Snow is dumped on trail through downtown Anchorage Friday night. (Photo: Terrie Hanke)

While you slept, Fourth Avenue and Cordova Street in downtown Anchorage were transformed from blacktop roadway to snow covered trail.  Friday night is when the trail through downtown Anchorage literally materializes before your eyes.  The City of Anchorage has been stockpiling snow for the whole winter to build trail for the Fur Rondy and Iditarod.  Mother Nature has contributed generously this year with record breaking snow fall.   At about 9 in the evening or 2100 hours, dump trucks begin dumping loads of snow along 4th Avenue, the alphabet lettered side streets and Cordova Street.  Graders and end loaders followed behind to spread the snow to a uniform depth of 6 inches.  The task is completed during the early hours of Saturday morning.  The stage is set and teams will begin arriving before Saturday’s sunrise with thousands of fans not far behind.

Graders spread snow for the trail on 4th Avenue (Photo: Terrie Hanke)

While the road to trail transformation is nothing new for the residents of Anchorage, it’s a sight to behold for out of state race fans and spectators.  The trail is built twice a year – once for Fur Rondy and then again for Iditarod.  It’s an amazing happening and folks head to 4th Avenue to witness the event.  Of course there’s all sorts of other happenings in the area that are within walking distance.  There’s the Alaska State Ice Sculpture event in Ship Creek and the Fur Rondy carnival with rides games and food.  There’s nothing like an evening ride on the Ferris wheel to view the lights and night landscape of Anchorage.  Perhaps one could even squeeze in a visit to Snowzilla, a two-story happy humongous snowman built by a family in Anchorage.

Teams, Volunteers, Iditariders and Fans on 4th Avenue for Ceremonial Start (Photo: Terrie Hanke)

With all this talk of snow, it’s worthy to note that Anchorage set a new earliest record for 100 inches of snowfall for the winter of 23-24.  As a matter of fact they are well on the way to breaking the all-time season snowfall record of 134 inches.  UffDa!  

Iditarider View of Ceremonial Start on 4th Avenue in Anchorage (Photo: Terrie Hanke)

After Wally Robinson, in Bib #39, heads off form the start banner, dump trucks and end loaders return to scoop the snow back up.  The trail returns to blacktop as the mushers and Iditariders complete the 11 mile run to Campbell Airstrip.  

Oh, it’s not too late to name your top 10 mushers, pick the Rookie of the Year and Red Lantern winner.  It’s a fun way to immerse yourself in the Iditarod between the Ceremonial Start and the Restart (Real Start) in Willow tomorrow.

Snowzilla – Race Veteran Angie Taggart, Teachers on the Trail – Linda Fenton, Jim Deprez and Erin Montgomery (Photo: Erin Montgomery)

Enjoy these photos of building the trail through Anchorage.  Come back later today to see photos of the Ceremonial Start captured by Siri Raitto.