Nenana Tripod
Nenana
These days, Nenana is very famous for its Ice Classic contest. The tripod shown here (or one like it) is set out on the river in the middle of winter, and participants buy tickets to guess when the ice breakup on the river will occur. When the ice in the river breaks up, the tripod heads downriver and trips off an alarm, stopping the clock. Winners get approximately $300,000. Breakup usually occurs between April 20 and May 20.
©Bill Yeaton