On Sunday, April 25th a wire will be attached from the top of the 30 foot tripod to the watch tower on shore. The tower will be manned around the clock from Sunday until the official breakup on the Tanana River. For the history and premise of the contest you should check out my original post on the Nenana Ice Classic.
Latest From the Ice Classic
The latest and last ice measurements are in from Nenana and as of April 19th the ice is 40.9 inches thick, the final measurement. It is also reported that upwards of 18 inches of water and slush has accumulated on top of the ice. We are expecting to hear the final tally and the JACKPOT for the 2010 classic on Tuesday, April 27th.
I bet everyone is wondering why I keep talking about the Nenana Ice Classic. Well, first, I played seven dates in the 2010 pool and could seriously use a bit of that expected quarter million plus jackpot. I also spent my first two months in Alaska just outside of Nenana so it’s a bit sentimental at this point. Beyond all of that it is the build up and release of winter, finally. There is no way to communicate what the long, dark winters of Interior Alaska are like. The sun rising at 11 am and setting at 3 pm, -40 (below 0) temperatures, ice fog, the ever grinding keep on keepin’ on of the Interior. In the lower 48 we’ve got Groundhog Day, March 20th – the first day of spring. Those things don’t mean too much up here. We have the Nenana Ice Classic. It is the definitive bearer of spring.
For those of you back home it is in many ways akin to the coming of the monsoons. Afternoon after afternoon the hot scorching sun bakes the dry earth of the desert floor and the days drag on. You take your pleasures in the short relief of the evening’s coolness and rejuvenate for another day. After months without water and only passing high clouds the black behemoths start to rumble in the West. The ground is thirsty and it steams with the first opening of the skies. We all take to the streets, dance, rejoice, and rejuvenate. A break in the cycle of endless sun the coming of the black clouds marks the summer’s demise. They seed the idea of the deserts loveliest time of year, the fall. The Nenana Ice classic is the end of a long, cold winter in the Interior. It is the time to rejoice in the coming of the much awaited summer.
Wish my guesses luck!
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