Check on the main Sonot Kkaazoot website page for details on registration for the 37th Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot.
Early registration (best deal) is currently open until the end of February. Commit to participating in this spring ritual now and save money.
Before there was SCUM, there was Team Brain Dead. In the late 80s, when winter temperatures were colder, Team Brain Dead was formed to celebrate those hardy skiers who would continue their workouts regardless of temperature. They had t-shirts made when they ran the 1990 Midnight Sun Run on skis, extending their ski training range from -48 deg F to +68 F deg, a 110 deg range:
Team Brain Dead points are awarded for skis done at temperatures of -30 deg F or colder. One point is awarded for each degree below -30. So today each skier earned 7 points multiplied by the 5 skiers to total 35 TBD points.
We skied Tower Loop, Green Dot, Flat Black, Tommy Knocker Extension, Roller Coaster, White Cub to Zoomer Cutoff, and back to the stadium (or to the Groomer’s garage). Here’s the photo Bill took of the scariest skiers:
And here’s Joanna and Mom (whose claustrophobia prevents her from wearing anything over her nose or mouth):
It was a “strange” day as there was no temperature inversion: it was -37 deg F in the stadium, -40 deg (both F and C) on the top of the Tower Loop, and -31 deg F at the biathlon range.
With the cold temperatures, the corduroy and deep tracks remain pristine except for the abundant birch seed and spruce cones that have been deposited on the trails. Air quality was moderate according to the Purple Air station at Birch Hill, so our workout did more good than harm to our aging carcasses.
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:
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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:
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.
Although the SCUM can often be naughty rather than nice, on Christmas eve (before dawn), the SCUM were busy decorating the Roller Coaster trail with candy canes. Even if their ornaments were tossed by the wind and broken, they’d still be edible.
Poles goes down skiing while carrying a bag of candy canes:
We separated and distributed candy canes through the Roller Coasters:
Thoroughly cold after searching for somewhere to discard our detritus, we headed out the White Bear and had professional lighting for our photos there:
And despite the protests of some of us who were freezing as the temperatures were rapidly dropping, we documented sunrise on the WB:
After skiing White Bear and Moilanen Meadows, we encountered a group of young skiers and urged them out onto the Roller Coasters, where some of them found their rewards:
One skier found one of the candy canes full of chocolate kisses:
The lighted loops were beautifully groomed after our recent snows, but some of us had to test our uphill techniques to get into the frame for the group photo:
Enjoy the holidays with family and friends. After you have overindulged, remember that the FXC Ski your age in kilometers event will be held Saturday, 30 December.
It was -5 deg F at the stadium thermometer shortly before sunrise today. With the first Frank Soos Distance Race tomorrow, there was poor attendance for today’s workout. The freshest tracks were on the black loops so we headed that direction. LOL #1 was the first ornament that the Friday SCUM located, but no one’s hands were warmed up enough to stop and photograph it. You can see it in yesterday’s post.
It was so cold that I’m not sure if we found LOL #4 before or after we descended Black Baron. Bob Moloney, who was skating today, doesn’t snowplow (like a normal SCUM) but did two acrobatic falls in his descent of Black Baron. We saluted our 80-year-old SCUM with our poles as he finished that trail.
I found LOL #9 as my thumb was being to throb again after temporarily thawing.
Tomorrow’s Frank Soos Distance race will be conducted under Frank’s favorite conditions: cold snow and classical technique. Hope to see you there.
With the ornaments that Poles found on his ski today, the SCUM have found 7 of the 12 LOL ornaments in our first week.
Most of the trails are newly groomed and the temperature inversion is setting up again. Come and join the fun. We’ll be back on the trails tomorrow at 10 a.m. (before sunrise).
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.
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:
Today some of the SCUM didn’t make it down the Sunnyside although we headed out the Outhouse loop with them. No Hawaiian shirts were worn today.
Thanks for the reminder of Frank and Pat, who have left us for warmer locations.
Sonot Kkaazoot 