After roughly 6 weeks where temperatures were below the -15 deg F cutoff for FXC Masters classes, temperatures warmed up for the start of Kristen Rozell’s 19th annual Sonot Kkaazoot Training Class. By the low number of entrants in the 20 km Frank Soos Distance Race #2 and the hurting bodies resting during the race, the extended cold spell has taken a toll on skier training. If you need motivation to get back into the groove, Kristen’s class still has 8 slots open and 8 weeks of training remaining. The class meets Tuesdays from 5:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
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.
Midway through our ski of the pistenbully tracks–photo by Pam Laker
Although December had 12 days with temperatures below -40 deg F at the airport and January has continued that trend, the SCUM workouts have been no colder than -25 deg F in the stadium, although temperatures dropped much colder on lower lying trails. Descending the Warmup Loop (not an accurate descriptor today) at the end of our workout, I developed a severe ice cream headache that didn’t resolve even on the uphill sections. It was definitely below -25 deg on Wake Up Loop.
Today the thermometer on the building said -19 deg F when we started and -12 when we finished. We managed to ski 10 km (all but about 1 km on pistenbully tracks) in a little more than 90 minutes. This is not bad considering that 3 of us are well over 70 years old and the kid among us had gotten her second shingles vaccine earlier in the week.
Here’s Bernardo and Mom gliding down the stadium hill with the full moon over our heads:
Controlling our windchill factor on the stadium hill under the full moon–video by Jerome Jacksonc
Although just two years ago, the SCUM skied on a -37 deg F Sunday, we’re getting soft in our old age. If it’s colder than -25 deg F at Birch Hill at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, we’ll cancel our workout and make up the kilometers on Tuesday:
SCUM w/ thermometer before workout on 28 January 2024–Joanna Fox photo
However, if the inversion holds, skiing above the ice fog is good for the mind and body.
It was a snowy Friday morning, but the pistenbully tracks were amazingly fast and secure. Thank you, Tom Helmers! Even at -25 deg F, the firm tracks made it possible to ski fast enough to keep all the appendages thawed and warm.
LOL ornament #4
Today’s discoveries bring the SCUM total of LOL ornaments past the halfway mark. We have located 7 of the 12 ornaments for this season.
Hopefully, the recent accumulation of almost a foot of fluffy snow doesn’t conceal the five ornaments that we need to find.
Preparing to do the military transect (down Sunnyside and Cliffside and up the Sonot Connector) meant protecting SCUM noses and faces from the cold. Here are some of the novel approaches to this challenge (top 4 photos by Joanna Fox)
These SCUM actually made it up to the White Bear loop where en route they were treated to the moon rise over the Sonot Connector:
SCUM who actually skied the military transect–photo by Pam Laker
SCUM rising on Sonot Connector (where the moon isn’t visible in this lower resolution image) —photo by Pam Laker
15 SCUM are rounded up around 11 a.m. Sunday–photo by Joanna Fox
SCUM raced on three different Turkey Day Relay teams on Friday and despite one broken pole during the race, and a fall or two, the TDR skiers showed up on Sunday.
SCUM resting on the TDR course today–photo by Joanna Fox
We found the Tower Loop to be much more enjoyable with the SCUM rest stops that weren’t available on Friday.
Come join us on Tuesdays and Fridays at 1030 a.m. and Sundays at 1000 or 1100 a.m. We won’t be meeting next Sunday because of the Super Tour Race being held at Birch Hill. Volunteer to help out and you’ll get to watch skiers who don’t need to stop for rest breaks.
Four female SCUM with just three guys skied N40 and Comp Loops today to find “old skier” snow–photo by Joanna Fox
With cold temperatures and very little snowpack on the trails throughout the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the SCUM need to be resourceful to find snow that geezers with broken body parts can safely ski. Although counterintuitive, the black loops have been less skied so the trails had a little forgiveness in them in the form of untracked snow. Today the “no Y SCUM” outnumbered the male ones. Nobody fell but Mom, but she’s learning to get up more quickly.
Owen Hanley leads the guys on the Flat Black–photo by Joanna Fox
Negotiating the Outhouse Loop to access the Flat Black loop proved no challenge to the guys among today’s SCUM. The trees were magical with their hoarfrost icings, but the trails were not the beautiful corduroy that we become accustomed to by mid winter.
With enough snow to groom the Birch Hill trails, the SCUM met for the first time this season on Tuesday and Friday.
Tuesday SCUM —photo by Kent KarnsMost of Friday SCUM
We were just getting our snow legs, so trying to get the entire group together was challenging. Please join us on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. Note this is a change of time on Friday, which will allow SCUM to take FXC Masters yoga and ski on Fridays.
