Thanks to all our groomers who let us ski for most of that short snowpack season.
Shortest Fairbanks snowpack season since 1934/35
Reply
Category Archives: Uncategorized
February 7 update on the Chena River
Sonot Kkaazoot Race Director, Bad Bob Baker took his drag from Graehl Landing to the 20 km turnaround and back. In that section, the Chena River has lots of thin spots and even a little open water. He did not go further downriver because he thought it was TOO RISKY.
Until further notice, STAY OFF THE CHENA RIVER.
Buetow Dental Distance Race #1 course changed
Because of this winter’s unseasonably warm temperatures at Birch Hill Recreation Area and our limited snow pack, the course for the Buetow Dental Distance Race #1 presented by Pangaea Health has changed. The revised course map for 4, 7, and 15 km events can be downloaded below:
The mass start will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday 8 December 2018. To register go to:
https://register.chronotrack.com/r/42668
See you Saturday on the trails.
Training for 32nd Annual Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot has begun
Over twenty SCUM skied the White Bear trail today under remarkably good snow conditions thanks to our Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks groomers headed up by Tom Helmers. Bill and Travis are groomers who are also SCUM. Owen and Chris are missing from this photo as they headed back to the stadium to get warmer kick wax.
Training for the 32nd annual Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot has officially started. We have 4 months of training time before race day on March 23, 2019.
Today was the first time out for some SCUM while one overachiever probably has 200 kms on his skis already. SCUM ski the Sonot Kkaazoot but also help organize the event that Bad Bob Baker originated and has resumed heading up again.
Online registration will be available soon. Entry fees are unchanged from last year.
Remember, donations to the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks trail fund and trail sponsors pay for expenses incurred in trail maintenance and grooming. Please make sure you contribute to this ongoing effort:
http://nordicskicluboffairbanks.wildapricot.org/Donate
Enjoy the trails!
Birch Hill groomed with set classical tracks
Photo by Bill Husby
Finally, on snow!
Snow has finally arrived in the greater Fairbanks area, and the groomers are busy packing the trails at Birch Hill.
On Sunday, Bill, one of the groomers led a group of three other Sonot organizers on our first on-snow ski adventure. Bill had already skied 100 km this month, so he enjoyed watching the rest of us fall and take rest breaks.
Photo by Robert Hannon, ace KUAC journalist and director of Northern Soundings.
First Town Race is this Saturday. Get out and enjoy the snow. The Sonot Kkaazoot is just 4 months away!
No Fairbanks snow in late October isn’t unique
Although we are firmly in new record territory for the late arrival of Fairbanks’ first snowfall at the airport, we have had brown Octobers previously. In his blog post from October 2013, Richard James from the National Weather Service notes that the ground was bare and the temperature in Fairbanks had reached 51 deg F on 28 October 2013:
http://ak-wx.blogspot.com/2013/10/record-warmth-again.html
Yet, the 2014 Sonot Kkaazoot had excellent spring skiing conditions as noted by Dermot Cole’s Alaska Dispatch column:
I agree that it is very frustrating to not be skiing in October, but the snow will come. The Birch Hill trails that have been mowed and summer trail work will make grooming easier. Groomers have been busy working on the new terrain garden so the late arrival of snow has avoided their early season burnout.
Just 5 months until the 32nd annual Sonot Kkaazoot
Bad Bob has developed the schedule for the 32nd annual Sonot Kkaazoot, which is a mere 5 months away.
Check the main Sonot Kkaazoot page for all the details. https://sonotkkaazoot.org/
Registration fees will be the same as last year. All registration will be online except at bib pick-up on Thursday, 21 March 2019, and from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. on race day. In person registration will be at late- and day-of-race entry fee levels.
The main change for the 32nd annual Sonot Kkaazoot is that there will no longer be a separate 50 km classical event. Classical tracks will be set for the entire 50 km course, but classical skiers will start and compete with the 50 km freestyle skiers for overall and age-class awards.
The online registration page will be live soon.
2018 Sonot Kkaazoot results are posted
Corrections have been made in provisional results, and thus official 2018 Sonot Kkaazoot results have been posted:
Bad Bob’s report from the Chena River
At 6:20 a.m.: “River looks great. Everything is frozen hard. Minus 3 on the river, plus 3 up on the bank. Clear skies.”
Remember that 50 km classical wave starts at 9:30 a.m. on the river, 40/50 freestyle at 10:00 a.m., and 20 km freestyle at 10:30 a.m. Wear your shades and sunscreen.
