Bob Toth finished his virtual 50 km Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot on 6:59:42. Bob commented that he was “skiing with skate gear doing my unique and possibly inimitable Free (of anything approaching) Style ‘technique.” 

Bob writes:

“First off thanks to all who put the whole Birch Hill ski season together. My time should cinch 50k red lantern but believe it or not, I am absolutely tickled with it.

Wednesday, when I hit the trail at 5:49 pm I wasn’t sure if I would do the 10, 30 or 50k.^. After the Start Loop, I bypassed the White Bear Access and hit the Warmup, first decision made. As I ‘cruised’  the Blacks, big flakes made it deeper but kept things slippery, that is when I started thinking I could do a 2 or 3 stage 50k. It was getting pretty dim by the time I finished the Medivac so I decided to bypass the White Bear segments and closed the evening by taking the Warmup Loop to the timer’s building.

After only one day’s rest (I usually take two) I completed the White Bear sections of the 30k, then skied across the stadium and up the ramp to begin the final 20 of the 50, finishing stage two with the Medivac at about dark. Sunday evening it was top of White Bear Access to the finish, crossing the line at 8:31pm.

Total elapsed time start to finish:

4 days 2 hours and 42 minutes

6:59:42

trail time for the 50k. Whew kept it under 7 hours,-)”

Owen W. Hanley and Steve Taylor skate skied the virtual 50 km Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot on Sunday. Owen’s time was 3:11.60 and Steve’s was 3:14:40 as shown below:

Owen writes: “The trails held up nicely since the Friday grooming although the snow felt slow and the thin layer of powder over the tracks did seem to slow things down as well. We also had an encounter with the bull moose. Great to have the sun out and see so many other people on the trails!”

Jon Denton skate skied his virtual 50 km Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot on Saturday in 3:31:30.

Jon writes: “Thank you for the Sonot Khazoot!  This was my first 50k race.  My time around the course on skate skis was 3:31:30.  I added east ramp and white bear access to hit the 50K mark at 3:41:16.  The trails were amazing.  There was a bull moose at the top of Black Hole.  He told me that willows are best before noon and that I would be in big trouble if I had taken the high road cut off. It was a great race and fun to see people out enjoying the fast spring snow.”

Curtis Henry skate skied the virtual 50 km Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot in 3:19:03.

He writes:

“I skated the 50k course in 3:19:03 then added one lap around the stadium to get over 30 miles. Conditions were great and fortunately I didn’t have any issues with the bull moose who I crossed paths with three times.”

GPX: 

Tom O’Clair skated the virtual 50 km Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot in 4:06 on Sunday.

Tom writes: “I skied the 50k course today.  Started at 10:30 in the cold with the FXC Masters folks that had various objectives. I skied with some of them the first half of the race and then skied on my own coming across several folks as it warmed up during the day.  At the end of the course, I was confused about the 48-49-50k so I skied two more k.  Time:  4:06 on cold styrofoam snow.  Fun!”

Tom wanted to make sure he got his full workout even though Bad Bob’s course was short.

Bill Hibler meticulously documented the progress of his virtual 50 km Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot that he completed in 8:40.

William D. Hibler III writes:

“Sonot Progress

On a cold day Friday (19 Mar) last day of winter I did the start loop (with some wrong turns) in ~25 minutes. Tried to finish 10K, but stalled out.

On Sat (20 Mar) much better skiing. Sunny and faster. But I got lost on the back 40 so went back to warming hut and did the blue trail, outhouse loop and relay loop.  Back to warming hut in 45 minutes.

On Sunday (21 Mar) I did the warm up loop and the North 40/corkscrew (2^nd try) to the start of Black hole in 45 minutes. 

On Monday.  (22 Mar). Great ski conditions.  Did the black hole back to the warming hut area in 35 min.  Then did the Tower loop and Medevac in 30 minutes. One fall on Medevac going up from an ice block catching a tip. 

Tuesday. Good day.  Cool but new snow. Late Start.  Did Big Bear, Moilanen Meadows, access loop and warm up loop.  2 hrs 10 minutes:

Total 30 K time: 5 hrs 10 minutes.  

Wednesday: Did all of 20K to start of Big Bear Portion: 66 min.  Great snow.

Friday: Thought I had finished race until all the sign mismatch.  Call it 2 hrs 10 min for end of race starting at white bear access.  Need two more km!

Saturday: Went back and skied the warm up loop from the 46 km mark to end in 14 min.  

Yea: 50K:Total time: 8 hrs 40 minutes”

Thank you for your detailed report and for your generous donation to the trails fund.

Peter Delamere skate skied the 50 km virtual Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot today in 3:20.

Peter writes: “Had an outstanding time on the immaculately groomed trails!”

When I asked the Professor of Space Physics if he had any data for his virtual Sonot Kkaazoot, he replied, “I don’t trust Strava, 27.4 miles = 44.1 km!  Certainly the groomers/Bob know the true distance.”  

If you followed all the orange km markers that Bad Bob had put along the 50 km trail, you have skied the virtual 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot, regardless of what Stava says.

Please tell your dad that we missed him in this year’s virtual Sonot Kkaazoot.