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August 23, 2013 by

It has been raining much of the week in Interior Alaska. And it’s raining again today. Lots of rain! These are the first significant rain events we have had since the second week in June! And the temperature was 40 degrees when we awoke yesterday, a far cry from from recent 80 and 90 degree marks.

Rainbow over a damp dog yard. The dogs love it.

We are pretty happy to see this cool, moist trend because:

1) The Alaska wildland fire season may finally be winding down. It’s been way too intense this summer. Even after our return from evacuation on July 9, we frequently felt the effects of our smoldering Stuart Creek 2 fire. Last Sunday we could still see plumes of smoke from our lookout on Aliy’s balcony. When the wind blew from the east a veil of smoke and acrid fire smell enveloped us. Ray, Derrick and the other firefighters in our neighborhood, have simply been gone all summer, fighting the 592 fires that burned more than 1,300,000 acres of Alaska. We depend on their firefighting skills but we miss them at home. We need a fire season ‘ending event’, like cooler temps and the 3 days of rain forecast for this week.

Temps and humidity this morning.

2) Sunday, September first is the TENTATIVE date for the first day of training for the 2013/2014 mushing season. But without this cool, wet weather it is simply too hot for our dogs to run! The ideal scenario for early season runs is cool mornings, in the 30 to 40 degree range, and lots of puddles for the dogs to splash in during breaks. The forecast for the night of August 31 is 38 degrees and light rain. That could do it! The mushers are ready. The dogs are ready. The ATV’s and gang lines and harnesses are ready. We need a mushing season ‘beginning event’, like cooler temps and the three days of rain forecast for this week.

Allen and Tatfish are ready for this season’s training. Are you?

See the editorial in yesterday’s Fairbanks News Miner. Fall might really be coming to Interior Alaska, albeit it a few weeks late.

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7 Responses

  • Kennel Mom–

    Thanks so much for your insights – it has been nerve-wracking for those fans not able to help out this summer – my husband and I hope to sponsor one of the FIRE LITTER pups to help support SP Kennel more.

    Have a great rest of the summer, sincerely,

    Margaret & Al
    P.S. Thanks for the well composed SPIN report(s) over the summer!

  • The understory is still green .. weird! But this morning, I woke and thought we might push getting the new wood stove in place. We may need it before too long after all.

    Thank goodness for the rain.

    AND I love that photo of Allen and Tatfish – such a great, great dog with an equally great musher.

  • Yes, mushing season training is about to start!!! Can't wait !!!! Tatfish is one of the cutest pups in the kennel!!!!

  • Thanks very much, Kennel Mom!
    On the picture of Allen and Tatfish, it's hard to tell who is the more mischievous.

  • You folks certainly have had a wild summer. Wishing all at SP Kennel a great training and racing season. This is the year Aliy will "bring it home!"

  • It is wonderful news regarding the rain. We good all use some rain. I hope training season does indeed start on Sept 1. What a great picture of Allen and Tatfish. They both look ready to get going. Thanks for the great posts Kennel Mom.

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