Is the Midwest Season Over?

Skinnyski listed 11 races on the docket for this past weekend and it
looks like only 3 (Badger State Games, City of Lakes, and Marine
O'Brien) were the only ones cancelled outright. That makes 8 races
that pulled it off. Monday morning pictures of the Mora course on
skinnyski look decent. Additional Birkie trail reports (many with good
reports) posted also. Winter is alive and well.....ok...alive anyway.

Jim Kelley wrote:
Skinnyski listed 11 races on the docket for this past weekend and it
looks like only 3 (Badger State Games, City of Lakes, and Marine
O'Brien) were the only ones cancelled outright. That makes 8 races
that pulled it off. Monday morning pictures of the Mora course on
skinnyski look decent. Additional Birkie trail reports (many with
good
reports) posted also. Winter is alive and well.....ok...alive
anyway.

Let's see:

-Race in Canada. I like Canada, but it's a touch to far to drive for
me.
-The Iowa Winter games. They didn't even bother to cancel the race
since everyone knows there's no snow.
-The Moraloppet. Isn't that a very low key affair...a non-race?
-Bemidji, again, I like Bemidji, but a 4 hr drive one way for a 10 km
race?
-Lap the Lake. Never heard of it. With candles in bags, I think it's
again a low key affair.
-Did the Lumberjack happen? Anyway, this is an obscure race that was
only really popular when the Govn Cup was running in conjuction.
-I missed the Duluth race. Probably a good race considering the racing
depth that Duluth has.

I was worried about the Pre-Birkie until the post that they might start
at Telemark. Good idea, and I may be there if Mora doesn't go.

Jay Wenner

In article .com,
Bjorn A. Payne Diaz wrote:
-Did the Lumberjack happen? Anyway, this is an obscure race that was
only really popular when the Govn Cup was running in conjuction.
-I missed the Duluth race. Probably a good race considering the racing
depth that Duluth has.

Hey Jay,

Both the Lumberjack Jaunt and Duluth Spirit were fine races (I did
both). They had quality fields (e.g., guys like Josh Tesch, Bruce
Bauer, Adam Swank, Nikolai Anikin). But, they were definitely
small-town local races, i.e., small fields and not much depth of
competition. i.e., Nothing like the COLL, Vasaloppet, Birkie, etc.

Cheers,
Brian

wrote:
In article .com,
Bjorn A. Payne Diaz wrote:
-Did the Lumberjack happen? Anyway, this is an obscure race that
was
only really popular when the Govn Cup was running in conjuction.
-I missed the Duluth race. Probably a good race considering the
racing
depth that Duluth has.

Hey Jay,

Both the Lumberjack Jaunt and Duluth Spirit were fine races (I did
both). They had quality fields (e.g., guys like Josh Tesch, Bruce
Bauer, Adam Swank, Nikolai Anikin). But, they were definitely
small-town local races, i.e., small fields and not much depth of
competition. i.e., Nothing like the COLL, Vasaloppet, Birkie, etc.

Cheers,
Brian


My wife Liz and I are heading to Edmonton to ski the Canadian Birkie
this weekend. I think that they have meager snow as well, but received
7cm lately.

Come up to the North Shore of Lake Superior if you want to ski. We have
plenty of snow on the ground. We're in the process of tilling up the
frozen surface to reestablish great classic and skate trails at the
Sugarbush Trail system near Tofte, MN. 3ft. of snow on the ground.

Greg Fangel
www.sugarbushtrail.org

Didn't mean to upset you Jay, but the post title did say MIDWEST, which
encompasses a little bigger radius than the Twin Cities. I'm just
trying to see the glass half full. Good luck in your races. If I see
you at Mora I'll introduce myself (I'll recognize you from skinnyski
photos). Man, I remember the Pre-Birkie start at Telemark a few years
ago...what a bottleneck at the start.

I visited the Iowa Winter Games website just out of curiousity and
races were held this past weekend. I think they got several snowstorms
in the past few weeks that went south of the Twin Cities, so they must
have had decent snow coverage. Snow north and snow south with not much
in between.

Lumberjack went with good to very good conditions. There were a few spots that
had an ice base, corners were there had been snow plowing or very high use
areas. This was a very small per cent of the trail system.

There were some section that looked and felt like new snow.

I'm inclined to beleive the Mora report.

Half full,

Bill

I realize that Duluth, the North Shore and Giants Ridge, and the UP
probably have super conditions and just need some grooming after last
week's warm up. I also realize that I can drive to the Sibley Tour, the
UP, etc and get in some racing. But, after last week's warm temps, the
no-go of the major races (COLL and the Badger Games), and a poor report
on the Birkie Trail, things looked bleak. Also, races like Mora and the
Birkie really depend on entries from the Twin City skiers.

The National Masters was a good event, but many locals skipped the
races, I presume, because they're out of shape this year from the lack
of snow. I would think there are similar feelings from about Hwy 10
south in WI (Wausau, Stevens Point, Appleton, Milwaukee, Madison...)

So, am I done with the season? Nope. I plan to drive 2 hrs tonight to
do my workout. Hopefully tomorrow I can do the same thing. I'll
probably get on the bike for the other workouts this week if it gets up
to 20 F.

I just wonder how the ski shops can make it through winters like this.

Jay Wenner

The dratted problem is that you can't have a garden in the Keeweenaw.

We used to also be able to ski most of the time after Nov (in the
80's). And yet we can grow peaches around here, too. We have all 4
seasons. It used to be that a 4 season area gave ya 4 full proper
seasons. Now, mud/fall/spring extends thru most of winter.

I don't want to have to move to a 9-month winter area to get a few
months of skiing.

The K is a fine area, though.

From: "Gary Jacobson" Subject: Is the Midwest Season Over?


At least you guys have a season. The Seattle area, where we normally
have a snow depth of about 8 feet at this time of year, has squat now,
and prospects are bleak. In the immediate area, one of about 8 local
races was not cancelled, and that one was mighty lucky. That was the
only day I've been on non-Rock skis. 5 days on skis total, including
lots of 'take off the skis, run for a bit, put -em back on. I haven't
skated once. All the downhill and XC areas are closed. The most local
XC area never opened, and two downhill areas were open for I think two
weekends.

Indeed I am dreaming of bicycle projects, training, commuting and
trips myself.

Me too. I'm rolling with the punches, spending lots of time on bikes.
My biking only buddies think this is the best winter ever! At home in
Seattle, the daffodils are starting to bloom.

Erik Brooks, Seattle