that coats everything.
There are no plows, salt or sand trucks, snow tires – hell, there aren’t even windshield scrappers down here. I had to break the ice to open the garbage can which has a frosted flake look to it.
The local emergency management officials and government agencies at all levels took this storm seriously, so we haven’t had the mess that Atlanta is experiencing. People are staying home and off the roads, realizing that with the bridges closed you can’t go anywhere.
January 29, 2014 3 Comments
