Want to be have the best spot to watch skiers finishing the 39th Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot? Volunteer to be part of the Sonot Kkaazoot timing crew.
Head timer Anna Sorensen will train you and you’ll get to work with other key members of the NSCF ski community. Subway, a Sonot Kkaazoot sponsor, will supply sandwiches to fuel timers and hot beverages and indoor bathroom facilities will be available.
The unseasonably cold temperatures likely mean that many skiers will not be setting personal records, so we’d really like to have adequate timing volunteers so that Anna can relieve volunteers when additional help arrives.
Email: contact@sonotkkaazoot.org if you are willing to be a part of this essential Sonot Kkaazoot function.
Avoid late registration fees of $20/person for adult skiers if you register before 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. Registration fees for junior skiers increase from $5 to $15 depending upon their age and ski club membership status.
All registration for the Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot ends at 1159 p.m. on Thursday, 19 March 2026. There are no race day entries.
Volunteers are needed for the 39th Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot.
Take a look at the Volunteers tab at the top of this page and see if there is a job that you can fill. The skiers and organizers will appreciate your efforts.
Beautiful tracks on Blackhawk trail set by Bill Husby and captured on video by Dan Johnson
The sun was out and it was -6 deg in the Birch Hill stadium. With the classical only trails groomed yesterday, the SCUM headed out to the Blackhawk trail to enjoy Bill Husby’s grooming. We were treated to fresh new tracks except where a moose (untrained in trail etiquette) had disrupted the parallel grooves.
Sarah Conn (all photos by Dan Johnson)
Jeff Conn
Don Pedergrast
Byron Broda
Bill Husby
Bernardo Hernandez
And Mother SCUM, who was going so slow, Dan’s fingers froze:
No falls today with very controlled downhill speed
Enjoy the trails before the moose destroy them. The sunshine had us all smiling today even though it was -20 deg F on the Classical Bear trail.
Although it seems that overtraining has been confined to snow shoveling, sandwiched between cold temperatures, the 39th Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot is just a month away. This means that early registration ends this Saturday, 28 February 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
So click on the “register” tab at the top of this page and sign up now. You’ll save some money that you can use for fuel for your snow blower or for yourself, if you are limited to human-powered snow removal.
SCUM joined by gold medal, Owen, on our military transect from Sunnyside to Sonot Connector–all photos by Greg Kahoe (the kid)
The snow storms keep coming so the groomers’ work is unending. However, when the snows stop (and we catch up with our shoveling), temperatures plunge so skate skiing hasn’t been feasible for SCUM.
Today we plodded on our classical skis with 3 inches of new snow in the tracks that were set just Friday. On Sunnyside and Cliffside, one had to be careful to stay on the packed trail as the snow on the edges was deep. Sarah discovered that the hard way on one of the downhill switchbacks on Sunnyside.
Heading up from the Fort Wainwright ski chalet, we had to search for the classical tracks that Bill had set Friday afternoon. When Jeff found them, we headed up the Sonot Connector,
Practicing our tucks on the Sonot Connector as we search for Bill’s tracks
where we met up with Bill and Jerome coming from the opposite direction.
Meeting up with groomer, Bill, and his flip up goggles
Bill then told us of his adventure in the deep snow while setting tracks on the Sonot Connector when his snowmachine tipped and sunk sideways into the deeper snow while drag managed to the keep him upright. After a quick call to Brian, the head groomer, they had a come along to move Bill’s gear back on the more solid snow.
However, today, all the new snow had concealed the site of the mishap. Stay tuned, with 9 to 15 inches of additional snow predicted, groomers will need to be even more careful out on the trails.
Please consider increasing your donation to the NSCF trails fund. With over 6 feet of snow on the ground, we could have wonderful spring skiing, if the trail fund holds up.
It’s Bad Bob’s Birthday and he got to race the 15km free on a beautiful day, sunny and 38 degrees with fast snow.
Birthday boy, Bad Bob Baker on day 1 of World Masters–All photos from Bob and Sharon Baker
Owen had the race of the day collecting a silver medal in the 10km classic M11, Sharon placed 5th in the M8 15km free, Bad Bob placed 27th in the M8 15km free, Bruce finished his 15km free in the M9 while Chris completed his M9 classic.
Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks president, Chris Puchner heads out for his 15-km classic race
Bad Bob and Sharon Baker at World Masters in Sappada, Italy–all photos from the Bakers
From Bad Bob:
“. . all of us Fairbanksans skied the race course today. After a major snow storm yesterday and a 5 hour bus ride from Venice that normally take 2 1/2 hours, we all arrived safely. 37 degrees and fast snow greeted us on our first ski outing. 1st race happens Saturday.”
Hopefully, Bad Bob, Sharon, Bruce, Owen, and Chris will send us updates when they have a free moment.
Sonot Kkaazoot 