All 50 km of Sonot Kkaazoot course groomed

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Today some of the Sonot Kkaazoot organizers (aka the SCUM) skied down the Sonot Connector along the Fort Wainwright trails from the Birch Hill Ski and Snowboard Area to the Chena River and back. Thanks to clearing and grooming efforts of Bob Baker, Jeff Skeels, Tom Helmers, and Bill Husby, the FWW connecting trails looked better than they have in years.

Here’s Dermot Cole leaving the Birch Hill Ski and Snowboard Area over the pond area near the parking lot:

FWW trail over pond area between ski area and Ski Road sm

Here’s the wide trail adjacent Ski Road:

Wide FWW trail along Ski Road sm

Crossing River Road, which was plowed to pavement, requires taking off skis, but will be staffed on race day to allow skiers to ski across:

Crossing River Road sm.JPG

Here’s the wide trail from the Chena River back toward the 20 km turnaround:

trail to 20 km turnaround from Chena River sm

Skiing on Sonot Kkaazoot course is great

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Although October was exceptionally wet, temperatures were also unusually warm so snow was late in coming to the Fairbanks area. However, after one false start, the snowpack on the Jim Whisenhant cross country ski trails at Birch Hill Recreation Area and on Fort Wainwright trails is great for both classical and free technique skiing. Thanks to a lot of volunteer brushing work done this fall on the White Bear trail, skate and classical skiing are great. Unfortunately, our fitness isn’t quite in the same shape yet. Here’s what coronary bypass looked like a week ago:

Coronary bypass sm

Yesterday we skied from the Sunnyside Trail to Fort Wainwright, where we found that the Army was busily enhancing snow cover on the alpine ski hill making for unusual skiing conditions up the ski slope to the base of the Sonot Connector. However, the classical tracks on the Sonot Connector and White Bear were awesome.

FWW ski hill at base of Sonot Connector sm

Take a break from snow shoveling and scooping to enjoy the ski trails!

The 31st annual Sonot Kkaazoot just 4 months away.

SCUM also rises on Easter Sunday

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Easter Sunday for the Sonot Kkaazoot organizers felt like a resurrection after we watched winter melt away during our event Saturday that from start to finish took barely 6 hours. Seeing as none of us wanted to ski out onto the Chena River today, we decided to examine the largest south facing slope whose melting snow helped feed the river flow as yesterday unfolded. The Sonot Connector is south facing and by mid afternoon it was a combination of deep slush and bare ground. This morning, it was icy and the trail rattled beneath our skis. Don missed one of the curves and face planted a foot shy of a tree:

Don was fine and we progressed downhill to where the Sonot Connector joins the Fort Wainwright alpine hill. A slush pond had formed there and Poles (the Eddie Haskell of the SCUM) tried to splash those of us nearby and ended up cooling off in the slush pond.

Poles down on Easter off Sonot Connector

Notice how no one is offering to assist him. However, demonstrating the flexibility of his bionic knees, Bill rises:

Poles demonstrating flexion in his bionic knees

and joins us for a group photo:

Up and ready to head up alpine hill

and a trek up the alpine hill (the way the Sonot Kkaazoot used to go).

SCUM rises

Happy Easter! I hope that you got a solid chocolate Easter bunny in your basket after your great efforts yesterday.

Please send us any photos of the Sonot Kkaazoot you’d like to share.

contact@sonotkkaazoot.org

Drilling team says Sonot start is safe

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Sonot Kkaazoot

This morning, Doyon, Ltd, had a drilling team out on the Chena River in the vicinity of the Sonot Kkaazoot start determining ice thickness. The thinnest ice found was 8″ in one spot. Most was a 12″ – 18″ thick. They checked for several hundred meters from bridge and into the curve.

Groomers found that yesterday’s melting left a crusty surface this morning. They were able to chew it up into skiable icy snow. Again, the plan is to groom Birch Hill, the Sonot Connector, and the Fort Wainwright trails late tonight with the piston bully. Saturday morning, they will drag and set tracks on the Chena River.

Check this website before you leave for the start tomorrow morning. At 4:30 p.m. Friday, conditions look great for the traditional start on the Chena River. However, if we have to move the start, we will post a notice on this website, and will start all events 30 minutes later than currently scheduled at Birch Hill Recreation Area.

Mother Nature holds all the cards, and Sonot Kkaazoot organizers obey.

