Fur Rondy!

In Alaska, the winter is going to be long, cold, and dark.  There's no real getting around that.  Luckily, we are quickly gaining more daylight, at least 5 minutes a day.  But the snow that fell in October is still on the ground and I'm definitely starting to miss seeing green grass, leaves, and any kind of landscape that isn't white.  I love the snow, but a little variety might be nice.

Here in Anchorage, there's another way to deal with winter - by refusing to let it keep us from having fun and celebrating winter life in Alaska during a full fledged festival.  The Fur Rendezvous, commonly known as Fur Rondy or just Rondy, started in the 1930s when the population was just around 3,000.  Miners and trappers would come into town around this time with their winter yields ready to trade.  A festival was born that would last every year, growing to what is now a 10 day event.  

Now, one thing is for sure - this is not the festival for PETA members.  I didn't know what to expect to see during Rondy, but I guess I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was to see so many people wearing all kinds of furs.  And facial hair....lots and lots of facial hair.  There were some men there who clearly have yet to make an acquaintance with a razor.  The people watching downtown the past week has been amazing.

There are lots of events to enjoy during Rondy.  Last weekend I started with the snow sculpture competition since I always love seeing what the artists create.  I stopped by a few times to watch the progress, and am happy to say my favorite sculpture won.  I also watched the start and end of a "sprint" dog sled race that happened the week before the big race - the Iditarod.  There is a fur auction which I watched for a couple of minutes - hides of all kinds are sold including wolverines, lynxes, tundra rabbits, and wolves of all kinds (including a white wolf fur that went for $800).  I wanted to take a picture, but was too scared that holding up my camera would be mistaken for a bid.  I skipped the carnival since it was a bit chilly for me and I'm not big on rides anyway, but it was great to see people enjoying it in the 15 degree weather.  Since I had been out for a few hours and was underdressed, I headed home before the outhouse races and the fireworks - but that just means there's something to look forward to watching next year.

My favorite snow sculpture

Dog Sled Race

This weekend was the ceremonial start of the Iditarod.  I read a book when I was young about the Iditarod, and while I haven't followed the race, I was definitely interested in witnessing the start.  It was perfect Alaska weather (snowing) as the mushers took off in downtown Anchorage.  I went home to thaw a little, then came back downtown to partake in the Running of the Reindeer.  You've heard of the running of the bulls in Spain - this is similar, but with reindeer.  Most people were dressed up in various costumes and took off running a few blocks downtown while being chased (and always passed) by a herd of reindeer.  Luckily for me and the other runners, the reindeer didn't feel like hurting anyone, but they certainly had the opportunity!  

Fur Rondy was a great way to have a little fun during the time when winter is starting to feel a little old.  We probably have a couple months left of snow, but the longer days are a good sign that summer will be here before too long!

Lots more pictures on Picasa.