Author Archives: Sonot Kkaazoot

Three days before Sonot update

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The sun is out in Fairbanks and the 8:00 a.m. temperature this morning at the Sonot Kkaazoot start on the Chena River was 0 deg F. It is 14 deg F at Birch Hill. The highs predicted for today, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are 28, 28, 31, and 28 deg F, respectively.

Three trail groomers are out on the Chena River today getting things ready for Saturday’s race, and we will hopefully post some photos later today.

Remember, early bib pick-up is Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Doyon, Ltd building near the Sonot Kkaazoot start. PLEASE pick up your bib (and any out-of-town skiers who may be staying with you) Thursday night. We will have pulled all bibs for the two high school ski teams so one person can pick up the entire team’s bibs on race day. Skiers arriving in Fairbanks on Saturday morning can arrange to pick up their bib from the day-of-race organizer at the start/finish area on the Chena River after 9 a.m. if you email contact@sonotkkaazoot.org and let us know.

As of this morning, we have 268 entries with 159 skiers signed up for the 20 km event and 109 skiers doing the longer 40 and 50 events. All race registration is online and “day-of-race” fees are effective after early bib pick-up on Thursday.

REMEMBER, if you are not a USA citizen and want to register for the 40 or 50 km events, you must do so by Thursday, 22 March 2018 at 7 p.m. The longer races enter Fort Wainwright and we must get prior approval for foreign nationals to participate.

 

Sonot Kkaazoot hats to be sold at bib pick-up

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A limited number of the Sonot Kkaazoot hats specially made for our 30th anniversary have been re-ordered and will be for sale for $25 cash or check only at the Thursday evening and Saturday morning bib pick-ups at the Doyon Ltd building. These hats with a purple tassel come in two sizes: S/M and M/L and will be available for sale only to Sonot Kkaazoot racers or volunteers. If you missed the race last year because of the USSA Distance Nationals or were out-of-town and unable to volunteer, this is your chance to own one of these distinctive and desirable hats. The band is fleece-lined making the hat a perfect spring toque for Interior Alaska.

30th Sonot hat!

Sonot Kkaazoot hat modeled by hat’s artist, Margo Klass and Frank Soos, primordial SCUM in charge of Sonot bib pick-up and swag 

One week out, 209 Sonot skiers entered

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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.

Meet the Sonot Kkaazoot media lead

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Putting on the Sonot Kkaazoot requires an army of volunteers who contribute many talents. Eric Troyer, a SCUM noted for his unconventional race suits, has been the Sonot Kkaazoot media lead (and NSCF Facebook guru) and a Fort Wainwright road crossing guard (and photographer) for several years. This year he has assembled the Sonot Kkaazoos, who will perform at the Sonot Kkaazoot Awards Ceremony.

Eric is one of the younger SCUM, and his wife put together this UTube video in honor of Eric’s 58th birthday.

Enjoy Corrine’s creative efforts, and be sure to wish Eric a belated happy birthday!

All 50 km of Sonot Kkaazoot course groomed

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Today some of the Sonot Kkaazoot organizers (aka the SCUM) skied down the Sonot Connector along the Fort Wainwright trails from the Birch Hill Ski and Snowboard Area to the Chena River and back. Thanks to clearing and grooming efforts of Bob Baker, Jeff Skeels, Tom Helmers, and Bill Husby, the FWW connecting trails looked better than they have in years.

Here’s Dermot Cole leaving the Birch Hill Ski and Snowboard Area over the pond area near the parking lot:

FWW trail over pond area between ski area and Ski Road sm

Here’s the wide trail adjacent Ski Road:

Wide FWW trail along Ski Road sm

Crossing River Road, which was plowed to pavement, requires taking off skis, but will be staffed on race day to allow skiers to ski across:

Crossing River Road sm.JPG

Here’s the wide trail from the Chena River back toward the 20 km turnaround:

trail to 20 km turnaround from Chena River sm

 

Entire 20 km Sonot course groomed

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From Bob Baker, Sonot Kkaazoot Chief of course, yesterday (3/5/18):  “I groomed the Chena again today, and even set a rough set of classical tracks on one side.  I finished all the brush clearing and widened the 20 km turnaround and it’s ready to go…  Ft. Wainwright has groomed out the route from the ski area all the way to, and across the River Road and all along that ditch, too.  Looks great!   And now, they can even take the big grooming equipment all the way to the River’s edge.

The Chena River has developed some overflow and wet spots on a few places on the edges of where I have groomed.  The temperature really shot up today to almost 20 deg. I think when the snow stops and the temps drop back down to the ZERO area over night, things will get much better again.   No panic yet, just the Chena being the Chena.  Otherwise, the Chena River was groomed with a Classic Track and a good 12′ wide Skate lane the whole 20 km.

Will do more next time the temp drops some more.” 

So ski with care and preferably with someone on the Chena River. Do not wander outside the groomed trail. Remember to carry your identification if you plan to ski on Fort Wainwright trails and watch for traffic on road crossings.

Sunshine and newly groomed trails await skiers

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Over a foot of new snow has fallen on Birch Hill trails this week, but skiers arriving at Birch Hill today will find all the trails (with the exception of White Bear where the Army is currently conducting their Arctic Winter Games) were groomed and tracked this morning. 

The newly fallen and windblown snow has made for difficult grooming conditions on less used trails with tight uphill corners like those on the new Sunnyside trail. Undaunted, after grooming this morning, Bill Husby went out on skis to further refine the trails.

With an overabundance of snow this winter coupled with wind events that make trail maintenance more time intensive, please make an additional contribution to trail fund so we’ll have fabulous trails to enjoy on sunny spring days like today:

http://nordicskicluboffairbanks.wildapricot.org/Donate

If you plan to ski in any of the Sonot Kkaazoot events on March 24, it’s time to put in those training kilometers. The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks groomers are making it easy for us.

One month out, 119 skiers signed up for 31st annual Sonot Kkaazoot

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The 31st annual Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot is scheduled for a month from today. Currently, 119 skiers have registered and paid their entry fees. As of Saturday afternoon, 69 skiers have signed up for the 20 km event, 9 for the 40, 3 for the 50 CL, and 38 for the 50 km freestyle event.

Please check on the “Entries” page to make sure your registration information is current. If your name doesn’t appear, please check to see that you received an email from the Wild Apricot system with a paid invoice. We cannot enter you in the race until you have submitted valid payment. If you have difficulties, for example, one skier had issues last year with her internationally issued credit card being rejected, please send an email to: sonotkkaazoot@nscfairbanks.org and we will try to work out something.

Early registration ends tomorrow

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Only 52 skiers are currently signed up for the 2018 Sonot Kkaazoot although there is over 2 feet of snow on the ground at the Fairbanks International Airport, and much more at Birch Hill.

The Dimond High School ski team from Anchorage is currently participating in the Alaska State High School Championship Races. The team has signed up to come back in a month to ski the Sonot Kkaazoot. Shouldn’t you join them?

Early registration ends tomorrow. It will never be cheaper to register for the 2018 Sonot Kkaazoot than during early registration. Registration is easy online using the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks Wild Apricot Secure Site. Just click on the “Register” page at the top of this website.

For school ski teams,  contact Rebecca Heaton at:  membership@nscfairbanks.org and she’ll arrange for signing up your entire team with one credit card charge.