Author Archives: Sonot Kkaazoot

El Nino, Global Change, and the Sonot Kkaazoot

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An extraordinarily strong El Nino is influencing weather patterns throughout the northern hemisphere and Interior Alaska is no exception. An early snow storm in late September led to downed trees and widespread power outages. Much warmer temperatures than normal in October melted most of the early winter snowpack but allowed trail clean-up and powerline repairs.

Robert practicing his doublepole

Robert practicing his doublepoling under trail light post on White Bear in late October

A snowy November provided Birch Hill groomers with daily challenges but gave us the needed snowpack when chinooks in December and January brought winds, above freezing temperatures, and no additional precipitation.  These conditions again brought significant grooming challenges in the form of downed trees, debris, and globs of ice. However, thanks to our groomers whose tools include chain saws and rakes, we have the luxury of skiing on world class trails. However, donations to the Trail Fund are well below last season, so please consider an additional donation at:

https://nordicskicluboffairbanks.wildapricot.org/Donate/

Saturday’s 20 km Buetow Distance Race #2 featured a course including sections of the North 40, Black Hole, Blue, Outhouse, and Tower loops with deep, beautiful classical tracks (amazingly free of leaf debris) and a firm skate platform that was an absolute delight to ski. This event was a perfect training workout for the Sonot Kkaazoot and yet another reminder of the value of grooming and volunteers in the Nordic Ski community.

So, Alaska Nordic Skiers take note, we are skiing in Fairbanks and have been since early November. The Sonot Kkaazoot has never been canceled so make a commitment now to ski 20, 40 or 50 km on Saturday, 26 March 2016. The organization for the Sonot Kkaazoot is entirely volunteer so significant proceeds can go toward the grooming necessary to make the event (and training for the event) possible. Thus, we need your help. If you plan to ski the Sonot Kkaazoot, please sign up early.

https://sonotkkaazoot.org/register/

Not only will the registration fees be lower, you will assist us in planning for the event.

If you do not plan to ski, please consider volunteering to help out on race day as many of the Sonot Kkaazoot participants are the volunteers staffing the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks events so this is their one event to race. We especially need people who can help with timing (an “inside” job) or staffing the various road and alpine hill crossings on Fort Wainwright. We also have other volunteer tasks that racers can do as well. See the “Volunteers” page on the Sonot Kkaazoot webpage for specifics or to sign up:

https://sonotkkaazoot.org/volunteers/

Enjoy the wonderful ski trails.

Ski the 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot in 2016

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The winter of 2015-2016 is a huge El Nino one, so the mild weather in Interior Alaska makes is much easier to train for the 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot. Unlike many ski marathons, the 50 km field in the Sonot tends to be dominated by the 50 and older crowd. In fact, this year, the Sonot Kkaazoot may have our first finisher in the 80 and over category. Can you pick him out of this photo from our first SCUM workout of 2016?

New Yeark at SCUM corner sm

Everyone in this photo has done the 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot multiple times. Everyone is older than 56; two have totally bionic knees, one has had multiple heart valves replaced, one has had 8 concussions. If we can train for and complete the Sonot Kkaazoot, why not you?

Here are some suggestions for finishing your first 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot with a smile from a 66-year old skier who has done 28 of them while working 50 to 60 hours a week at a desk job.

  1. Make a generous donation to the Birch Hill trails fund. The groomers make it possible for you to train after snowstorms, windstorms, and huge swings in temperature. The groomers also serve as trail sweeps during races, including the Sonot Kkaazoot, so thank them for their efforts by contributing as much as you can to the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks trail fund:          https://nordicskicluboffairbanks.wildapricot.org/Donate/
  2. Register for the Sonot Kkaazoot 50 km event. Skiing 50 km is at least 50% mental. Make a public commitment to do the event.           https://sonotkkaazoot.org/register/
  3. Ski the black loops before the Sonot Kkaazoot. These loops are much less intimidating once you know where to expect the corners.
  4. Ski the Sonot Connector (both directions) going down as far at the Fort Wainwright alpine hut.
  5. Ski the “Grand Tour” (all 26 km of the Birch Hill trails) or the 30 km Distance Race #3. Test out your hydration and feed strategy for a long distance effort.

Winter Solstice Ski at Birch Hill

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On the Sunday closest to the winter solstice, the SCUM welcomed some of our wayward skiers back to celebrate the holidays in Nordic skiing nirvana. The days are so short near the winter solstice that the skies are especially beautiful. Here are the SCUM at the Sonot Connector intersection on the White Bear at high noon.

SCUM on winter solstice really sm

In Moilanen Meadows, Dermot noticed extra flex in his ski.

Extra skate ski flex sm

Not to be outdone, Robert demonstrated the great cornering skills that he learned from   Nick Crawford’s clinic last Sunday:

IMG_1409_cornering skills taught by NC

Back in the stadium, we launched sky lanterns to Russ and Lars, who left us a little over a year ago.

Poles launching air lantern sm

We then retreated to the warming hut to enjoy some coffee and sweets to end the shortest Sunday of the year.

Happy Holidays from the SCUM (organizers of the Sonot Kkaazoot)!Happy Holidays from the SCUM sm

Photo of Robert’s snow angel by Bill Husby; photo of SCUM and tree by Barbara Schuhmann.

