Race officials are hoping against hope that the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship sled dog sprint races will still be held as planned in spite of record-breaking temperatures and deteriorating trail conditions.
"We're hunkering down," said race marshal Janet Clarke on Tuesday, a day the high temperature in Anchorage reached a record 44 degrees according to the National Weather Service.
Clarke said the Alaska Sled Dog and Racing Association's trails at Tozier Track have been closed to preserve what snow remains. Although the heat wave brought mud puddles and spring-like conditions to much of the city, Clarke said many parts of the trail were holding on in spite of the warmth.
"They're packed in," she said.
On parts of the trails exposed to direct sunlight, Clarke said maintenance crews could add snow that's been stored over the winter. She said if the weather changes and Anchorage gets lucky with some snowfall in the next couple days, the trails could rebound quickly.
"We're just waiting for something to break for us," she said.
Although this winter has seen a spate of sled dog racing cancellations in Anchorage, the ASDRA was able to host its first races of the season last weekend.
Clarke said she was checking weather forecasts "every half hour" for signs of snow. As of Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service was calling for high temperatures in the 30s and lows in the 20s over the next few days, with a chance of rain and snow.
"What I have learned about Southcentral is that things can change in a very short period," Clarke said.
If there's no good news by Sunday, Clarke said race officials will have to make a final decision on whether or not to hold the event. So far, 20 teams have signed up for the races, which are typically held over three days on 25-mile courses.
"We are trying to do our best walking a very tenuous line," she said.
The race has been scrapped just five times in 69 years, but a cancellation this time around would be the fourth since 2001. The event was called off due to poor trail conditions in 1986, 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2006.
One bit of good news for the race is that there should be no problem bringing snow into downtown Anchorage for the races, which are partially held on city streets. Clarke said the Municipality of Anchorage has plenty of snow stored up to truck in for the event, which is scheduled to be held Feb. 27, 28 and March 1.
"They've assured us they have snow," she said.
Clarke said the municipality also told her trucks can bring in snow to dump on parts of the trails that might need some touching up.
"That would be one thing we could do," to supplement the natural snow, she said.
Between now and Sunday, Clarke said the best thing mushing fans can do is keep hoping for a break in the weather that brings a few inches of saving snow.
"Right now we're just sort of holding our breath," she said.
No changes yet planned for Iron Dog
Iron Dog executive director Kevin Kastner said Tuesday that the 2,000-mile snowmachine race has made no changes to its original plan to hold a ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday with an official start in Big Lake on Sunday.
"We don't flinch early," Kastner said from race headquarters in Anchorage.
The race is scheduled to have its first Anchorage ceremonial start on Saturday beginning at 12:10 p.m. Like the Fur Rondy races, the downtown start will use snow trucked in from municipal snow dumps.
"They've been storing stuff all winter," he said.
Although snow cover is sparse on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Kastner said Tuesday that no changes have been made to the ceremonial start which is scheduled to run from downtown, across portions of the military base and on to the Birchwood Recreational Shooting Park, roughly 28 miles away. From there, racers will be trucked to Big Lake for Sunday's official start.
If the base trials can't be used, Kastner said other plans will be made.
"We'll have to keep our eyes on that," he said, stressing that there are no plans to cancel the ceremonial start, which will begin on 4th Avenue between F and G streets.
There are other events scheduled around the ceremonial start, including the "Flying Iron" freestyle shows Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. The freestyle snowmachine shows will be held between 3rd and 4th Avenues near E street.
Streets downtown will be closed beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday's festivities.
The race officially begins on Sunday, when 37 two-person pro class teams are scheduled to leave Big Lake at two-minute intervals bound for Nome, where they are required to take a mandatory layover before heading to the finish line in Fairbanks.
Although the Willow-to-Nome Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race recently announced plans to skip portions of the trail in southern Alaska in favor of a Fairbanks start, Kastner said there are currently no plans to re-route the Iron Dog.
"At this point there are no changes," he said.
Contact reporter Matt Tunseth at 257-4335 or mtunseth@alaskadispatch.com