Bright mornings of cold clear skies are appreciated here in Fairbanks. Our Tuesday morning photo seminar went quickly since we were all anxious to catch the first mushers of the Yukon Quest. Walking down to the river it was easy to catch the excitement of joining the crowds across the bridge and gathering around the finish.
The dogs rounded the corner and soon ran under the bridge. Cheers, shouts and claps followed them all the way down the finish line corridor. I loved having the view up top and then joining the buzzing crowd down below. Huge enthusiasm greeted Sebastian Schnuelle and his sled dogs in first place and not soon after, for Hugh Neff and his dogs in second. Incredibly thrilling - I’ve followed the Yukon Quest for years but never had the opportunity to be a part of it!
Alaska’s gifts were evident at the lunch table at ARCUS – moose, reindeer sausage, salmon and blueberries. Thanks to the ARCUS staff for generously providing a lunch for many hungry PolarTREC teachers!!
The afternoon brought more informative adventures. We visited the Large Animal Research Station at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and learned about muskox, caribou and reindeer from Dr. Barboza.
Lindsay described the educational outreach and development of curriculum for local students and the importance of muskox wool, called qiviut. To learn more go to -http://www.uaf.edu/lars/qiviut.html#Orderform
And yet one more adventure… exploring the ice sculptures!
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