Roadside Sign Primer

In the lower 48 road signs mean one thing while in Alaska they often mean something completely different. So to enlighten all you southerners here is a quick primer on what Alaskan road signs really mean.

One of the first signs that might have you scratching your head is the triple hump. When you see one of these your blood runs cold as you quickly learn this is the warning of a rough road with bumps fast approaching. The trick to negotiating these rough road sections is knowing how fast, or slow for the feint of heart, you need to go. Some of the bumps are quite daunting - we've seen 40ft. RV'S  high centered on the middle hump due to a speed miscalculation. Alaskans seem to prefer the ballistic missile approach thinking that the first hump is really a launch ramp that will send them flying smoothly over hump number two before landing quite nicely, thank you, on the back side of hump three. Only problem is that many times there is, though not pictured, a hump number four and sometimes six, seven, and eight. Alaskan vehicles are not new for very long.

Next up is a sign you might misconstrued to warn of an upcoming downhill section. Hah! It really means there is a monster pothole ahead capable of swallowing full size trucks. There often filled with water so you can't really see how deep they are. If they'd only put in diving boards there's some Olympic swimming records waiting to be broken. Motorists beware: fear ye all who enter these.

This one is obviously a warning to cyclists. Where you live you may have a similar sign meaning you are about to cross a railroad. Not in Alaska. Here they denote you are about to climb a hill or pass so steep you're going to need a ladder to get your sorry assistance up it.

Next up we have the fast food sign for bears sign. Bruins aren't the most adept readers but when they come across these signs they really start salivating as they know there's going to be lots of tasty meals ready to eat just up ahead.

Finally, we have the Dog Team Crossing sign. Yes I know you can read but this one's probably not too common in your neck of the woods. Most places have all sorts of sports teams - football, softball, basketball, hockey - the list is endless. So it's good in Alaska that they celebrate their teams as well. I've already blogged on why Alaska doesn't have an NFL  team but they make up for it by more than a four to two paw ratio. Gotta  love those canine athletes. Speaking of which, when we swung through Wasilla which is home to the Iditarod  headquarters we met and chatted with Mark Nordman, the race director and former musher, who was nice enough to take a picture with one of this year's real race sleds that had broken a runner during the race. These broken sleds are valuable, $4,000 or more, so when they break down they get flown back, at musher's expense, and reunited with their owners. The canine athletes? They had already caught the red eye out of Nome  in March.

So there you have the basics of Alaskan road signs. Safe travels and if you happen to drive into one of those notorious potholes your car's seat cushion may be used as an emergency flotation device.