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From Board by Myron Angstman:
As we prepare for the 35th Kuskokwim 300 amidst winter storm warnings, I am reminded of how often race week has been spent watching the weather forecast. Racers always pay attention to the weather, but in Bethel we have had enough races hammered by tough weather that we pay special attention to the forecast.
Our first race in 1980 featured many of the weather issues that have come back to visit us in later races. That year, we started out cold and clear with a stiff north wind. By late night heading up river it was wind chills in the minus -100 range, which changed to a blizzard by the next morning. The next night it was raining in Aniak. A 24 hour delay was declared, and the Whitefish loop was eliminated. Fairly normal weather allowed the teams to return to Bethel via the river.
Other races have had similar variations. We have had glare ice the entire way (1985 and 1990). We have had standing water, the most recent year in 2008, waist deep for some. We have had open holes in the river near the trail. We have had extreme cold (-60 actual temp in 1989) and we have had years when perfect trail was present all the way around (1992 and other years). One year only half of the food was delivered to the upriver checkpoints when the first team arrived in Kalskag (Joe Redington in 1982). That resulted in a 12 hour delay while Wien Air got it together. Their local station manager explained that no one from the race committee had told them when the food needed to be in the checkpoints.
So a winter storm warning for the starting day of the race is not something unexpected. What will happen? Who knows? But an experienced group of directors will be in touch for the next two days to sort out the options and come up with a plan. Stay tuned.
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