Updates on trail grooming Thursday

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Sonot Kkaazoot

While some of the Sonot organizers were buried with late registration and bib pick-up, the groomers were busy working on the trails. Here’s the Thursday update from Bill Husby:

“Today Tom took the ginzu down to the river and leveled the bumps between the RR bridge and FWW bridge. He also got above the RR bridge. We also added some snow by electrical box along the road. As of now that 200 meter section is beautiful corduroy with no vehicle ruts. There are piles of snow by the crossing areas ready to be shoved onto the road with the piston bully (PB) on Saturday morning making for little or no shoveling for the crossing staff.

Ken and I will be grooming the river tomorrow morning. Expect an update with pristine photos. Tom will start grooming all the BH trails with the PB tomorrow evening. He will also PB the Sonot Connector, road and down to the river. Around 0700 he and Ken will drag and set tracks on the river and wherever else they are needed. This should prove the best 50K course in the state of Alaska this year.”

So that’s the most recent report. The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks are working hard to make the 2016 Sonot Kkaazoot special for all skiers.

One final note: Sonot Kkaazoot volunteers will be drilling the ice on the Chena River to make sure that the ice will safely support skiers and run all our equipment on Saturday.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all our wonderful volunteers who have come together to pull off the 29th annual Sonot Kkaazoot, and our awesome groomers who have allowed us Fairbanks skiers to continue skiing through our winter drought.

Sonot trails on Fort Wainwright are fantastic

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Today we skied from Birch Hill to the Chena River on the trails that will be used Saturday for the 2016 Sonot Kkaazoot. The preliminary grooming has already created a wide trail on the west side of Ski Road on Fort Wainwright that will allow skate skiers to easily overtake and pass slower skiers on the skate platform. There will still be two road crossings that skiers will traverse but these places will be staffed by volunteers with snow shovels and stop signs.

Here are photos from the trail on the west side of Ski Road today:

Pat on West Ski Road trail

Eric on West Ski Road trail

And here are Pat and Eric skiing up the base of the alpine hill after looking longingly at the rope tow to the left of them:

Pat & Eric on Lower Sonot Connector thinking about rope tow

Pat and Eric on lower end of Sonot Connector

The new snow has really brightened up the ski trails on the Chena River, Fort Wainwright, and at Birch Hill. Skiing is awesome and temperatures are predicted to be springlike. What are you waiting for? Sign up now.

https://sonotkkaazoot.org/register/

and thank our great groomers again:

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

Visualize Skiing the Sonot Kkaazoot

Video

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:

Sonot Training Class Starts January 26, 2016

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Kristen Bartecchi Rozell is teaching a 9-week long class at Birch Hill specifically designed for skiers preparing for the Sonot Kkaazoot. This Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks class involves skate technique and interval training as well as video analysis and an opportunity to have a guided session on the Sonot Kkaazoot connector trail to the Chena River. The class meets Tuesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. beginning tomorrow, 26 January 2016.

To register, see:

http://nscfairbanks.net/index.php/adult-lessons/956-mid-winter-adult-lessons-registration-open-now

This class is highly recommended for the skier hoping to ski the 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot for the first time.

Ski the Sonot Connector in November

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Sonot Kkaazoot

Although our September skiing at Birch Hill didn’t last long, we have made up for our slightly late start with an abundance of snow in November. The snow cover is so good that the SCUM (Sonot Kkaazoot organizers) skied the south side classical only trails in mid November. Today, we skied the Sonot Connector on piston bully groomed trails and tracks, which our SCUM groomer tells us is a first for this time of year. The packed platform is about 5 inches thick on the inside corners.

Poles & Dermot on Sonot Connector

The winds accompanying the chinook on Friday removed the snow burdens from the birch and spruce trees lining the trails but the piston bully did a great job of grinding up the ice and mixing it with the abundant power snow.

Early registration for the 29th annual Sonot Kkaazoot is open now. Make the commitment to skiing 50, 40, or 20 km on March 26, 2016, and register online at the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks secure site.

https://sonotkkaazoot.wordpress.com/register/

Then get out and enjoy the wonderful trails. Please make sure that you donate what you can to help support our wonderful skiing conditions.

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

Ski the Sonot Connector in Wed Night Race

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Sonot Kkaazoot

To prepare for the 40 and 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot, the Wednesday night race on March 18, 2015 has you competing on the Sonot Connector trail. See: WNRace_3-18-15

For more information: http://www.wnrace.com/

Sonot Kkaazoot

Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks' annual spring ski marathon

Tag Archives: Sonot Connector