nopin

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Crashin' through the ice road

People fall off the ice bridge and crash through the thin ice into the river.

According to the article, "The ice road is used every year as a shortcut by Fairbanks residents living off Chena Pump Road to reach the west side of town. There are no stop lights to contend with, and it cuts three or four miles from a trip to Fred Meyer, Pike’s Landing or the Fairbanks International Airport."

Are they kidding? I live off Chena Pump Road. It takes me under ten minutes to get to Freddie's or the airport. How much time could one possibly shave off by driving across the Chena river? I don't trust the Chena downstream from the power plant, at all. Parts of it remain unfrozen on the surface, all Winter, no matter how cold. Think of the risk to benefit ratio--hmmmmm, I could save two minutes if I risk my life! Hmmmm what a brilliant idea!

3 comments:

TwoYaks said...

Yeah, I kinda boggled at that myself. I understand the Tanana, but the Chena between the powerstation and the mouth of it... eh. I'll leave that to the insane.

Alaskan Dave Down Under said...

By Jan and Feb the ice around Pike's is a good 3 feet thick. Just don't push it to the end of March. Driven across it many times, no worries.

Anonymous said...

Always be careful and alert about your surroundings. It is a frontier land with less and farther medical assistance than the Bay Area or Miami.