Fur Rendezvous 2009
Photos & Story by Leanne
I kicked off my 2009 Fur Rendezvous experience on Friday with the Rondy Melodrama which is presented each year by Alaska Sound Celebration. 
This year's show, Calamity at Clifford the Big Red Dog Mine (there is a Red Dog Mine in Alaska), was a delightful combination of clever parody, masterful acting, musical talent, and just plain old fun - and of course LOTS of popcorn throwing at the villain.
We were greeted with a snowstorm on Saturday morning but that didn't keep the hardy Alaskans participating in the Rondy Grand Parade down. Our good friend Wayne Boden and the rest of the Keystone Cops were out selling Rondy buttons (and putting non-button wearers in jail) along the route. 
Lady Trapper Jackie Purcell (our local weather gal) rode in a horse drawn carriage while the Eagle River High School marching band played. Everyone wanted to get in on the "reindeer act" including the horses and the four wheelers.
As the last of the kids, dogs and old cars reached the end of the parade route it was time to run to the corner of 4th Ave and D St and catch the start of the second of the three 25 mile heats in the World Championship Sled Dog Races. 
It was a snowy run through the streets of Anchorage, out to the base of the Chugach Range and back downtown in under two hours. As soon as the last musher crossed the finish line it was time to hustle on down to Ship Creek for the 41st Annual World Championship Dog Weight Pull. 
Dogs in four weight divisions compete to pull a wooden sled full of cement cylinders a distance of about 25 feet. Those gentle giants sure love to pull and they like to give their owners a big hug when they are done. The winning dog went on to pull 2000 lbs just for fun after the competition was over.
It was an exhausting day but the excitement was not over yet. Just after the sun had set the Fireworks Extravaganza began. I sought out a vantage point at the top of the Fifth Avenue parking garage and enjoyed the show with the Rondy Carnival lights in the foreground.
Sunday morning brought glorious sunshine to the fresh snow and I couldn't wait to get out to Campbell Airstrip and catch a glimpse of the dogteams along the wooded trail. Blayne Streeper, three time defending Rondy Champion from Fort Nelson, B.C., made up time on the final day's run and came from behind to claim the victory once again. Next up was the 2nd Annual Running of the Reindeer and I was lucky to secure a primo spot on top of the reindeer trailer to watch the festivities. Costumed runners in several categories tested fate to run alongside the antlered animals down 4th Avenue, right in front of Once in a Blue Moose, in fact.
There was so much packed into one weekend that I will have to rest up all week so I can get out and enjoy the end of Rondy and the start of the Iditarod this coming weekend. Thanks for letting me share my Rondy experience with you and I hope you will be able to participate in Fur Rendezvous yourself in the future.