"Hurry up! We are going to see the end of the Yukon Quest Dog Race!" I quickly donned my winter gear and scrambled through the city blocks of Fairbanks to the frozen Chena River. It readily became apparent that we did not need to rush, since the winners of the race were still not in sight. It gave us a chance to interview a former champion, Lance Mackey. Check out the video below. Sebastian Schnuelle and his dog team crossed the finish line in first with a time of 9 days, 23 hours and 20 minutes. Four minutes later, Hugh Neff and his team of dogs arrived.
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First and second place dog teams
Next stop for the day was the ARCUS headquarters to share a potluck lunch of local Alaskan cuisine. I enjoyed the smoked salmon dip and reindeer sausage pizza. Others commented on the delicious moose roast. After lunch we visited the Large Animal Research Center at University of Alaska Fairbanks. We saw musk ox, caribou and reindeer. Musk oxen may be the clue to our biofuels of the future. Scientists are studying a special enzyme that the oxen use to break down food to create biofuels out of non food grade materials.
Musk Ox at Large Animal Research Facility University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Our last stop of the day was Museum of the North at the university. We saw some amazing works of art and many historical items from the native people of Alaska.
Tomorrow we are off to the Permafrost Tunnel. Stay tuned; same polar channel; same polar time.
Reindeer carrying a stick in mouth.
Caribou