Lake Placid Loppet (NY) this Saturday - changes?

The Lake Placid Loppet race is scheduled for this Saturday, January 24 in
Lake Placid, New York. But it's going to be very cold, so the ski center's
web page says: "Please be advised to dress appropriately, cover all exposed
skin and: look for possible postponements or course changes here."
http://orda.org/Mtvantrailconditions.htm

This race is special because it's an open citizen's event held on an Olympic
race course. The route has multiple examples of every grade of steepness
going up and down, and combines those with all kinds of curves. Much of the
course is on "most difficult" trails requiring advanced skiing skills.

They run four races simultaneously on the same course -- Freestyle skating
and Classic striding techniques, 25 km and 50 km -- but they give the
Classic striding skiers a one hour head start. For links to the race entry
form and other info, see
http://roberts-1.com/xcski/lpl

The first time I tried the Loppet in 2001 I saw some people doing the event
on backcountry gear -- like a long tour with food stops. I think just
_finishing_ the 25 km course is a worthy achievement, and a fine Northeast
U.S. cross country ski tour.

The big 50 km course (31 miles) includes a total of 1125 meters / 3700 feet
of climbing (two laps of the 25 km course). Which could be more than
climbing Mt Marcy, the highest mountain in New York state (which actually
can be reached starting from the course at the Mt van Hoevenberg ski
center). Experienced local racers often sign up for just a single 25 km
lap, because they don't want to climb those tough hills a second time.

Ken

I did it last year for the first time, and it was also a bit brisk (I think
about the same temperatures as I have seen forecast for this weekend). It seems
to me that they delayed the start 30 minutes to let it warm up a bit. However,
one I got started, the hills were enough to take my mind off the chill, although
my feet suffered later.

It is a great race, and I'm looking forward to heading over this Friday.

Ken Roberts wrote:

The Lake Placid Loppet race is scheduled for this Saturday, January 24 in
Lake Placid, New York. But it's going to be very cold, so the ski center's
web page says: "Please be advised to dress appropriately, cover all exposed
skin and: look for possible postponements or course changes here."
http://orda.org/Mtvantrailconditions.htm

This race is special because it's an open citizen's event held on an Olympic
race course. The route has multiple examples of every grade of steepness
going up and down, and combines those with all kinds of curves. Much of the
course is on "most difficult" trails requiring advanced skiing skills.

They run four races simultaneously on the same course -- Freestyle skating
and Classic striding techniques, 25 km and 50 km -- but they give the
Classic striding skiers a one hour head start. For links to the race entry
form and other info, see
http://roberts-1.com/xcski/lpl

The first time I tried the Loppet in 2001 I saw some people doing the event
on backcountry gear -- like a long tour with food stops. I think just
_finishing_ the 25 km course is a worthy achievement, and a fine Northeast
U.S. cross country ski tour.

The big 50 km course (31 miles) includes a total of 1125 meters / 3700 feet
of climbing (two laps of the 25 km course). Which could be more than
climbing Mt Marcy, the highest mountain in New York state (which actually
can be reached starting from the course at the Mt van Hoevenberg ski
center). Experienced local racers often sign up for just a single 25 km
lap, because they don't want to climb those tough hills a second time.

Ken

That Lake Placid 50km course sounds like a very tough one,
as I already said before. Quite possibly it's
the hardest 50K race which is open to any adult skier (in North America,
maybe even the world).

But did they actually use precisely it at the Olympics? I think
that 3 X 16.7 as opposed to 2 X 25 has been the norm for quite
a long time, and also more like 5,000 ft. elevation gain, rather
than 3,700.

Is the 25 loop maybe the 16.7 used with 1500 or 1600 ft. of climb,
plus a flatter 8.3 with only about 300 ft. of climb?

Best, Peter

"Ken Roberts" wrote in message
Experienced local racers often sign up for just a single 25 km
lap, because they don't want to climb those tough hills a second time.


