Items left at the Sonot Kkaazoot start and finish area on the Chena River and at the Doyon Ltd. Building on race day that weren’t claimed at the Awards Ceremony have been left in the lost and found area on the second floor of the main Birch Hill Recreation Area Building. A pair of ski poles and a pair of ski boots (in a canvas bag) are among the items left behind.
Thanks to the amazing efforts of Tom Helmers, Bill Husby, Ken Coe, and Bad Bob Baker, the trails for the Sonot Kkaazoot were in fantastic shape in spite of the cold snow. As noted earlier, today’s temperature at the Fort Wainwright alpine hill was 62 deg cooler than last year so all finishers today deserve a huge pat on the back.
Preliminary results are posted on the “Results” page above. Send us an email to: contact@sonotkkaazoot.org if you see any problems.
See you at the Awards Ceremony.
from Bad Bob Baker on the course at 6:45 a.m.
-12 deg F on river
Denali State Bank reads -6 deg F.
Dress appropriately.
Tom Helmers, head groomer for the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks, reported at 2:30 a.m. that the temperature at the Fort Wainwright alpine lodge is 62 deg cooler than last year. Thus, there will be no water over the trail anywhere today.
Also, a truck is still stuck in the trail as it comes off the river. Here’s hoping that the owner doesn’t choose today to retrieve it.
See you at the start on the Chena River at the Cushman Street Bridge.
As of this morning, 266 skiers are currently registered for the 2017 Sonot Kkaazoot. The 50 km event has 58 skiers after several skiers moved down to the 40 km or 20 km before bib pick-up. Fifteen skiers will take advantage of the early start to participate in the 50 km classical event, and 21 will compete in the 40 km event. The vast majority of skiers (currently 172) are signed up to take off on their Saturday ski at 10:30 ADT as part of the 20 km wave.
The Sonot trail on the Chena River has been deemed “race ready” by yet another of the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks groomers. Bill Husby will be testing those trails himself as he starts with the 50 CL skiers at 9:30 a.m.
From the New York Times, here is one more reason why signing up for the Sonot Kkaazoot (an intense workout) is good those of us with aging muscles:
Late Wednesday afternoon, Bad Bob Baker did grooming on the Sonot Kkaazoot trail on the Chena River. Here is a photo he took of the Steese Highway Bridge after the shoveling done by Byron, Dermot, Donovan, and Frank followed by Bob running his comb over the area a dozen times.
Bob also built a wide ramp from the parking lot down to the Sonot Kkaazoot start area under the Cushman Street bridge. This will make getting to and from the start/finish area MUCH easier than normal.
Course conditions for the 30th annual Sonot Kkaazoot are looking great!
Thanks to Byron Broda, Dermot Cole, Donovan Granger, and Frank Soos, snow has been collected and moved under the Steese Hwy bridge. Your ski bottoms are protected thanks to the yeomen service of these 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot skiers.
Thanks, guys!
Email update from the amazing Bad Bob Baker:
I will be down on the river several times tomorrow, Wednesday, and will be putting in a big snow ramp/path down to the start area, from the parking lot. That will give it time to really harden up… I will also spent some time under the bridges, and perhaps my drag will pull some snow under the bridges. I will report to you tomorrow night on how it goes, along with perhaps some pictures. It just might work well, or it might not work well at all. BUT…I will try my best….and try to impress you. My plan on Saturday if and when I finish 50km..is to crawl onto my snowmachine and get up to the sonot cutoff, and follow ( sweep the trail behind the last skier)…that is If I’m not that person…
Groomers were out on the Chena River today in preparation for Saturday’s Sonot Kkaazoot. Ken Coe has deemed their handiwork as “race ready” after they finished today. Classical tracks in both directions will be set on the morning of the race to make sure that they are not damaged overnight. Also, Bad Bob Baker spent over an hour today doing test drilling of ice thicknesses on the first 0.5 km of the course. Even in the “bad looking thin spots”, the ice was over a foot thick.
Thus, barring some unforeseen weather anomaly before Saturday, we’re a “go” for the traditional start and finish line of the 30th annual Sonot Kkaazoot.
Remember, that early bib pick-up is Thursday, 23 March 2017 at the Doyon Ltd, Headquarters from 5 to 7 p.m. All late registration must be done online. See the “register” tab at the top of this website.
Photos by Bill Husby
A trio of groomers and drags work on the Chena River today (video by Bill Husby)
Sonot Kkaazoot 