Fantastic news for Alaskan and North American XC skiers – A 400 mile long ski tunnel project from Anchorage to Fairbanks to be started in 2010 with initial ground breaking ceremony.
One of the world’s largest oil and mineral extraction companies, Alaskan Oil, Gas, & Natural Resources (AOGNR) has agreed to develop a state of the art cross country ski tunnel from Anchorage to Fairbanks. This announcement is the second million dollar deal for xc skiers in recent weeks, after the University of New Hampshire ski team received a million dollar gift from an alumni to spear head a large ski team fundraiser.
The temperature in the tunnel will be 30 degree Fahrenheit year round, and when the sun is high in the sky (which only happens for about three months in the summer), it will feel like spring conditions in such places as Tahoe or Bend….only the snow temperature will remain consistent! State engineer Rick McKlintock pointed out that, “because of the permafrost which will surround most of the subterranean tunnel, keeping the temperature below freezing during the summer will be fairly easy.â€
Some people have voiced concern that maybe the temperature shouldn’t remain constant. Anchorage skier Tim Kelley, who has skied almost the entire route for the tunnel, says: “The tunnel sounds like a good deal. But 30 degrees is too warm for the Fairbanks folks. There needs to be a separate thermostat for the tunnel section from Healy north, to keep that part of the tunnel at 40 below.â€
The tunnel will have multiple entrances for skiers and winter enthusiasts. The main entrances will be in the bigger cities, with be Birch Hill (Fairbanks) and North Anchorage (site yet to be determined) as the main hubs (and tourist traps). Forty-seven other smaller entrances will be built into the tunnel, with in such better-known cities as McKinley Park Village, Talkeetna, and Healy (site of a large open pit coal mine, and believed to be associated with lobbyists).
Tim Kelley mentioned another possible use. “Because Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s husband Todd is a frequent winner of the 2000 mile Iron Dog snowmobile race, I figure she is going to want the tunnel open for snowmobiles. And you can’t argue with Governor Sarah! Because she is HOT!â€
New Technology
The snow will produced using former Dartmouth graduate Johnny “Miracle Man” Rasnok's just patented “spray and freeze” technology which makes snow appears like a snow storm any time need to increase the snow thickness. The technology requires a fire sprinkler network of water pipes, – but that's the least of our concerns said AOGNR's spokesman Roger Frenchman at yesterday's press conference at the downtown Anchorage convention center.
, spas with tanning, massages, and fine dining.<br />
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