I think some of them do it because they'd like to ski the whole race
with good technique, rather than just trudging through a death march
not skiing well. A good choice, which I wish I was wise enough to
make...

JT

Edward Dox wrote in message ...
I did it last year for the first time, and
it was also a bit brisk (I think
about the same temperatures as I have seen
forecast for this weekend).

The forecast for last year was for temps of about 0F, which is what
some of the forecasts for this year are saying. But I think the race
was mainly run at about 10F, quite a bit warmer than what's expected
this weekend.

JT

I remember reading a passage in Bill McKibben's book about XC ski racing,
something sorta like the decline of character in modern society, with so few
people any more who can take the full challenge of endurance racing.

Then I looked at the Loppet results and saw that he had only done a single
25K lap.

But of course he's right -- especially if you live in the Adirondacks and
ski Mt Van Ho regularly.

John Tomlinson wrote
A good choice, which I wish I was wise enough to make

I also chose the 50K Free this year, my first time doing it Skating. And
I'm glad I did, because the threat made me to get very serious about
learning good hill-climbing technique. But in future years, I doubt it --
Two laps on the same course is convenient for race organizers, but not so
aesthetic as an achievement.

If we ever get the right weather, I still want to try my own "ski triathlon"
endurance event on Loppet day: (1) Start in Lake Placid in darkness, ski
classic on the Jackrabbit Trail to the Mt Van Hoevenberg center. (2) Switch
skis and skate the 25K Free race. (3) Switch to classic skis (and climbing
skins), and break off the Ladies 5K loop, up over the notch to the Marcy Dam
road, and on to the top of Mt Marcy. (Then get back down from there
somehow).

Ken

What is this, Peter?
Are you now applying your fine intellect to the low objective of puncturing
my illusions of heroism?

Ken

Peter Hoffman wrote:
But did they actually use precisely it at the Olympics?
. . . more like 5,000 ft. elevation gain, rather than 3,700.

I've planned, but not yet paid (!--how's that for hedging bets), to do the
50K Loppet this year, after doing the 25K last year. I had planned on
treating it as a tour, and not a race. I WON'T be tempted to try to keep up
with faster skiers; I'll take it really easy on the first lap, blah, blah,
blah. But even with all the hedging and caution, I'm truly terrified by the
predicted cold weather. I think I'll be able to survive bodily (I grew up in
northern Canada), but the cold with make the skis awfully slow, turning a
50K race effectively into a 70K race, or something like that.

Is there any way to get decent glide in temperatures like that? They're also
predicting some fresh snow, which will be sandpaper hard and rough. I think
attempting my first true Lake Placid Loppet in conditions like this is nuts.
Would it make any more sense to do the classic race instead. At least we'd
have good grip! We could all walk up and down the hills, and treat it as a
cold hike. Maybe I'll snowshoe it....

Onno Oerlemans


"

"Onno Oerlemans" wrote in message
t...

Is there any way to get decent glide in temperatures like that? They're
also
predicting some fresh snow, which will be sandpaper hard and rough. I
think
attempting my first true Lake Placid Loppet in conditions like this is
nuts.
Would it make any more sense to do the classic race instead. At least we'd
have good grip! We could all walk up and down the hills, and treat it as a
cold hike. Maybe I'll snowshoe it....


Well, it's not much - mho is that you never can get super glide below 0F.
But, one of the coldest paraffin (non fluro) waxes - like Swix CH4 or
Holmenkol EC with some cold powder mixed in is about the best I've been able
to do. I'm looking forward to seeing if anyone else has better ideas.

Griss

wrote in message
...
That Lake Placid 50km course sounds like a very tough one,
as I already said before. Quite possibly it's
the hardest 50K race which is open to any adult skier (in North America,
maybe even the world).

I understand that Mt. VH in general is considered "easy" these days relative
to other world cup venues.

Not that harder WC courses necessarily sort out the "men from the boys".
In most cases the fastest and best skier wins on a both a brutal course, and
a mega brutal course.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY