Sonot Kkaazoot training day after Distance Race #1

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

The day after the Buetow Dental Distance Race #1, a 7.5 and 15 km mass start test of Fairbanks Nordic skiers’ fitness, was 20 deg warmer so perfect for a slow recovery ski around the Birch Hill Recreation Area trails.

Recovery skis mean lots of rest breaks, and some skiers have resting down to a fine art as these skiers on the South Tower:

Enjoy the trails. Thanks to countless hours of volunteer efforts and donations from trail users, we have wonderful groomed trails to enjoy for 6 or more months. Please do your part.

Strategies for enjoying the new snow

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

The lovely snowfall that was squeezed out of our 0.39″ of precipitation earlier this week at Fairbanks International Airport, made for lovely conditions today at Birch Hill. However, with many of us suffering from job- or family-related stresses, early winter viruses, and seasonal affective disorder as we rapidly approach the winter solstice, we spent more time resting and/or rewaxing than actually skiing. The skate skiers spent time resting:

while the classic skiers disguised their rest stops as waxing efforts. (Both photos above were taken by Chris Broda).

With the winter solstice approaching in only 2 weeks, the 2015 Sonot Kkaazoot is just 3.5 months away. The time to train is now. The first race of the Buetow Dental Distance Race series will be held at Birch Hill on Saturday, December 13 at 11:00 a.m. In this event, you have your choice of 7.5 or 15 km distances in freestyle technique. You can early register until Thursday. Here’s the URL to the registration form with information for all three distance races:

Click to access entry_form_distance_series.pdf

and the race course map:

Click to access 15-map-course.pdf

You can also early register for the Sonot Kkaazoot using the comprehensive race entry form:

Click to access entry_form_comprehensive.pdf

Rest is good. But to prepare for racing requires some race efforts and the Distance Race series is a low-key way to ramp up the intensity of your ski efforts. At least, now there is some padding on the ground when you fall for those of us who are balance-challenged.

Summer trail work makes skiing possible on thin snowpack

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Although there is still no snow in the near future (as shown by the 6- to 10-day outlook for precipitation from the NOAA National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center)

as long as temperatures stay below freezing, skiing at Birch Hill will remain remarkably good thanks to the summer trail work. Today the warm temperatures brought recreational skiers out to Birch Hill

where a first year skate skier was leading a veteran classical skier up heartbreak hill on the White Bear trail.

Enjoy the unseasonably warm temperatures

as the sub-zero conditions will eventually arrive as will our long-awaited snowfall.

Don’t forget to make your trail grooming donation that makes the long ski season at Birch Hill possible:

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

The making of Sonot Kkaazoot #27 by volunteers!

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Photos by Sam Lamont & Eli Lyke

: Eli’s new signs painted

: Eli’s signs bundled

: Signs w/ distances on them

: Smiling volunteers on race day

: Day of race registration

: Hauling snow for road crossing

: More snow

: Parking lot gravel covering

: Traffic control

: Lisa Stuby at road crossing #1

: Volunteers on break

: Happy shovelers

Snow haulers and shovelers needed tonight!

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Snow haulers and shovelers needed tonight to move snow onto icy sections of the Sonot Kkaazoot trail on the Chena River under the Wendell Street and Steese Hwy Bridges. There is highway gravel embedded in the ice that needs to be well-covered with snow. Park at Graehl Park (#26 on the map below) and bring snow shovels starting at 5:30 p.m. tonight. Groomers will have large sleds for moving snow to where it is needed.

Sonot River Conditions as of 3 p.m. Tuesday

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

From Bad Bob Baker:

I just skied the entire 20 km, and the river is in great shape. Even with these warm afternoons, the condition is pretty much the same at it was last Friday. I’m guessing a 95-100% chance of the Sonot starting and finishing on the River this year. But, we’ll know for sure on Saturday Morning!

Bad Bob

2014 Sonot Kaazoot (Tuesday morning update)

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

If the Sonot Kkaazoot were to be held today, river ski conditions would be awesome. The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks groomers were out today with drags and Ginzu. After their work, skiing on the river is fantastic:

Unfortunately, there is a narrow spot on the river near Fort Wainwright in the center of the river channel, which the groomers will monitor on a day-to-day basis. Thus, the Sonot Kkaazoot organizers still hope to safely conduct the race on Saturday using the Chena River. However, we cannot control the weather. So, as indicated on the entry form, if the race is unsafe on Saturday morning, we will move to Birch Hill and delay the start until 10:30 a.m.

Groomers will go out again Wednesday morning and if the river still appears solid, we will have a snow shoveling work party Wednesday evening to put snow under the highway bridges where there is currently ice and gravel.

The groomers have dragged the ditch on Fort Wainwright, and it’s ready if the river is:

Sorry that we can’t control the weather and river break-up. However, skiers are a resilient bunch. The 2014 Sonot Kkaazoot will take place this Saturday, however, the course will need to remain in the “to be determined” status until Saturday morning around 6:30 a.m. when groomers set the classical tracks on the river.

Feed your inner teenager

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Enjoy the snow off the well-groomed tracks:

especially if a trail groomer is doing to pushing.

Warning: there is more than one way to train for the Sonot Kkaazoot, and these guys are usually ahead of me. However, they still have fully intact bodies. Do not attempt this with bionic parts or if you still have work responsibilities.

Tour of Birch Hill

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

March is marathon month for Alaskan nordic skiers with the Tour of Anchorage taking place today, the Kachemak Marathon in Homer on March 8, followed by the Oosik in Talkeetna on March 15, and normally, the Sonot Kkaazoot the weekend after the Oosik. Because of the Arctic Winter Games being held in Fairbanks during the traditional Sonot Kkaazoot week, we’ve got an extra week to prepare for the Sonot Kkaazoot, which this year will be held on March 29.

So the SCUM who were not on the travel team to the Tour of Anchorage this Sunday, embarked on their own Grand Tour–of Birch Hill. The trails had all been groomed within the past few days, and temperatures were 17 deg F when we started at 11 a.m and rose to about 26 deg F. This made for no excuses when it came to the completing the Grand Tour of Birch Hill. With no official clock running, there were rests for self-service feeds, fatigue, or general SCUM principles as we see here:

and here:

Groups of two or more skiers formed led by M9 skiers, here Bob Moloney:

and here, Owen Hanley, who skied at World Masters in Austria last month:

When I finished, some of the SCUM were already home enjoying a beer for their efforts. However, a significant number of SCUM were still resting in the warm-up hut with coffee and sticky buns as their rewards for skiing the Grand Tour. Conditions were great as even the red lantern (yours truly) finished in just over 3 hours. Thanks to our awesome groomers, no excuses were needed. Having skied the Grand Tour, we felt a little more prepared for the 2014 Sonot Kkaazoot.

Don’t forget, you can register online until 26 March at:

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

or at Beaver Sports, Goldstream Sports, or Raven Cross Country until 21 March 2014.

Fairbanks skiers #1 and #2 for M6 men at 2014 National Masters Championships

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Dave Edic and Bob Baker helped melt the trails at Kincaid with their performances in the 10 km classical technique race at the 2014 National Masters last night. Dave, who was 12th in a field of 69 men, was first among M6 men with a time of 33:58. Bob Baker, originator and long-time organizer of the Sonot Kkaazoot, was 20th overall and second among M6 men with a time of 35:12.

National Masters continues with relays tonight and finishes with the Tour of Anchorage on Sunday. At least 2 dozen Fairbanks skiers plan to be at one of the various starting lines on Sunday. Good luck to all of them.

Sonot Kkaazoot

Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks' annual spring ski marathon

Category Archives: Sonot Kkaazoot race organizers