At the end of regular Sonot Kkaazoot registration, we have 209 skiers entered and ready to glide. Currently 119 skiers (57%) are signed up for the 20 km event, 27 for the 40 km, 7 for the 50 CL, and 56 skiers for the main 50 km event. These numbers will grow substantially when two high school ski teams (Dimond High from Anchorage and Galena) are officially added to the mix.

Skiers tend to procrastinate so late registration is available (again, all online using the Wild Apricot system) but at higher entry fees. All individual skier registration is online (no paper entry fees) so don’t wait until bib pick-up on Thursday.

Interesting skier registration patterns are already apparent. One week out, we have more skiers signed up for the 40 and 50 km events than the final tally last year. The 40 km event has more skiers entered than any of the previous five years.

Trail conditions are the best that they have been in years! The amazing snow cover means that downhill corners are going to be much more forgiving. So if you have been wavering on attempting the longer 40 or 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot events, this is the year to move up. As a 68 year old skier with two total knee replacements, most years I’ve dreaded the sweeping downhill on the Black Hole that goes over the old luge run. This year, with abundant new snow (instead of ground up old snow), I’ve been able to ski rather than madly snowplow down this trail that is groomed wider than is possible in low snow years.

Enjoy the new snow on the Birch Hill trails this weekend and then make the commitment to enjoy all the Birch Hill trails (and the Chena River) next Saturday.  The register tab at the top of this page is awaiting you.