Winter Vacation in Alaska?Iditarod, Fur Rondy and the Northern Lightsby Robert PainterIf you take your winter vacation in the Caribbean every year you may be missing the boat. Maybe it’s time to head north for some winter fun. Hot summer weather will be here soon enough so why not head up to where the winter can really be fun.  You’ve probably heard of the great Iditarod race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, some 1,000 miles more or less through the woods, across frozen rivers, up and down hills, and along the coast on arctic tundra. Superbly conditioned, four legged athletes in teams of from 10 to 16 dogs bounding along the trail and running because they love to run.
 You may not have heard of Fur Rondy. Maybe that’s why you haven’t visited Alaska in the winter time. When you get there you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. The ten days of the Fur Rendezvous are the highlight of late winter in Anchorage.
 There is something for everyone here. If you’re single you just might meet an Alaskan beauty at the Miners and Trappers Ball. Forget the myth that there are 4 men to every woman. I’m told that it is now about 50-50. The gals I saw were mostly fit, trim and very attractive. I guess all that skiing and snowboarding pays off. There were probably some handsome gents there, too, but I wasn’t paying much attention to them.
 Your kids will have more to do than they can keep up with. What little guy wouldn’t enjoy a sled dog ride, a pony ride, the Rondy carnival, family night ice skating, the Frostbite Footrace, the Grand Parade, Snowshoe Softball, pancake breakfasts and lots of other activities? There is a full day set aside called Ski4Kids. Even a fireworks show!
 Besides the Miners and Trappers Ball, a great charity event that, over the years, has raised millions of dollars, there are plenty of other nighttime activities. There are more dances than I can recall, including Old Time Fiddle dances, the Jim Beam Jam, the Sourdough Dance, the Fur Rondy Fiddle Dance and who knows what’s happening in a dozen outstanding brew pubs around town?
If you’re an indoor gamer you can try your hand at Bridge, Bingo, Pinochle and Scrabble tournaments. There’s even an Oyster Shucking Contest and a Reindeer Sausage Eating Challenge. I tasted the Reindeer sausage almost daily. It was delicious, but then I love most any sausage so you’ll just have to try it for yourself.  Better still, you might be able to qualify for the Alaska Hold’Em Tournament of Champions. Or, just go and watch - it’s more fun than watching poker on TV.
 Of course, with an event of this type there is often a photo contest. Bring your camera, take your best shots and enter them in the next contest.
 The Fur Rendezvous Festival started back in the thirties. There were no movies, no television, no video games, no computers and no shopping malls. A three day festival was started up to mesh with the time that the miners and trappers came to town to sell their furs and to spend their money while re-supplying. Beginning as primarily a series of sports tournament it has grown into a fabulous festival that encompasses the entire community and all who wish to join in - visitors included.
 I had only about a week in the Anchorage area and tried to squeeze in as much as possible. In a winter wonderland like this it’s easy to find plenty to do. Since I didn’t have to shovel the snow I could really enjoy it. A day of snow machining (you probably call it snowmobiling) through a vast wilderness area was terrific. I learned that modern machines have great heaters for your hands and with the wind screens it is easy to be very comfortable even at 45 mph. Winding through the trees, up and down hills and over bumps and across frozen streams I got a taste of what it must be like on the Iditarod Trail. But the 5 hours I spent this day were certainly much easier than the 1,000 miles the mushers must pursue. One of the highlights of the day was visiting an enormous ice/snow cave. Truly spectacular!
 Probably my favorite day was a long hike into Chugach State Park to find a waterfall that was to be the site of my very first attempt at ice climbing. I wasn’t afraid, but did have some bit of trepidation on the way in. I wasn’t sure if I would chicken out or go for it. Well, as soon as I saw the frozen Ripple Falls I knew I wanted to give this ice climbing thing a try. My guide scrambled up the falls, free climbing and untethered to the top of one section of the falls to set an anchor line. One thing I know for certain - I would not have tried to make this climb without some kind of safety net. For those of you not familiar with climbing, a rope is slipped through the anchor and someone holds one end of this line and the climber is attached to the other. If, or when, the climber slips and starts to fall the person on the other end of the line catches the climber. This is called being “on belay.” I managed to climb o.k. after a couple of false starts. There are several kinds of ice and I tried climbing in each of them. Most fascinating was the “chandelier” ice. It comes down the falls like a bunch of crystals and when you drive your ice axe into it, it crackles and tinkles like broken glass. This was not my favorite and here, fortunately, I was on belay. The only catch is that I weigh close to 200 pounds and the rope will stretch a bit. It probably adds a bit more excitement when my ice axe slips out of the rock and I take a bit of a slip along with it.
 As exciting as the ice climbing turned out to be I was almost as jubilant about my first helicopter landing on a glacier. We were flying in weather that kept us from going in some directions, but allowed us to fly low enough to spot moose on the ground and to then land on the ice. With the headphones and microphones on we could talk with the pilot as he explained what we were seeing and where we were going. I had originally planned a heli-skiing trip in Valdez, but never made it to that lovely location because of weather concerns. That made this little adventure an even more valuable experience.
 Leaving the Marriott where I stayed in the heart of Anchorage behind, I headed out to the beautiful Alyeska Resort for a full day of outdoor activities. After a ride up to the top of the mountain on the tram and lunch at the Glacier Express, I spent the rest of the day snowshoeing around Moose Meadows. I encountered no moose, but several dog sleds passed by and the quiet in the Meadows was the kind of day I really enjoy. I was told that the skiing on the mountain was excellent with plenty of fresh new powder. It had been snowing when I rode up on the tram, and the Meadow was covered with wonderful, fresh powder.
And what better way to end the day than with a soak in the hot tub, a few minutes in the sauna or a relaxing dip in the heated pool. Of course, there are any number of treatments available in the full service spa.  As you might expect, winter weather can be a bit unpredictable. I had planned to zip over to Valdez to do some more ice climbing, but there was some question about getting back in time to catch my plane back home. Fortunately, there was a terrific option that worked out perfectly. After a nice drive up to Wasilla, Alaska, I boarded the Alaska Railroad for a trip up to Talkeetna and back, with spectacular scenery all along the way. I kept looking for a moose, but I guess they mostly had the day off. I did finally catch a quick glimpse of a couple of them, but what was far more spectacular were some views of the majestic mountain - Denali (you may know it as Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America.) It’s not every day you get a clear view of Denali, but today was special.
Believe it or not, I lost the absolutely perfect photo of Denali while downloading my memory card onto my computer, but I swear that it was there. I did save most of the other shots, but I guess I’ll just have to go back and do it again. Come to think of it, I have to go back and do some more ice climbing, too. And join in the Running of the Reindeer. And get to the Hold’em Tournament on time. And find a costume for the Miners and Trappers Ball. And get to one of the Fiddle Dances. And watch the Dog Weight Pull. And, run up to Fairbanks for the Northern Lights, and . . . . . . . . Keep on Traveling. When You Gowww.TravelAlaska.com. Check here for travel specials and a free Alaska Vacation Guide. www.Anchorage.net. A free visitor’s guide and hot specials. www.akrr.com. Everything you need to know about the Alaska Railroad. Online brochure. www.Alyeskaresort.com. Check ski conditions and lots of exciting events.. www.Iditarod.com. All you want to know about the race. Meet the mushers and the dogs. www.FurRondy.net. If you plan to visit during Fur Rondy be sure and read this one. Story and photos by Robert Painter. rpainter2006@comcast.net. | 