Cold Snap
/And there it is! Our first cold snap of the 2018-2019 winter.
Interior Alaska is known for its substantial temperature inversions in the winter, meaning that down in the riverbeds (aka Ryno Kennel) it can be -40F to -50F while on the hilltops it might only be -5F to -10F. This difference results in a fierce social media dialogue where lowlanders post photos of their thermometers, telling themselves the cold makes them tougher, while highlanders comment that they’re at a balmy -10F and question lowlanders sanity for living in the valleys. And while no one in their right mind actually enjoys these sorts of temperatures (except Derek, because then he gets the trails to himself), there are many great benefits of these cold snaps.
Rivers finally freeze opening up new trails.
The roads are no longer slippery, and you have traction on ice.
You get to test your cold weather gear to prepare yourself for a race.
You can talk to your metric friends about -40 degrees and actually understand what each other is talking about.
You have fresh social media fodder!
Extreme cold normally accompanies clear, beautiful skies.
And most importantly:
7. -20F now feels warm!
With Copper Basin now just four days away, yesterday’s run was our last “longer” run before the race. We’re so excited to be headed back down to Glennallen for our 5th running of the Copper Basin 300! More info on the race, drop bag packing, and the athletes soon to be posted!
