the nenana ice classic

since 1917, nenana has been the site of the annual nenana ice classic.  a statewide game of chance to guess the day, hour, and minute  the ice will go out on the tanana river.  the winner(s) collect or share about $300,000 in recent years. a chance costs $2.50.  many stores, bars, restaurants across the state receive a packet of tickets and a red 5 gallon can for completed guesses.

started by railroad workers to stifle cabin fever from long cold winters. today a black and white striped tripod is embedded into the frozen river in march. several weeks before breakup the tripod is connected by a line festooned with small flags to a tower on the dock. once the tripod moves 300 feet, the line through a series of pulleys stops a clock and triggers a siren, alerting our small community.  the watchman on duty at the time, verifies the time, opens the guess book displaying the page with the winning time, and secures the watchtower.  it's not long before many people from fairbanks and along the parks highway start arriving on the dock to see breakup for themselves. many expressing disappointment. comforted a bit by pride in how close they came to winning. having the right time but maybe the wrong day, or ONLY one hour off.  it's not uncommon for those watching the news reports and expecting the ice to move at any time to take the drive to nenana in hopes of being  on the dock when  it moves. RV visitors come prepared and determined to wait just to witness this. this includes a fairbanks radio station hoping to catch the singular moment the clock stops.

a rite of our alaskan spring, the ice classic unofficially signals the start of summer for interior alaska. once the river is free of it's winter cover and the water again begins carving the river banks and making sandbars, waterfowl from creamers field in fairbanks and all the hundreds of lakes along the tanana valley migrate to the river.  as a young man going to the uaf in fairbanks, i knew when the ice went out by the sudden absence of these birds. while they disappear from the mainland, they multiply on the river. there will be bands of geese, ducks, swans, cranes flying everywhere.  spring has truly arrived and summer is imminent.

for now however, the work of tabulating thousands of guesses into a book is at hand.  any local wishing a short term job is hired. many locals talk fondly of their first job at the ice classic and how the work was done in the old days. somehow it was better then. before computers and when every guess was counted and recorded by hand.
the tabulation work starts soon after the ticket deadline of midnight April 5th. all the red  cans from across the state are collected in person or sent by private freight. state law prohibits using the mail service or the Internet for gaming.  i find this as a confining restriction but i'm unable to speak of the current law with any degree of reliability. suffice it to say, nenana finds a way to gather all guesses within the confines of regulation..unencumbered and with the approval of lawmakers and administrators, many who have purchased a guess. each ticket outlet starts with a red can, ice classic brochures, and a batch of tickets identified by serial numbers and log sheets. all issued shortly after the tripod is raised in the 1st weekend in march, celebrated as tripod days.  it's become a much larger event from the early days of the railroad.

after completed guesses are returned the total from that location is counted by weighting the contents of the can. over the years this process has been refined and improved. much of the process can be considered proprietary so i will not go into detail.

with guesses returned  it is certain that temporary local work will be available in the community civic center. the rush to build a thick book of guesses. then the only thing to do is wait for the river to select a winner, and very often more than one. there are many office pools buying blocks of tickets, improving their chance of a win by selecting blocks of dates.  in the past there have even been individuals using computers and the science of statistics. having some success these people really have the same chance of winning as the normal everyday individual buying a single chance. their statistics are flawed unless the weather can be factored into the mix. regardless of weather, ice thickness, and the melt on the tanana valley floor. in my mind the primary  factor is the speed of the melt and runoff in the alaska range foothills at the tanana river headwaters.

eventually the river opens up above the nenana railroad bridge and the nenana river runoff cuts an open below the parks highway bridge. then the Hugh sheet of ice in between at least a half mile long and as wide as our river moves tripod and all.  some years in exceptionally warm weather the ice will honeycomb and break into small floating islands collectively gathering against the tripod to push it out. unlike the yukon with super sized cakes of ice grinding and thundering for miles, the tanana river breakup is comparatively mild. some years the melt is so rapid that the ice rots around the tripod base. it leans then falls. lying down, as if it's tired of waiting. still anchored to the ice it will move with breakup and trip the clock.

it makes no difference how dramatic the ice may move.  in nenana it's all about the commotion  caused when the clock stops. newspapers statewide report with front page articles and our dock fills with all makes and sizes of vehicles containing visitors from near and far, looking at our river returned again but mainly checking the clock and book of guesses for themselves. most leave without a win but with fond memories of their nenana visit watching the ice leave our river on it's way to the yukon carrying the tripod with it, the yukon usually breaks up around a week later.