Ski the Sonot Connector in November

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Although our September skiing at Birch Hill didn’t last long, we have made up for our slightly late start with an abundance of snow in November. The snow cover is so good that the SCUM (Sonot Kkaazoot organizers) skied the south side classical only trails in mid November. Today, we skied the Sonot Connector on piston bully groomed trails and tracks, which our SCUM groomer tells us is a first for this time of year. The packed platform is about 5 inches thick on the inside corners.

Poles & Dermot on Sonot Connector

The winds accompanying the chinook on Friday removed the snow burdens from the birch and spruce trees lining the trails but the piston bully did a great job of grinding up the ice and mixing it with the abundant power snow.

Early registration for the 29th annual Sonot Kkaazoot is open now. Make the commitment to skiing 50, 40, or 20 km on March 26, 2016, and register online at the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks secure site.

https://sonotkkaazoot.wordpress.com/register/

Then get out and enjoy the wonderful trails. Please make sure that you donate what you can to help support our wonderful skiing conditions.

https://nordicskicluboffairbanks.wildapricot.org/Donate/

 

Happy Earth Day!

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Poles crossing Smith Lk sm Skiing on Smith Lake on Earth Day in the sunshine,Being prepared sm requires a little preparation, like putting one’s iphone in a ziplok bag

Earth Day trio smand having friends to share the day. Happy Earth Day!

We wish our hard working friends could have joined us.

poles

We send “happy birthday” greetings to Robert Hannon, and know he would have been with us if he were in town.

danWet photos by Bill Husby’s iphone

Doing transitions Robert’s way–a comedy in three acts

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???????????????????????????????One down on Smith Lake (with witnesses),???????????????????????????????another on the T-field notch for no obvious reason.Poles showing the way smPoles tests the waters at the base of the T-field and shows how he stays on the top of this game, while

???????????????????????????????

???????????????????????????????Robert finds his own way to wash the mud off his warm-ups from when he took the muddy path down from the top of the T-field instead of the icy one.

End of the season ski and swim scheduled from Wednesday, 22 April 2015 beginning at 11:00 a.m. ADT on Smith Lake. Come join the fun. Bring skis. shades, and sunscreen. For the gullible, a snorkel might be handy.

Spring Gala coming this Saturday

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The Spring Gala, put on by NSCF-FXC, will be held this Saturday, April 18 from 8 to 11 p.m. Music will be provided by Steve Brown and the Bailers, an acoustic trio, and the floor will be open for dancing. Refreshments will be provided by HooDoo Brewery. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door or from an FXC skier.
A silent auction will be held throughout the evening, and a dessert auction will also be held. The silent auction has many items. Some are ski-related, but many are not. All proceeds of the event go to FXC, the junior race-training program of the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks.

Last weekend ski at Birch Hill likely today

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Traditionally some of the best skiing of the year happens after the Sonot Kkaazoot. However, with the overall winter being warm and low snowfall with a record loading of birch seed and spruce cones, the ski season at Birch Hill for 2014 to 2015 is drawing to a close. In addition to the Ski for Women participants, we enjoyed the wonderfully groomed ski trails today and some unexpected sunshine.

Dermot not dermotized_smShirtless Ray_sm3 shirtless skiers_smWe close out the ski season at Birch Hill with this rare shirtless photo shoot.

Skiing at West Ridge is still feasible for at least another week so we may post some photos from our annual Smith Lake biathlon (ski, swim) event that will likely be no earlier than late April.

Sonot Kkaazoot organizers relax

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Birch Hill trails are wonderful thanks to trail donations and the piston bully work of Tom Helmers. The Sonot Kkaazoot organizers were able to take a relaxing ski on Easter Sunday in preparation for the 2016 event, when our technique and fitness will be much improved.

Here’s Eric Troyer, the head of Sonot Kkaazoot publicity showing the uphill technique he’s learned from Pete Leonard’s FXC Masters class.

???????????????????????????????And following him are Frank Soos, head of Sonot bib pick-up and late registration followed by Eric Buetow, one of our Fort Wainwright road crossing team leaders.

???????????????????????????????Bill Husby (aka Poles) was skating today after a season of grooming at Birch Hill and heading up Sonot Kkaazoot trail snow enhancement and brushing parties.???????????????????????????????Dermot Cole was the SCUM reporter on the course and videotaped the 50 km start as well as the last wave of skiers up the Fort Wainwright alpine hill. Dermot (on right in photo below) was a key snow enhancement worker on the river and on the Sonot Connector in the week leading up to the Sonot Kkaazoot:???????????????????????????????and all the skiers were enjoying the easy ski out of the black loops today:???????????????????????????????Enjoy the wonderful trails while they last. Spring really is right around the corner.

Some of the SCUM who played a major role in the Sonot Kkazoot weren’t skiing on Easter Sunday, so here is a partial group photo taken by Kent Karns on race day.Some SCUMFrom left to right: Steve Clautice (#508) helped set up and serve at the Awards Ceremony; to his right is Robert Hannon who headed up contact with the military and organized the Fort Wainwright road crossing teams; to his right with the ball cap is Mike Schmoker, who with Bernardo Hernandez constructs and distributes Sonot woodels and other awards; #551 is Mom, head Sonot janitor and crisis coach; #96 is Mike Ruckhaus, snow mover and trail enhancer; #550 is Frank Soos, guru in charge of bib distribution, late registration,and swag; Dermot Cole with all the extra clothes was a key snow enhancer on the river and Sonot Connector; and to his right is Chris Puchner, who organized all the feed stations and headed up the set-up and take-down of the finish area on the river.