Snowgo heaven

SNOWMACHINELAND -- As the speckles of white dust begin to appear on the tips of the mountains, a variety of emotions are shown by the locals.

For some it is seen as the termination of their summers, for others it is the commencement of their season -- winter.

At this time, those eager winter enthusiasts are often found pacing across their lawn, looking up in the air and praying for snow. They are eager to take out that motorized sled we like to call a snowmachine (or snowmobile if you are from northern Minnesota).

At the first sign of snow, the Valley will be peppered with multi-colored, rocketed sleds darting across the white land and in some cases, traffic.

Every weekend hundreds of massive trucks pulling yacht-like trailers stacked with snowmachines and coolers can be seen bustling out of town in every direction.

As soon as the snow flies, the hot spots of Alaska are Paxson, Cantwell and Hatcher Pass. The most dedicated snowmachiners want to head out and not return until break-up.

It is their season. Cowboys have the rodeo, environmentalists have the Green Party political convention and snowmachiners have the great Alaska winter.

The population of Petersville grows exponentially each winter weekend, as snowmachiners looking to escape civilization take off into the backcountry and enjoy cabins that are only accessible in the winter.

For some, snowmachining is not merely a brisk ride across the snowy tundra, done to pass an afternoon with fun.

For the snowmachiners who are truly dedicated to their chosen sport, competition is needed to satisfy their winter urges, and the Valley has plenty of opportunities for these types of snowmachiners.

There are different degrees of competition for the snowmachiner. Some look to break the sound barrier while still on the ground. Other snowmachiners would like to become the Evel Kneival of their trade. And others simply just want to go the distance and outlast all of their competitors.

Alaska offers events for all three types of competitive snowmachiners. For those simply "jonesin" for speed, a simple sprint race across a frozen lake will do the trick.

The snowmachining acrobats have Arctic Man to strut their stuff and the true granddaddies of snowmachining compete in the Iron Dog.

The Tesoro Iron Dog is a snowmachine race spanning 2,000 miles -- the world's longest snowmachine race, as the organizers are quick to point out.

The participants start in Wasilla and head up to Nome before retiring into Fairbanks for the finish. Each year, it is the biggest race of the year, and people can be found lining the trail all the way to Nome.

There are several classes within the Iron Dog race, so you don't have to be a motorhead to enjoy the race.

You can even participate in the recreational class, and take your time getting to Nome and then Fairbanks.

Whether you need to try to travel at the speed of light, jump across snowy canyons or just cruise along the trails beside the Parks Highway, the Mat-Su Valley has many opportunities for every snowmachiner.