The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks groomers dragged the Chena River again today. Then Bill Husby and friends skied the new corduroy as captured by Bill’s phone:
Here Carl and Jerome are approaching the Fort Wainwright bridge:
and here is the birthday boy enjoying the sunshine and fast snow:
Bad Bob Baker finished regrooming the 20 km Sonot Kkaazoot course this morning at midnight. The course has been groomed 20 feet wide including the 20 km turnaround area. Up and down the Chena River, the course is as much as 40 feet wide. Because Bob was grooming in the dark, he wasn’t able to see if there were areas with dirt or rocks showing.
Ken Coe and Bill Husby hauled two loads of manmade snow down to the Fort Wainwright bridge and combined with river bank snow. Here are some photos from Tuesday morning taken by Bill after their work and that of Bob last night. The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks groomers plan to groom the river tomorrow so we’ll get an updated report. However, as of now, it looks like no snow enhancement work party will be needed.
ENJOY the fantastic spring skiing! Urge your friends to sign up for the Sonot Kkaazoot now.
https://sonotkkaazoot.org/register/
This year’s conditions are perfect for those skiing their first Sonot Kkaazoot. Please note that on race day, classical tracks WILL BE SET on both sides of the skate platform.
Also, remember grooming doesn’t come free. Please donate to the Birch Hill trails fund:
https://nordicskicluboffairbanks.wildapricot.org/Donate/
We also are looking for more race volunteers so if you would like to support the Sonot Kkaazoot and the efforts made to groom the Chena River, please sign up at: contact@sonotkkaazoot.org
Friday night, Bad Bob Baker took a skid-steer down to the Chena River and put a 10 foot wide snow path under the Steese Highway Bridge over the ice and rocks. The snow didn’t adhere well to the slick icy surface. Bad Bob will groom the river when he gets back to Fairbanks after Spring Break. In the meantime, there is now a snow path under the Steese Highway Bridge.
Work on your spring time tan by skiing on the Chena River. Sonot Kkaazoot 20 km course has been groomed by Bad Bob Baker to perfection. Here’s his first hand report submitted yesterday afternoon:
What a nice day to ski the Chena River, as I just finished grooming it at 3:00 pm today. I groomed the start/finish area right up to the centennial bridge and it turned out much better than I thought it would, very flat and plenty wide for a SONOT START. I also roughed in the 20 km turnaround, The whole CHENA RIVER is groomed at least 16 FOOT WIDE, and wider in some places. It’s very safe for skiing right now, as long as one skis atop the grooming. There is bad gravel and ice under the STEESE HIGHWAY BRIDGE and the FT. WAINWRIGHT BRIDGE. Taking you skis off for both of these are a must. SO, Please, everyone get out on the CHENA RIVER and test out the SONOT KKAAZOOT course!
To help the first time participant in the Sonot Kkaazoot, here are a few videos of the 40 and 50 km events taken by Dermot Cole in 2015. The first clip is the mass start for the 40 and 50 km freestyle events:
Here is the climb up the Fort Wainwright alpine ski hill to the base of the Sonot Connector:
and 28 km later coming down the same hill:
Remember, if you smile, it’s no big deal.
Here’s Robert Hannon, Sonot military contact AND coordinator for FWW road crossings finishing:
Sign up now for the lowest entry fees. Early registration ends in less than two weeks on 26 February 2016.
Although it’s been almost a month since Fairbanks has received any significant snowfall, thanks to the fantastic work of Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks (NSCF) groomers, all the trails at Birch Hill, and the section of the Chena River used for the Sonot Kkaazoot have been groomed, so skiing conditions are awesome. Nothing can be finer than sunshine and fresh corduroy for a nordic skier. That’s exactly what we encountered today.
Even without the sun, the temperatures have been moderate (but below freezing) so last Sunday, the SCUM (Sonot organizers) skied the Grand Tour (all the trails at Birch Hill with frequent rest stops.
If you aren’t enjoying Hawaiian beaches or competing in crosscountry races in Europe, skiing in Fairbanks is pretty close to perfect right now for either classical or skate skiing.
Remember to donate to the NSCF Trails fund since the NSCF (not the borough) does all the grooming at Birch Hill (and on the Chena River for the Sonot).
SCUM was seen floating down the Chena River today on the 16′ wide trail groomed by Bad Bob Baker. Photo and observation by Bill Husby.
Bad Bob Baker is the Man when it comes to grooming the Chena River for the Sonot Kkaazoot. You can now ski the entire 20 km Sonot Kkaazoot trail. Here is Bad Bob’s report for today:
I dragged the Chena River again today… I also found a path thru the bad ice near the START/FINISH area. You can now ski the whole SONOT route on the River… Looks real nice, just as always…….stay on the groomed trail! It’s looking good on the CHENA. It’s was 19 degrees on the river this afternoon. Bare ice under the Steese Hwy bridge, and a little bumpy in just a few spots, but it’s definitely worth skiing/skating….no classic track, most the river is groomed 16′ wide.
ENJOY!
Bad Bob Baker, Sonot Kkaazoot Chief of Course, has been out on the river daily keeping an eye on the river ice thickness. Skiers must make sure that they STAY ON THE COURSE indicated by painted lines on the snow/ice and bright orange directional signs:
As of Thursday night, the ice thickness was greater than 12″ if you stay on the trail. This means no passing under the Graehl Street Bridge on Fort Wainwright:
Bad Bob will be out again Friday night to set up km markers and again very early on Saturday morning before the groomers do their last pass on the river section. So the final decision on the Sonot Kkaazoot start location will be made SATURDAY MORNING.
Photos by Bill Husby
Sonot Kkaazoot 