Some dog pics...

Got a few pics from the last few trips out into the valley...

Here's the spot on the trail where I often loose it driving the dog team. While it's a little hard to see, that's pretty much all ice out there for the next hundred yards. There's starting to be a trail around the lower part of the overflow (to the right), so it's getting easier to navigate.

Here's the newbies taking a rest on the last dog run. It's always a challenge to take in new dogs and train them to fit in with the team.

Here's the team heading for home. It's great to still see tight tug lines after a long run.

Super Moon...

After plowing snow most of the afternoon the other day, decided to head out on the Ski Doo and groom the dog sled trail. Since I'd read somewhere that there was a super moon, which occurs once a year or so when the full moon is at the moon's closest point to the earth, grabbed the camera on my way out. Now I'm not much of a photographer, but figured I might get a decent shot.

Still some clouds hanging around from yesterdays snowstorm, but this clearing in the valley made for an interesting pic. Maybe next time I'll read the manual on how to get better night photos with a digital camera!

Overflow...

One of the main trail hazards up here, besides over enthusiastic snow machiners, is overflow. Technically it's known as aufeis, a German word that means "ice on top."
What happens is that most winters, the smaller creeks freeze to the bottom, but if their source water is an underground spring, it will continue to flow and force water to the surface through cracks in the ice, creating continuous layers of water and ice. Sometimes it can build up to 8 to ten ft thick (that's about 3 meters to the French). Where a trail crosses a creek, it can create an ice dam that will back up the overflow water, so that it spreads laterally up and down the trail, freezing into a sloping, slippery mess.

Here we are entering the overflow. It had snowed the night before, so for the next 100 yds, the trail is a patchwork of snow, ice, and water. Tried to get a better shot further in, but hit some sloping ice and with the plastic bottoms on the runners loosing traction, slid sideways off the trail.  Hanging on to the sled became more important than taking photos!

Sunny days...

The weather has been exceptional, twenty degrees above normal and sunny, hard to believe it's early Feb. When the sun's shining in this weather, it's almost springtime!

The sun now clears the ridge behind our place, so only half of the valley where we run the dogs is in the shade.

Heading for home towards the ridge, so far this year the dogs have been running pretty well.

January summary...

Here's another NWS climate report...
The average monthly temperature for January was -6.9  which was 1.0 degree above normal.  The highest temp. was 34, on both the 1st and 25th, while the lowest was  -44 on the 12th. Precipitation was 0.65" for the month which was 0.07" above normal. The end of  month snow depth at the airport was 17".

This month was a lot like Dec. where we had some real cold weather but then also some warm temps. Hoping that Feb. evens things out and we get some average weather for a change. Here's a graph of the temps at the Little Chena R. Bridge;

Will post a pic when I remember  to take the camera out with me.

Here's a "moon shot" from the other day. Since then, it's been kind of overcast, low clouds, with some snow, so not so good for photography.

Warm'n Up...

A chinook wind blew through the valley yesterday and warmed up quite a bit overnight. It's hard to believe it was forty below just last week. now that it's near thirty above.

Had some hot dogs in the team today. The previous run, on Tues, was near ten below and today it was nearly forty degrees warmer. Jabba, the extra fuzzy lead dog, burrowed into the snow to cool off at every stop. The clouds rolled in on the way home and we had a pretty good snowstorm this evening. Only in Alaska does it warm up to snow!
Another shot of the hot dogs, this time on a break:

The smart ones lay down and stretch out so their bellies are on the snow; apparently it's quite effective in cooling them off.

Out Again...

The cold snap finally ended after a couple of days of forty below. Just wanted to give us a reminder of what we missed last year, I guess. Anyway, went out on the Ski Doo yesterday to check out the trail and shovel more snow on the ramp at the creek crossing. On the way back, got this shot of the sun setting behind the ridge.

If you look closely, you can just make out the tip of one the peaks in the Alaska Range, maybe Mt. Deborah?

Went out today with the dogs. It was still a little below zero down in the valley, but clear and calm, so a good day to run dogs.

