What do you do in snowy Homer over Valentine’s Day? Go to the races of course. An ice race track was meticulously created on Beluga Lake. The lake is in between the Spit and downtown Homer. It includes the Beluga wetlands. There are more than a 100 bird species that migrate to the area in spring and nest during the summer. You can see kinglets and Aleutian terns along with the usual cast of characters such as eagles, owls and northern harriers.
Folks drove out on the lake to enjoy the races. It was a concoction of smiles, spinning tires, and roaring engines on the straight-aways.
Other Alaska Stuff
The other big race that will start at the end of this month is the Iditarod Trail Invitational. Dogs are swapped for cars with tough mushers who tackle this 860 mile course from Anchorage to Nome. Dogs and mushers typically take from 1 to 2 weeks to complete the race. Blizzards, gale-force winds and sub-zero temperatures are common. The wind chill can reach -100 °F. Here is a pic from the Anchorage Daily News of the Yukon Quest 300 which is a qualifier for the Iditarod.
Finally, Never ever underestimate the “wild” element here in Alaska. This poor lady went to use an outhouse but was in for a rude awakening when she sat down on the John.
Stay safe & be well!
Leave a Reply