A lovely diversion (for me, at least) every winter is the Yukon Quest. It is such a brutal race, and yet people still seem keep signing up every year. This year the race began in Fairbanks (it switches back and forth every year), so of course we were going to see the mushers off!
This race is 1,000 miles long and runs from Fairbanks to Whitehorse, Canada. It is high in latitude, and goes over crazy terrain. Here is a map if you want to see the elevations they go through. They hit bad storms, and it's not uncommon for them to be in -60 degree weather.
It was supposed to be 15 degrees (notice no negative!), so I was excited to be out in warm weather. It ended up being -15, but I swear it was colder! JR went early because he needed video footage. When we met up with him, he'd lost feeling most major appendages, had a serious collection of mustach-icles, and literally had an icicle forming off the end of his nose. And he'd dressed well!
Amelia was stoked! The race starts on the frozen river, and Amelia was totally odded by 'walking on water' (I feel the same way, but my feelings include terror). We walked a little down the trail, so that we could bid the mushers good luck.
Look at these rosies! I think they actually burned, as they are still that rosy.
It made her day to to hi-five the mushers. Ask her, she'll still tell you!
Walking back, we went passed under the famous 'Antler Arch'. Why famous, who knows?
Now, for those of you who aren't around her in person, this is an all to common view. Her pants just don't stay up. New pants, old pants, small pants, bigger pants; no way, not happening. So here we are at -15, and she's gotta be nippy. She was digging in the snow like a dog, and JR swears it looks like she's using the 'outdoor facilities'. So classy, my little baby.
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