Frank Soos Distance Race #2 is next Saturday

Posted on January 18, 2026 by Sonot Kkaazoot

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

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Sonot Kkaazoot

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.

The Unpleasantry wasn’t

Posted on March 9, 2025 by Sonot Kkaazoot

SCUM before starting Frank Soos Distance Race #3, the Unpleasantry–*photo by Sarah Jackson*

Thanks to NSCF timer, Claire Ferree, the three SCUM signed up to ski 30 km were allowed to start our ski an hour earlier than the rest of the field. This would allow the timers and course crew to head home before dinner. Unlike the World Championships in Trondheim, our trails were awesomely groomed with a trace of new snow. It was 24 deg and snowing lightly when we started and 28 deg when I finished 3.5 hours later. Although I was the red lantern, I was overjoyed because my longest ski this season before Saturday had been 17 km (1.7 x the White Bear course).

https://zone4.ca/race/2025-03-08/e263c35e/results

Jerome Jackson finished in under 3 hours and Byron was not that far behind him. However, Jerome had Sarah as his support team.

Thanks to FXC Masters Power Lunch and Strength workouts, I was able to ski 30 km without falling. After dislocating my right shoulder before Thanksgiving, I had to skate ski with one pole for weeks with my physical therapist’s warning not to fall. Knowing that I had skied the White Bear loop with one pole made it possible to ski it the third time yesterday when multiple body parts were screaming.

Finishing the Unpleasantry–*photo by Jerome Jackson*

Even at 75 years old, you can refine your ski technique and develop strength to overcome the inevitable slowing down that comes with aging. Thanks, Christina Turman!

Lots of snow, no groundhog

Posted on February 2, 2025 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Wolfman shredding snow down the Black Cross–all photos and videos by Bill Husby

There was at least three inches of new snow atop the firm pistenbully groomed black trails so it was a good day to ski all the downhills. There was no sun this morning, so we saw no shadows.

No guts, no glory. Bernardo and Greg (below) are “dusted with the snow of shame” from the Black Funk and Competition downhills (yeah, Black Funk is supposed to be skied uphill, but the trails needed packing and Bill is a groomer, so we went down then up the Black Funk).

Bernardo and Greg dusted with the snow of shame

Latest SCUM to be “dusted with the snow of shame”–*photo by Bill Husby on 2/5/25*

Bill had so much fun packing the trails and setting tracks with his skis, he swapped hats and decided to pack the Sunnyside and Cliffside trails using one of their machines:

He saw lots of animal tracks while traveling down the sunlit Cliffside trail. Could some of them belong to a groundhog?

At least on the Cliffside trail, the sun was out, so a groundhog could see his shadow.

With the 4 to 5 inches of new snow on the Sunnyside and Cliffside trails since they were last groomed, I think the ice storm remnants will be well buried before the Gingersnap Special, the Frank Soos Distance Race #2 scheduled for Sunday, 9 February 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Homemade gingersnaps (Frank’s favorite) will be available if you ski either race or volunteer to help out.

LOL 12 ornaments of Christmas are hung at Birch Hill

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Sonot Kkaazoot

With the SCUM volunteering for the recent Alaska Nordic Cup on the new Usibelli FIS ski trails at UAF last weekend, only one of the LOL ornaments of Christmas has been located. It’s not because of lack of holiday spirit as here’s the gang of SCUM looking around the trails today.

SCUM searching for LOL ornaments on Wednesday-*-photo by Joanna Fox*

The first Frank Soos Distance Race happens this Saturday, 7.5 or 15 km freestyle starting at 11 a.m. It’s a good way to create a calorie deficit so that you can enjoy more Christmas cheer.

-20 deg F ski on helicopter trails

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Sunrise and SCUM on Black Hawk trail at -20 deg F–*photo by Joanna Fox*

On the day after skiing 20 km with Frank Soos on the Ginger Snap Special course that climbed 30.7 m/km, we needed an easy recovery ski. It was -12 deg F in the stadium, -20 deg in the biathlon range, and -17 deg on the Sonot Connector. So, it was the perfect day for SCUM with tired legs to do the helicopter trails (Blackhawk and Chinook) on Fort Wainwright. In faster conditions, the downhill corners on these trails are dangerous for skiers of SCUM vintage, but today, even tired legs could step around the corners.

Until 20 February 2024, you can follow our route here:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0d

The “No Y SCUM” were well-dermotized so were taking it easy in the back of the train. Thus, Bill was able to document their skiing fashions:

Joanna with two fluffy jackets–*next three photos by Bill Husby*

Mom in a puffy hoody after spending over 2.5 hours with Frank yesterday

Nothing is better than friends and groomed Birch Hill trails to start off a Sunday morning. If you haven’t already done so, please donate to the Birch Hill Trails fund. All grooming is done by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks and Fort Wainwright.

https://nordicskicluboffairbanks.wildapricot.org/Donate

SCUM take on LOL ornament challenge

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Most of the active SCUM are in their eighth or ninth decade on the planet and carry hardware within their carcasses rather than earning it in races. However, we have accepted the challenge of the LOL and have started searching for their 12 ornaments of Christmas. We will only indicate the number of the ornaments we find UNLESS there is no number visible.

LOL ornament on the Blue Loop that matches the ornament on Byron’s nose–*all* *photos by Joanna Fox*

The SCUM hope that skiers enjoy the newly groomed trails on Saturday at the first of the Frank Soos Distance Races. It begins at 11 a.m. and will be 7.5 or 15 km classical technique. Many of the SCUM will be participating so you won’t be last. Here’s the URL for online registration:

Frank Soos Memorial Distance Series #1

Sonot Kkaazoot

Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks' annual spring ski marathon

Category Archives: Frank Soos Distance Races