while all this activity is happening, many locals including yours truly will be preparing boats for the first ride of the season. launching at the first sign of interior alaska heat. i'll be curious as to what damage the moving ice has done to familiar picnic spots, riverside fish camps, and willow islands. as a young man i would launch and follow the ice. hunting as i go. spring camping is the best as the country wakes up and comes alive.
having gotten our water back we can now begin our summer of work and play on the river that is our home.  if we've had some luck our gas will be paid for by the ice that kept our river still for 8 months. but most like me will pay the $3.50+/gallon to take a boat ride.
spring breakup resets our personal clocks and sets in motion all those activities making nenana a summer home until it freezes again in october. the returning cold and ice preceded only by 24 hour daylight, fish camp, fall moose camp, and berry patches. part of the fabric of life in our alaska home.

most here would not have it any other way, win or loose. so i must put down this blog and return to the work of preparing my boat.

the spring can be stingy with it's winter cold. a good hard chill is my friend.

spring time in Alaska starts in march with a low ENE sun, the horizon begins to glow at about 7:00 am setting later each day around 8:00pm.

the tops of the tallest spruce are first to brighten~~then long timber shadows sweep across lakes, holding down the morning chill in every lump and dip across the deceptively smooth open.

at about 1:00 the sun sits due south. despite it's elevation, the  low sun is much more intense than other times. or maybe it's just me waking up after a winter of 6 hour days and long clear cold nights.

ice and snow turning to crystal,

nature's way of gathering up the winter water to sweep it away.

time to  put away the winter parka.

take out a less bulky, windproof, warm spring/fall parka.  adjusting the outdoor gear for the work and play that's about to begin.

despite the warmer day temps of  20-45 degrees, wind can and will rise at any time to put a damper on any outdoor activity. changing gear does not mean putting away the old.  it's wiser to just put aside for now. it can turn very cold quickly.

the spring and it's cold is a good time for working and running a snowmachine through portages clearing wind fall.  trails will stay good for maybe another month.  it's the dog racing season with hard packed slippery trails.

clearing and maintaining a portage is all day hot sweaty work.

snow from willow falls getting arms and shoulders wet,

even with a hard spring freeze it's easy to sweat from cutting windfall and tossing it off the trail.  sweat and a low sun can put a serious chill on an active body.

to counteract while working i am always mindful of open areas next to a good dry timber stand bathed in sunlight as a place to stop unzip my parka and carharts to vent moisture.

it's this time of year when our ubiquitous carharts getting wet around the cuff grow balls of ice on each hanging fray.  making round clacking ice tassels.

working in the portage...anticipating spring.

with carhart ice golf balls walking down a hard trail, i imagine how soft this trail will soon get.  how the sloughs and lakes are gathering water to make overflow even when below +32 degrees.

there will be much danger in due time.

but no worries, it's the easiest of all dangers to overcome by paying attention to snow surfaces and water flow.
i follow the sun. it's warmth brings both danger and safety. as a warm day in the portage progresses....snow and ice crystallize.

when i start punching through the trail i elevate my attention to more and more dark patches growing on the lakes and sloughs. i see ever so slight dips in large open areas and other signs of water. this tells me maybe it's time to quit for the day.

keeping in mind where the moose tracks were heading.  i will start again tomorrow on the morning crust and follow yesterday's tracks from an otherwise inaccessible place. see if they divert, and work my way back home from the other end of the portage.

melted from day, an early morning chill makes a crust on the snow.  traveling becomes very easy, with a lower risk of water danger.  when i go out in the morning riding the crust i can go just about anywhere. returning the next morning on the same crust.  by noon the crust will start to collapse. overflow seeps up from lakes and creek bottoms. 

with a little speed i can cross overflow on the short lived crust, but as soon as it fails>> water and slush become obstacles.

get stuck in overflow and it could be a survival test.  not only may a fire be needed, but if i get stuck my ride will be packing a load of slush, freezing to skis, tracks, running boards.  making my ride at least double it's original weight.

it will become useless unless it's cleaned.

a discerning eye and experience will help avoid trouble, but if there's one thing I've learned over the years.....

i can apply my knowledge each year to trails, lakes, and sloughs....

but I've never learned it all.  over confidence is a killer!

as warm weather takes it's time,

anticipation builds by the day,

on a good spring crust a person can walk on top of deep snow through the brush anywhere.  i always used these times to explore areas i wouldn't normally be able to access such as deep creeks, ridge passes or crossings.

the perfect weather to head out cross country to lakes and rivers for some serious ice fishing.  people all along the river right now are pulling out huge pike from the Yukon.

