Donna DiFolco & Bakers ski virtual 50 km

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From Sonot Kkaazoot Race Director, Bad Bob Baker:

Amaing trio

Donna DiFolco, Sharon and Bad Bob Baker, all skied together for a full 50 kilometers in a driving snowstorm skiing in the skate technique.  Beginning at 10:15 am, the threesome slogged along at an average pace of 5:53 minute / km, and completing the Virtual 50 km in  4:54:24.   This time includes all breaks, visiting and stops just to stretch.
IMG_1843
Bob burned 3902 calories according to his garmin, so he’s ready to replenish. The ski went well till around 35 km, when Bad BOB began lagging behind and hoping he could convince the others to stop at 40 km….BUT..Sharon would have no part of that, she was skiing with energy beyond anything the energizer bunny could ever produce.
Sharon
Donna was on the fence, 40 would have been ok with her, but 50 would just take a little longer, so she was in…Poor Bad BOB..had to dig deep and somehow kept the two ladies in sight, with the help of a couple of their breaks.
refueling
FINALLY…4:54:24 later, we all finished.  I should let it be known, that Sharon’s gps told her she had to go another mile…so she continues without Donna and I for another mile to satisfy her garmin.  Donna and I agreed that Bad BOB’s garmin was good enough.  We all actually enjoyed the day, seeing many skiers and friends along the way.  The fresh white snow was beautiful and quiet.   NOW…we need to get the 40 km in the books to complete the triple feat…..
Bad BOB

Bill Husby skis 50 km virtual Sonot, just needs 40 km now

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The subject line of Bill Husby’s email reporting his 50 km time read “Oh what fun”:

Husby 50 km

Today was a challenge as the snow kept falling. After first skiing the WB, MM followed by the Warm up it was a pleasure to get on the more recently groomed Blacks and Blues. Tom was still grooming the Tower so it was around the Outhouse a couple more times. When exiting the OH on the 3rd pass Chris and Owen just entering, so I joined them for yet another pass, staying 2 x the social distance protocol away. From there onto the relay, East Ramp, Tower and Medvac.

The second trip around the WB was cut short by skipping Heartrate Hill and MM. Nobody needs to suffer the Blacks twice in the same day, so it was back to the Blues with 3 more times around the joyful OH. Our remedial SCUM interval training the last few weeks made for a couple of enjoyable loops on the Tower. The fourth loop was cut short because the groomed, but not yet skied, Green Dot attracted my ATOMIC skis like a magnetic force. Finished the 50K out on the WB. Made some stops at the hut and along the trails for bathroom, equipment, water and food needs. And yes, I did a few social distance chat stops.

Bill becomes the second bilaterally bionic kneed skier to complete the virtual Sonot 50 km. SCUM does rise to the top.

Anna Rix skis 20 km in steady falling snow

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Here’s Anna’s report and route:

Here is my track from my 20.04 km in 1:34:14 at Birch Hill in the slow snow earlier today.

My route was North Forty (accidentally took the cut-off just past the house), White Bear Access, Blue Loop, Outhouse, Relay, Tower, Medevac, White Bear to the Sonot Cut-off, Moilanen’s Meadow, East Ramp, Relay, Tower, Rollercoaster Bypass, White Bear Access, and finished at the flag pole. I saw Stringfellows on North Forty, Norma and Susan on Moilanen’s and Presslors on East Ramp.

I might try again next weekend if conditions are better and tomorrow I will try to get out for a distance (classic ski) and try to hit all the trails.

Anna Rix 20 km route

Yes, Norma and I will verify that Anna passed us as if we skiing backwards. Anna was skating effortlessly in that slow, but lovely new snow.

End of Virtual 20 km on Chena River

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From Sonot Kkaazoot race director, Bad Bob Baker:

I just got off the River ….. not good…All of these pictures are of different bad spots on the Chena RIVER..  There is no way to avoid getting wet.  This overflow extends from one side of the trail to the other.  It’s 3 to 6 inches deep.

The section near the Ft. Wainwright bridge is very narrow now, with moving water on each side of the trail.  There is no way I can pull my groomer thru most of these areas without getting trapped in the overflow.  I took my snowmachine all the way around the 20 km  course.  Most of the worse areas begin beyond the Hamilton Acres area.

Tonight’s forecast is to stay quite warm, with more snow possible.  My experience with these conditions on the Chena River over the past 33 years…is that I will not be groomable until a major weather change..which is not forecast until Thursday at the earliest!    SO…at this point, the VIRTUAL  SONOT  has all moved up to BIRCH  HILL.

For those of you who got your virtual SONOT  KKAAZOOT  in early,  good job!!!   I think everyone from this point on, can ski whatever  VIRTUAL  SONOT  KKAAZOOT  course they can dream up. You just CANNOT  include any part of the CHENA  RIVER..