The new boy is on the right in back (wheel). He's doing OK, just have to remember,  he's largely untrained and in his "terrible twos," the size and strength of an adult dog, but the mind of a puppy.  Great fun!

Annual review...

Well not exactly, but with the cold weather, it's been well below zero and only managed one dog run in the past week or so, thought it might be interesting to look at some weather stuff.

(Alaska Climate Research Center)

While we didn't set any records, last year was the sixth warmest on record. The only serious cold weather occurred in Jan. when it got down to -33 ° F. While this may seem cold, it was the first time in many years that it didn't hit -40, the benchmark up here for judging cold weather.

So here's how the really cold spells look:

It should be apparent to anyone who's not a TRump supporter that there's something going on here. There were 17 cold weather events from the 1930's to the mid '70's, then only four since then. The other striking thing is that we haven't had any fifty below weather either, not that I'm complaining. From my perspective, something is changing the jet stream, so that high pressure systems, which used to form over Alaska and produce the deep cold, no longer dominate the winter weather here. The most likely cause would be changes in oceanic circulation caused by global warming. But that's just me flapping my gums, not any real expert opinion. You can read more about it here:  http://www.newsminer.com/alaska_energy_desk/fairbanks-famously-severe-cold-snaps-are-getting-less-cold-and/article_a9e6c136-146e-11e9-86e5-8f6e902f0a47 .html
Finally, here's another sunset. If there's one thing you can do at this time of year, it's get good photos in the clear, cold weather .

December summary...

The average temperature for Fairbanks in December was 0.1° F, which was 4.2 ° above normal. The highest temperature was 32° on the 31st and 1st, while the lowest was -25° on the 20th. The warm spells, unusually occurred at the beginning and end of the month, when the temperature reached freezing at the airport.

Precipitation totaled 0.42" for the month, which was 0.22" below normal. There were no major storms; the highest one day snowfall was 1.7" on the 18th.  A total of 7.5" of snow was recorded at the airport, but some of the surrounding hills reported higher snowfalls during the month. (NWS Fairbanks Alaska Region)

The Alaska Climate Center hasn't posted it's monthly summary yet, so this chart is from the USGS weather station, just down the road from our place at the Little Chena R. bridge.

The "big news" this month was getting a new dog. Not exactly a Christmas present, he showed up at the end of the month. An old friend, Lynn, called and said she had taken in some rescue dogs (Newbies 8/6/11), was I interested in one? So a few days later she dropped off this handsome guy.

Only ran him once before the cold weather hit, it was 35 below in the flats this morning, but he did OK on the first run. so we're hoping for the best when the cold snap ends and we can get him out again. He's supposedly a husky/malemute cross and reminds me of Solo, one of the "arboreal dogs" (Solo's retired...2/28/13), who was a pretty good dog in his day.

Sleddin' again...

Finally got out on the sled. While the trails are rough and it's pretty much out of control going out of the dog yard, it's still way better than running with the wheeler.

Andy took this shot when we got back. Not much sun this time of year and was kind of cool (-7° F), but still enjoyed the run

Merry times...

Living up here in Alaska, we kind of forget about the traditional family Christmas, where we used to have three generations of family get togethers. Nowadays, we just have a small dinner with a few neighbors. Meant to take a photo, but like most things now, just forgot.
But did get out for a walk earlier today, where it was near twenty below down in the valley, so took this selfie when I got back.

So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or whatever it is you do, just have good one.

Solstice bridge...

Getting out during the solstice, it actually lasts for several days here as the low angle of the sun doesn't really change that quickly, you can see great sunsets...

But the real excitement this week was finding the bridge washed out.

Not a great photo, but what it shows is that the near side river bank collapsed and dropped this side of the bridge about 3-4 ft. So the next project will be trying to jack up the bridge end and then move it to a more stable location. Too much fun. It wouldn't be so bad, but had just replaced the deck and some of the cross pieces a little while back (All decked out...4/25/17).