The Rondy, as it's now known, is a gathering of folks from all over for food, gifts, shopping, carnival rides, shows, the Miners & Trappers Ball, eating, games, and fun. The World Championship Sled Dog Races will be taking place today through Sunday. My oldest girl worked on one of the "pit crews" last year - helping a musher to get her dogs hitched to the traces, and to keep them from taking off until the announcer says to "GO!"
The crowds and carnival atmosphere are lots of fun, especially coming three-quarters of the way through a long winter, with little else to do.
For me, the sled dog racing has been the best part. Now that I'm no longer managing property on the starting line, as I have for the last four years, I'll miss standing on the roof, 30 feet above 4th Avenue, watching the dogs run.
These pics won't capture the spirit of being in the crowd, with conversation drowned out by the dogs yelping & begging to run (they live for this!). But to be part of the crowd and excitement is a big part of the fun. And it will be cold - vendors will be making a fortune selling coffee and hot chocolate - but as one old sourdough told me, "You haven't been to the races until you've frozen your butt off." He's right!
3 comments:
Sled dog races? It has to be cold! If it's not coldder than a well digger's..em..er..toes! that's it toes, well you might as well be surfing.
is there enough snow in Anchorage for the race this year?
I only made the Rondy once..one heck of a party even back in 1982
GuyK, the Muni stockpiles snow on the hillside above town, and hauls it down to pack 4th Avenue for the races. Afterward, they haul it all away again. Yes, there's still snow in town, but the streets were cleared some time ago.
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