In the Sunday wind storm, Julie Esdale and Jen Humphrey completed the virtual Sonot 20 km in 2:30:00. The skied all the White Bear, Blue, Outhouse, Relay Start, Tower, Old Tower, Roller Coaster, White Bear Access and Warm up.

Julie is wearing the crown from her Oosik Costume— They were a group of Lady Liberties (she means Liberski!).

Congratulations!

Although the trails were somewhat windy when we started out today, the tracks were solid and the corduroy unmarred by other skiers. Susan was skating and Norma was classical skiing today. We followed the grooming by skiing the blue, outhouse, and Sunnyside.

Norma skiing the Outhouse tracks with Rode blue and Swix extra blue kick

The grooming ended at Cliffside, but we continued on opting for an adventure.

Norma warmed up from our adventure

Mistake! I discovered on one of the downhill corners that the deep transformed snow concealed an icy berm that totally engulfed my skate skis so I unceremoniously face planted–jarring my heart rate monitor to momentarily read 214.  Fortunately, Norma didn’t have a camera so I was spared further embarrassment. 

Conditions got tougher when we got to the Sonot Connector so I took off my skis and walked. The snow was deep and occasionally we could see the brilliantly blue colored ice underneath the blanket of snow from the Color Running Race that Fort Wainwright had held last Sunday. Norma classical skied our uphill adventure while I walked.

Norma setting her own tracks up the Sonot Connector

Sometimes taking off the skis is easier than slogging

Halfway up the Sonot Connector we saw two moose (a mother and yearling) who were moving slower than we were. We waited for them to cross the trail before heading up. Although the White Bear hadn’t been groomed since Saturday morning, our adventure made that trail seem SO much easier. We finished up by taking Meridian cutoff to the warm-up and then skiing the warm-up again to enjoy the fresh grooming.

Here is our adventure data (10.64 km, 2:09.46):

and our ski and adventure route:

Our ski and adventure route

So as I head into my two grad classes on Monday and Tuesday, I have only 20 km left to ski on my 50 km Virtual Sonot Kkaazoot, when I can return on Wednesday.

Carl skied the traditional 20 km course on 19 March 2020, mostly double poling in the tracks to avoid freeze-thaw ruts in the skating platform.. He started with and emulated Bill Husby, but his time was 1:47:33. See: https://sonotkkaazoot.org/2020/03/19/bill-husby-finishes-his-virtual-20-km/

On Saturday, 21 March, Carl once again started with Bill Husby intending to ski 40 km. However, after skiing the White Bear twice for a distance of 21 km, he opted to call it a day.

He wrote: The rapidly accumulating snow on the freshly groomed trails made skate skiing progressively more difficult. Thanks to everyone for making it possible to get out and ski for two and one half hours Saturday.

Carl slightly seized up afterwards and sent the wrong screen shot. However, here’s the second installment of Carl’s virtual 40 km.

I also witnessed Carl pacing the warming hut after his 21 km ski waiting for his carpool driver, Jerome Jackson, to finish his virtual 40 km. Carl might easily have done 22 or 23 km of combined ski/walk distance.

Kieran and Max Kaufman skied 20 km with Scott and John Tragis. They did an extra lap around the stadium to compensate for their watch’s error.  Their times were 2:38.02.

Our FXC skiers keep their fathers active. Good job all.

While the Virtual Sonot Kkaazoot has seen amazing performances in the face of snow storms and gusty winds, the real goal of the Virtual Sonot Kkaazoot is to safely relieve some of the stress and anxiety that we’re all feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic. All levels of real athletes have had their dreamed goals snatched away from them; many of our friends are without paychecks; many students are facing virtual courses. Through social distancing, we can protect health care providers, first responders, and friends and family throughout the global community who are already facing medical challenges. We can increase our resistance to the virus by reducing personal anxieties while we exercise caution and our bodies. That’s what the virtual Sonot Kkaazoot is attempting to do.

Frank Soos has been in charge of Sonot Kkaazoot registration and bib distribution for nearly a decade. He’s a professor emeritus of English at UAF and primordial SCUM (meaning that he’s been part of the group for 25 years)!  As he’s done for decades, Frank has been prepping for the 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot, successfully skiing the 30 km Distance Race and 20 km Skiathon. Yesterday, he was disappointed that he only classical skied the Grand Tour (all the trails at Birch Hill that we normally ski during the traditional Sonot Kkaazoot or about 26 hilly km) during the snow storm we faced.

Here’s Frank’s report:

I regret to report that I only did the grand tour—so whatever that was.  My classic skis did well, but as the day wore on I got slower and so did the snow.  I had a little icing on the very last of the White Bear, but when it counted, Heart Rate Hill, the Black Loops, my wax worked well.  I was pretty wrung out by the time it was over, don’t think I could have managed another loop.

However, Frank and Nimbus found their peaceful rest:

So if you can ski only 4 or 5 km, but can reduce stress and anxiety in the process, YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SKIED THE VIRTUAL SONOT KKAAZOOT.

So get out and ski. Then send your reports to contact@sonotkkaazoot.org. You encourage others by sharing your stories. I’m heading out again this morning and will submit my 2-day virtual Sonot report this afternoon.

The subject line of Bill Husby’s email reporting his 50 km time read “Oh what fun”:

Today was a challenge as the snow kept falling. After first skiing the WB, MM followed by the Warm up it was a pleasure to get on the more recently groomed Blacks and Blues. Tom was still grooming the Tower so it was around the Outhouse a couple more times. When exiting the OH on the 3rd pass Chris and Owen just entering, so I joined them for yet another pass, staying 2 x the social distance protocol away. From there onto the relay, East Ramp, Tower and Medvac.

The second trip around the WB was cut short by skipping Heartrate Hill and MM. Nobody needs to suffer the Blacks twice in the same day, so it was back to the Blues with 3 more times around the joyful OH. Our remedial SCUM interval training the last few weeks made for a couple of enjoyable loops on the Tower. The fourth loop was cut short because the groomed, but not yet skied, Green Dot attracted my ATOMIC skis like a magnetic force. Finished the 50K out on the WB. Made some stops at the hut and along the trails for bathroom, equipment, water and food needs. And yes, I did a few social distance chat stops.

Bill becomes the second bilaterally bionic kneed skier to complete the virtual Sonot 50 km. SCUM does rise to the top.

Here’s Anna’s report and route:

Here is my track from my 20.04 km in 1:34:14 at Birch Hill in the slow snow earlier today.

Yes, Norma and I will verify that Anna passed us as if we skiing backwards. Anna was skating effortlessly in that slow, but lovely new snow.