Monthly Archives: January 2026

Frank Soos Distance Race #2 is next Saturday

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After six weeks of classical skiing with minimal glide while temperatures and newly fallen snow remained bitterly cold, skiers have been given roughly 10 days to train for the 10 and 20 km Frank Soos Distance Race #2. You can read specifics of this event and register here:

https://www.nscfairbanks.org/programs/races/distance-series/distance-series-2/

https://zone4.ca/event/2025/ZqeYmP/

The Gingersnap Special involves many of the intermediate blue loops at Birch Hill Recreation Area so the SCUM wanted to see if they could leisurely skate 10 km today. However, the dramatic warm up in temperatures came with intense winds leaving the trails littered with debris and snow and ice globules dropped from the trees. So the SCUM had to work a little harder than planned and some of us fell when our skis encountered materials not compatible with our glide waxes.

SCUM take a rest break while skiing the Sunnyside trail section of the Gingersnap Special race course–photo by Pam Laker

After finishing our tour of the 10 km race course today, we knew that we’d be able to ski 20 km on Saturday when the trails will have newly laid corduroy on them. Join us in honoring our friend, Frank, whose spirit will be accompanying us. We need this 20 km test. The 39th Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot is just 2 months away.

56 deg warmup in just two days

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SCUM at the bottom of the Blue loop descent–photos by Pam Laker

Skiing with glide and on skate skis for the first time since 2 December 2025, meant that the SCUM felt like it was October. It was +35 deg when we headed out today at 10:30 a.m. This was a 56 deg temperature swing from Wednesday when several of us skied at -21 deg with 1″ of snow in the set tracks.

After skiing South Tower and the Blue loop, we had shed even more clothes:

Trying to remember the skate ski pointers from the Thanksgiving Camp

We could hardly recognize Jerome without his mask and walrus-like “snotsickle”. Shedding layers made all of us look thinner than last week.

Hopefully, the NSCF groomers will be able to work their magic and grind up the snow/ice/debris globules that have fallen onto the trails after this storm ends. After having both of our FXC Masters Ski Power Lunch sessions canceled this week due to cold temperatures, it was a novel treat to be overheating even without chemical hand and toe warmers.

On Sunday, we hope to ski enough kilometers to be prepared for next weekend’s Frank Soos Distance Race #2, the Ginger Snap Special, 10 or 20 km freestyle. This is one of the stepping stones to the Sonot Kkaazoot on 21 March 2026.

SCUM shred half foot deep powder on Black Loops after finding LOL ornament #2

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SCUM brave a half foot of powder to find LOL ornament #2–photo by Pam Laker

After having to brave a half foot of ungroomed powder on the black loops to locate LOL ornament #2, our LAST of the 12, the SCUM decided to shred all the black downhills. In the process we also did some trail maintenance–moving downed trees from the trails. Most of us fell (Greg and Mom, 4 times), but the video below records the best one. Click on the full screen icon on the lower far right of the image to appreciate the moment more fully.

How many SCUM does it take to pick up a downed tree? video by Pam Laker

Here are Greg Kahoe’s photos of Bill leading us on our first shedding adventure:

Mike wisely watches as the carnage plays out on the downhill

Here is a photo gallery provided by Pam of our fun on the black loops:

Sometimes you have to discard your training plans to have a little fun.

It took 2.5 hours and 10 km, but SCUM found the 3 LOL ornaments today

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It was -14 deg F when we started and -16 deg F when we finished 2.5 hours later. However, the SCUM persevered and found 3 LOL ornaments. I thought that finished our tally of all 12 LOL ornaments, but it looks like we are still missing one.

The first ornament, LOL ornament #9 was spotted by Bill Husby on a trail that we had all skied multiple times during the holidays without seeing it.

LOL ornament #9 spotted by Bill Husby

After skiing Sunnyside through deep powder, we returned to our quest for LOL ornaments and Mike Schmoker found LOL #11:

Mom points to LOL ornament #11 spotted by Mike Schmoker–photo by Pam Laker

With cold toes and thumbs among his fellow SCUM, Mike spotted LOL ornament #1.

LOL ornament #1 was the last ornament found by the SCUM today–photo by Pam Laker

After finding LOL ornament #1, Jerome did some trail breaking through the entire winter’s snowpack to allow us to take a short cut back to the Birch Hill stadium. Even taking this short cut (and the groomer’s ramp instead of the rest of the WB access), we skied over 10 km. Jerome had already skied before we arrived so he probably skied 12 to 15 km.

Unfortunately, it appears that the SCUM missed LOL ornament #2, so maybe we’ll find it on Sunday. Sorry, guys! Mom found out when she added our haul today to our prior tally.

A huge thanks to Pam Laker, who took a break for organizing volunteers and volunteer care for tomorrow’s Town Race, to join us. She took photos when Mom’s thumb wouldn’t stay warm.

Happy New Year

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Midway through our ski of the pistenbully tracks–photo by Pam Laker

Although December had 12 days with temperatures below -40 deg F at the airport and January has continued that trend, the SCUM workouts have been no colder than -25 deg F in the stadium, although temperatures dropped much colder on lower lying trails. Descending the Warmup Loop (not an accurate descriptor today) at the end of our workout, I developed a severe ice cream headache that didn’t resolve even on the uphill sections. It was definitely below -25 deg on Wake Up Loop.

Today the thermometer on the building said -19 deg F when we started and -12 when we finished. We managed to ski 10 km (all but about 1 km on pistenbully tracks) in a little more than 90 minutes. This is not bad considering that 3 of us are well over 70 years old and the kid among us had gotten her second shingles vaccine earlier in the week.

Here’s Bernardo and Mom gliding down the stadium hill with the full moon over our heads:

Controlling our windchill factor on the stadium hill under the full moon–video by Jerome Jacksonc

Although just two years ago, the SCUM skied on a -37 deg F Sunday, we’re getting soft in our old age. If it’s colder than -25 deg F at Birch Hill at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, we’ll cancel our workout and make up the kilometers on Tuesday:

SCUM w/ thermometer before workout on 28 January 2024–Joanna Fox photo

However, if the inversion holds, skiing above the ice fog is good for the mind and body.