Today was the start of the annual Yukon 800 boat race. The race starts in Fairbanks and the racers go to Galena and return the next day. The start was around 11:00 AM today and the first boat got into Galena around 7:00 PM. They have to navigate three different rivers on the course. The race starts on the Chena River and they follow it to the Tanana River and then to the Yukon. Unlike most waterways in the lower 48 there are no channel markers or other navigational aids and the villages along the river are sometimes 100 miles apart or more. There was a fairly big thunderstorm, (by Alaska standards), earlier today and the boat captains were reporting some waves near 4 feet in the river. As you can see by these boats they aren’t really made for rough water.
Hopefully the barge with my truck should be in next week.