THERE WILL BE NO GROOMING  OR SKIING ON THE CHENA  RIVER…….  UNSAFE  CONDITIONS!!!
Bad BOB   Sonot Kkaazoot  Race Director..
1724 sm wet start1715 sm1712 sn1717 wet bridge1711 smDo not ski on Chena River

Chena River UNSAFE for skiing!!

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Do not ski on Chena River

THERE WILL BE NO GROOMING  OR SKIING ON THE CHENA  RIVER…….  UNSAFE  CONDITIONS

Race Director Bob Baker has deemed the Chena River to be ungroomable so the VIRTUAL SONOT KKAAZOOT has been moved up to Birch Hill.

So get out there and ski any trails or multiple trails on different days. It’s a virtual Sonot Kkaazoot.

Bad Bob Baker, who has 33 years experience grooming the Chena River, warns that the Sonot Kkaaoot course on the Chena River is no longer safe. (Photos will be posted shortly)

Ski trails at Birch Hill Recreation Area until you reach 20, 40, or 50 km (or any other distance). Send us a screen shot of the display from your GPS route, date, and time to us at: contact@sonotkkaazoot.org . We’ll post the virtual 33rd Sonot Kkaazoot times for all three distances. If you ski low tech, send us your time, date, and detailed course description. The main goal is to get out and ski while we can.

Grooming always depends upon Mother Nature. 

 

A plea for help from Virtual Sonot skiers

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If you haven’t already signed up for the Sonot Kkaaoot and would like to ski the Virtual Sonot Kkaaoot on groomed trails, please sign up for the Sonot at:

https://register.chronotrack.com/reg/form?kioskID=54564

Proceeds will go to the grooming efforts at Birch Hill and on the Chena River. If you are struggling financially because the coronavirus, go ahead and just ski. But if you can, please donate to the Sonot or the NSCF trails fund.

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

Here’s the latest grooming report from Tom Helmers, head NSCF groomer:

Bottom line is the Trail Fund is at its lowest amount.  The Board of Directors of the ski club has asked all  programs including Grooming to watch expense till this virus thing is straightened out.   Word on the street is a fair number of skiers are planning to ski the Virtual Sonot Saturday, so my plan is to do a single pass of the entire trail system in the morning starting with the White Bear. The forecast is calling for some amount of snow pretty much every day for the next week to 10 days.

So please help us out if you possibly can. If not, please enjoy the groomed trails while you can. 

Stay healthy!

 

Virtual Sonot updates

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from race director, Bad Bob Baker at 10:04 a.m. today:

THE weekend is coming..I just talked with TOM and with the wild winds he’s not sure when he’ll groom, but he plans to do what he can, when he can..  and often as possible.  Tom also mentioned that there is also a possibility of the administration shutting down the groomers.  SO..anything can happen on this VIRTUAL  SONOT  KKAAZOOT.

This coming week looks very warm and lots of snow…but by next Friday the sun starts to come out and the temp really drops …down to just below zero downtown….
NEXT SATURDAY…the true SONOT  KKAAZOOT  race day is forecasting some sunshine and a high of +12 downtown.. 
SO, the big question is how the Chena River will hold up from now till then…  
It looks like tomorrow and Sunday are going to be the best skiing snow wise until Friday and Saturday of next week.  Lots of snow and high temps Monday through Thursday…  SO…get out tomorrow and Sunday for the the most assured SONOT  KKAAZOOT  conditions… it might get better, it might not, and the River may hold up, or it may not..  
Bad BOB
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Blogger note:
I intend to ski my virtual Sonot Kkaazoot tomorrow so there’ll be no updates once I leave home. Remember, I’m a 70 year old volunteer so I do everything SLOWLY.
Seeing as this is a virtual Sonot, Bad Bob won’t be following me as course sweep. Thus, this year, I may be napping on the Chena River not him in late afternoon. (Maybe Eric Buetow will bring out a beverage in front of his house to revive me). 
Keep your virtual Sonot reports coming. I’ll update this site as soon as I can. I’m also a struggling grad student and my home internet is barely crawling along.

Bruce Jamieson skis virtual 40 km

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Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks board member, Bruce Jamieson is the first skier to complete the virtual Sonot Kkaaoot 40 km.

He writes:

I skied the 40K course yesterday starting around 12:45pm and finishing around 4:15pm.  My GPS distance measured 40.76K.  My moving time was 3:33:02.  My plan is to ski the 50K before the end of next week.  Is that legal in the virtual rules?  If not, then do not count my 40K time.  Great job with the grooming, web site and the virtual promotion effort.

In answer to Bruce’s question, everything is legal in this year’s virtual Sonot Kkaazoot. Any course goes as long as it’s recorded and reported before Bad Bob ends the competition. The idea is to safely get out and work off some anxiety and stress that we’re all feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re aiming for the most km skied by this community during this year’s virtual Sonot Kkaazoot.