Minnesota sled dog race canceled because of too much snow

[Are_grits_groceries]

Here’s another entry for the annals of noteworthy winter weather: The dogsled race near Frazee, Minn., has been canceled because there’s too much snow.

Too much fluffy snow that keeps drifting and therefore made it impossible to maintain a groomed trail.

That poses a safety risk to the dogs, supercharged canines whose mushers need a groomed trail to drop a hook to stop when necessary.

“We can’t pack it,” race organizer Eddy Streeper said Monday. “We just can’t get it packed. We had to speak up on behalf of the dogs.”
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/articles/index.cfm?id=20594§ion=News

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....Did sledders of old always have groomed trails??

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Anchorage has had to virtually cancel the US cross-country

skiing championships because of too much COLD. All the skiers have been here about a week, but they've only been able to race one day because they're not allowed to ski unless the temperature is above -4 degrees. http://www.adn.com/sports/story/644860.html

For more than a year, as race organizers prepared for the U.S. Cross Country Championships, a list of worse-case weather scenarios was developed to deal with unfavorable temperatures at Kincaid Park.

From farming snow around town to switching the venue to a higher elevation in the Chugach Mountain foothills, organizers considered about 10 scenarios, most involving a warm spell that turns trails to mush.

Unfortunately, sub-zero temperatures weren't on the list.

"This is one thing that's truly out of our control," said Joey Caterinichio, co-chairman of the championship's organizing committee.

One of the longest stretches of sub-zero temperatures in Anchorage history continued Tuesday, forcing officials to cancel the classical races and hope temperatures will rise for today's individual sprints and Thursday's final events.

<snip>

Some of the 200-plus skiers in Monday's freestyle races suffered frostbite on their ears and below the belt, Miller said.

Despite a week of cancellations, Caterinichio, who helped prepare Anchorage's bid for the championships last summer, has been pleased with the event's organization.

Anchorage will host the U.S. Cross Country Championships again next winter.

"We've executed it well," she said, noting that a least 200 volunteers have reported every day since Saturday.

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It's hard to convince the doubters that global warming is real when we have this kind of weather following our record-breaking cool summer. Mother Nature doing a balancing act?

[XemaSab]

4. About climate change

In some areas warmer weather brings more snow. Also, the weather through most of the US is controlled by where the jet stream is. And it ain't in California. :banghead:

[Arctic Dave]

2. In a way, yes. Also, these are not the dogs of yesteryears.

In the old days when there was soft snow people did not go out until it firmed up and you could ride on top of it.
If you don't wait for trail conditions to improve it would be like running a marathoon in a mud pit. :)

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Are you staying warm, Dave?

I never thought I'd be looking forward to low pressure and gray skies. :rofl:

[Arctic Dave]

5. I feel like I'm at work.

I keep telling my wife that if I'm going freeze my booty off, I want be paid for it. :)