I've talked with locals about going out and setting a lush line here...but it never seems to come together. so many other things to do at this time of year.

sigh...if only i had use of both my legs and arms i would be out spearing a hole in the ice, hunting pike and ling-cod (lush).

but i cannot on my own. such is my world today, must tolerate my left side paralysis and depend on the goodness of others.

so....on my own I'll try to take in as much other spring activities as i can if even only to watch, like sledding on the north nenana toghotelle hill. or nenana's ice classic tripod raising, or the north American championship dog races in Fairbanks.  the country and city begin to come alive with the longer warmer days. the spring fever bug is everywhere. most of us spend much more time outdoors enjoying the many spring carnivals and other activities typical of this time of year.

everyone is waiting for the bands of calling geese, ducks, cranes, and swans.  soon they will arrive along with little birds everywhere. spring cleaning of my yard also means maintaining a bird house.  good to have as many birds living near me as possible to help keep the mosquitoes down all summer. and they make good company, becoming very tame provided your karma is right.  it wasn't uncommon for a swallow to briefly land on my head after I've spent days working around the yard. my boy as a toddler would get so excited when this happened and would giggle uncontrollably with delight. made the Little birds nervous and they would flee, sitting in nearby trees waiting for calm quiet to return.

a quiet broken only by laughing geese and puffed up frogs. all singing to their sweethearts. dancing cranes adding to the beauty that is our alaskan spring.  the country comes alive and promises 24 hour daylight.

newborn moose caves renewing life in the north. munching on pussy willows, that my childen learned to call moose baby food.

it's spring...a celebration!

checking mail

everyone here has a post off ice box.  street addresses are few. the post ofice makes for a good place to meet others.  the post office does fine with the few packages i get.  and they also manage to provide ample fire starter while keeping my bills dry. it's bulletin board is one of the good spots, along with the store. to check on town happenings. everyone comes to the post office eventually.

i'll take my time since there's never  a need to rush and check mail, unless I'm expecting something. a check in the mail will get the most attention. besides i just collect mail while missy engages her nose to catch up on all her local news; like who's in heat, or the prowl. then she leaves her mark for others to catch up on her news.

we're not just checking mail, collect is more accurate. newspaper ads, monthly bills, and newsletters.

along about 2pm i'll fire up my truck for the 5 mile run up the parks hwy to town. people will be moving around by that time. missy gets excited as we leave the parks hwy onto nenana's main street. she's eager and starts whining as we reach the old railroad depot and  turn to go to the post, corner of 2nd and B sts.  most of the time, the disabled space is open.  but some people rush using whatever is handy including these marked spaces without a permit.

it bothers me, and often hinders my mobility, but i make do.

maybe not every day, but the flag marking our post often seems to be in motion. nenana has a habit of catching the wind from the river valley and toghotthele hill just across the river. missy jumps out of the truck heading to her favorite sniffing spots. it takes me some time to climb the stairs. so i let missy go...... get her fill.

reaching the door i call her, "checking mail!"   she comes bounding up ready to go in. and with a bit of luck there will be others there doing the same as us.

both our postal mistress', brenda and Teresa always gives missy and i a big hello.  catching us emptying our cubby hole of paper into my mail bag. takes no longer than it takes a hungry man to eat a meal. and we're done. except for the visit. meeting others always results in a highlight for the day.  seems to always be new faces in town. maybe visitors or newcomers.  really makes no difference. one cannot  spend time passing each other and not saying anything, good old Alaskan hospitality will begin a conversation.

i always start with a handshake and my name. the usual response,  "oh...a demientieff. are you related to mitch, shirley, kathy?" or many others, downriver, down the hwy, or in town. happy to know someone in common.  of course, i know them, and they happen to be my relations.

happens to be one of the largest families in the state.

mail retrieved but we're not going home yet.

an occasional stop at the store for items needed before my next trip to fairbanks.  i'll check their bulletin board.  say hi to ty and marilyn.  our only store was established here in 1916 by long time local family, Coghill.

one can read their story in jack Coghill's book, growing up in alaska.

final stop is just across the street at jester's palace. one of nenana's watering holes, see who's tending bar and who's full of it.  after ordering my usual VO and water.  i'll sit back relax, while missy waits in the truck.  all town dogs, 'cept for the bar owners were kicked out last summer. otherwise she would normally lay at my feet patiently waiting. as she normally does.

greeting everyone and being a gentle talking dog.  those who know missy, ask her the same question, "how's life?"  to which she always replies the same, "ruff". everyone seems to love my pound dog.

catching up on the local news is best in the bar. jaded as it were, all information seems to funnel through the only 2 downtown bars.

not only is it important you see others, but just as important to be seen.  if you don't show up somewhere in town, someone will be checking on you.  see if smoke is coming from your stove pipe. literally and figuratively.  keeping an eye on each other is a popular past time.  one might say the worst the news....the harder we listen.  this i think is typical of all small communities.  we have our own city politics, school issues, reluctant vehicles, and in nenana oil & wood, weather and ice breakup debates. without exception, everyone eventually agrees on how different things are these days, but that's about it.

.

done with town errands it's home again to fix our dinner taken out to thaw before leaving.

if there's lots of work at home i will go straight to the post then directly home.  winter daylight doesn't allow for much lollygaging.  but i evjoy my rounds through town.  it's my connection with who i am and how i belong.  but it's oh so good to get home again, where it's easy to walk and we're safe.

dinner and we wrap up our day.  homesteading work tomorrow...rest.