Guest Author - Deb Frost
Alaskans will readily agree they have a love-hate relationship with the time of year referred to by locals as “breakup”.
Winter in Alaska is long, cold and, to varying degrees, dark. Depending on how far north you live; the darkness of night lingers depressingly long into the “day” and dusk settles back over the land too few short hours later. Don’t misunderstand … winter in Alaska is beautiful beyond belief. But enough is enough already!
So, although we enjoy many aspects of winter; from the scenery to the outdoor sports, many Alaskans yearn for spring with an intensity not felt in more moderate climates.
There is only one thing standing in the way of our sweet dreams of spring and there is no easy way to get to it. In order to move on to spring … that ice we are so tired of must melt. And that means …
BREAKUP!
The term “breakup” is simple and accurate. Breakup is a cause of concern for many and a reason for jubilation for others. As temperatures rise and snow melts across the winter landscape, the ice on the frozen rivers traversing Alaska begin the inevitable process of breaking up.
The Yukon, Tanana and Kuskokwim are three of the largest and most problematic rivers in Alaska. These fast-moving, single-channel rivers provide wide, solid “ice roads” for winter transportation. In early spring, all river traffic comes to a temporary halt due to the unpredictability of the ice. River ice does not simply thin, rot and eventually melt as it would on a placid lake. River ice is fighting forces from both sides and the results are often dynamic.
Spring runoff from rain and melting snow further upstream flows once again into the main rivers. Rushing water and the lift caused by higher water levels eventually fractures the ice, which breaks into slabs ranging in size from houses down to golf balls and can be several feet thick. Shorebird Festival,
As these huge sections of ice begin to travel downstream, they often slam into ice still frozen across from bank to bank. The resultant ice jams can cause spectacular and dangerously unstable frozen ridges as spheres of ice are thrust dynamically upward from the pressure of the water moving beneath.
As with the ice, all that rushing water has to go someplace and when ice jams block it’s passage, river water floods its banks and inundates surrounding low land. Unless the ice jam breaks free (or is blasted free), the flooding can spread unchecked, inundating any home or village unlucky enough to be in it’s path.
Ice jams are an annual problem along the main rivers in Alaska. The damages are often well into the millions of dollars and in some cases are repeated year after year since many native villages are located near the rivers they live off of. Flooding is one of the more serious aspects of breakup.
The Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center (APRFC) was formed in 1967, after severe flooding along the Chena River in Fairbanks caused disastrous results. They now monitor all the major rivers by air and are able to give warnings, often in time to allow villages and government agencies to act to prevent or minimize the damage or at least evacuate if nothing else can be done.
But there is also a light side to breakup. The Nenana Ice Classic is one of the most well known “breakup” activities. It began in the early 1900s as a local betting event. The town of Nenana, located long the Tanana River between Denali National Park and Fairbanks, runs an annual contest based on guessing when the ice will go out on the Tanana River.
Thousands of tickets are sold across Alaska with the Nenana Ice Classic offering a cash prize for the person or group that comes closest to guessing the exact minute and second that the ice starts moving. This is determined by a huge tripod that is set up, buried two feet deep in ice in the center of the river during freeze-up (usually October/November). A strong line is run to a stop-clock on shore. The first shifting of the ice as it begins to break up will trigger the clock to stop. The person or persons who guessed the closest to that very minute and second wins the jackpot! The amount varies from year to year, but is often upwards of $200,000 and is evenly split between all winners guessing the exact time. The 2009 Jackpot was $283,723!
Other light-hearted Breakup events include everything from spring skiing competitions where skiers compete to see who can “ski” the farthest across huge spring melt “lakes” at local ski resorts … to events like the Shorebird Festival where birdwatchers celebrate the first sightings of migratory birds returning to their summer nesting grounds across the state.
So, whether it is worrying about ice jams or betting on them; whether it is skiing in a bikini or perching with binoculars near a protected waterway … or just putting your rain boots on and splashing through mud puddles - “Breakup” in Alaska IS an event. Love it or hate it; there is no way to avoid it!
