17 February 2011

Thursday's Alaska Trivia

Iditarod racers are required to have all their "drop bags" at a facility in Anchorage by today, for delivery to the check stations and rest areas along the 1,100-mile route. Each musher must have 60 pounds of dog food, along with their own food and other supplies, at each of 20 stations along the way.

The ceremonial start of the 2011 Iditarod is Saturday, March 5, in downtown Anchorage. 62 mushers are signed up to compete.

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Alaska is 2.5 times the size of Texas. Measuring from north to south, the state is approximately 1,400 miles long and measuring from east to west it is 2,700 miles wide.

At low tide, it's 3 times the size of Texas, but that's just adding insult to injury. Heh.

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In 1915 the record high temperature in Alaska was 100 degrees Fahrenheit at Fort Yukon; the record low temperature was -80 degrees Fahrenheit at Prospect Creek Camp in 1971.

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