Big group of Norwegians need help on Birkie 2005 travel

Hi again,
looks like we're a group of fourty from west Norway that will arrive
MN airport next year and to the Birkie. A bigger group is also coming
from east of Norway.

It would be nice if someone could help me with a list of questions
that I have.
Post here og mail me at address lars_vagle at Yahoo.no

1. as a group of 40 we would like to charter a bus from thursday to
sunday.
what agency would you recommend?

2. NWT offers Airport Shuttle transportation to and from Minneapolis
Airport seven days a week. Special charters are available for
groups.
How is this shuttle service?
Is Hayward so small we can walk from any lodging to training tracks
and finnish line?

3. Are there shuttle busses from Hayward to Cable the morning of the
race?
who arrange these?

4. How long does it take to drive from Hayward to Cable in the
morning?

5. when staying in Hayward, as I've been recommended to do, where
should
we stay in Hayward?
Is it all a walk from one side to the other, or should we ask for
places
downtown og near ski tracks?

6. What lodging would you recommend? highest priorities are close to
test
tracks and finnish line.
Clean double room with private shower. Hotel room size is enough.
ca 75USD per room per night.
I found these links on Birkie.com:
http://www.haywardlakes.com/winteraccom.html
http://www.haywardlakes.com/hotels.html


We will first do the Keski race so I should prepare a similar
questionlist for that...


Thanks for any help.

mvh Lars Vagle.
http://www.turrennklubben.no

Great to hear you are coming!

With a group this large and needs so great, I think it would be a good
idea to call the Birkie office now and talk to the Race Director. She
can probably help you make it work and put you in touch with someone who
handles these sorts of groups. You'll probably need someone in the Twin
Cities or Hayward working as a guide, making all the arrangements in
advance, rather than trying to do it from a distance. The latter is a
recipe for disaster. You'll also want to note that the lowest entry
fees and best chance at good wave seeding are available through June 30
(entries start sometime in April).

There is a very good race bus shuttle from near Cable and from Hayward
to the start area before the race. Hayward to Cable is roughly 20
miles, and then add another 5 or so to the start area. Other traffic is
kept out for a few hours. However, if you have a tour bus, they might
agree to let you through, if arranged in advance. There will be places
along the course that a bus can get to during the week, prior to the
time the course closes, depending on conditions.

Gene Goldenfeld

Lars wrote:

Hi again,
looks like we're a group of fourty from west Norway that will arrive
MN airport next year and to the Birkie. A bigger group is also coming
from east of Norway.

It would be nice if someone could help me with a list of questions
that I have.
Post here og mail me at address lars_vagle at Yahoo.no

1. as a group of 40 we would like to charter a bus from thursday to
sunday.
what agency would you recommend?

2. NWT offers Airport Shuttle transportation to and from Minneapolis
Airport seven days a week. Special charters are available for
groups.
How is this shuttle service?
Is Hayward so small we can walk from any lodging to training tracks
and finnish line?

3. Are there shuttle busses from Hayward to Cable the morning of the
race?
who arrange these?

4. How long does it take to drive from Hayward to Cable in the
morning?

5. when staying in Hayward, as I've been recommended to do, where
should
we stay in Hayward?
Is it all a walk from one side to the other, or should we ask for
places
downtown og near ski tracks?

6. What lodging would you recommend? highest priorities are close to
test
tracks and finnish line.
Clean double room with private shower. Hotel room size is enough.
ca 75USD per room per night.
I found these links on Birkie.com:
http://www.haywardlakes.com/winteraccom.html
http://www.haywardlakes.com/hotels.html

We will first do the Keski race so I should prepare a similar
questionlist for that...

Thanks for any help.

mvh Lars Vagle.
http://www.turrennklubben.no

May I recommend that when skiing the Keski that you stay in Ottawa?
I will probably ski that race next year, and like last time stay at the Lord
Elgin Hotel which is near the Rideau Canal (bring your ice skates) and near
the center of the Winterlude Festival.

Don't knwoabout getting from the hotel to the race site- maybe 15 km away, I
think.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY


"Gene Goldenfeld" wrote in message
...
Great to hear you are coming!

With a group this large and needs so great, I think it would be a good
idea to call the Birkie office now and talk to the Race Director. She
can probably help you make it work and put you in touch with someone who
handles these sorts of groups. You'll probably need someone in the Twin
Cities or Hayward working as a guide, making all the arrangements in
advance, rather than trying to do it from a distance. The latter is a
recipe for disaster. You'll also want to note that the lowest entry
fees and best chance at good wave seeding are available through June 30
(entries start sometime in April).

There is a very good race bus shuttle from near Cable and from Hayward
to the start area before the race. Hayward to Cable is roughly 20
miles, and then add another 5 or so to the start area. Other traffic is
kept out for a few hours. However, if you have a tour bus, they might
agree to let you through, if arranged in advance. There will be places
along the course that a bus can get to during the week, prior to the
time the course closes, depending on conditions.

Gene Goldenfeld

Lars wrote:

Hi again,
looks like we're a group of fourty from west Norway that will arrive
MN airport next year and to the Birkie. A bigger group is also coming
from east of Norway.

It would be nice if someone could help me with a list of questions
that I have.
Post here og mail me at address lars_vagle at Yahoo.no

1. as a group of 40 we would like to charter a bus from thursday to
sunday.
what agency would you recommend?

2. NWT offers Airport Shuttle transportation to and from Minneapolis
Airport seven days a week. Special charters are available for
groups.
How is this shuttle service?
Is Hayward so small we can walk from any lodging to training tracks
and finnish line?

3. Are there shuttle busses from Hayward to Cable the morning of the
race?
who arrange these?

4. How long does it take to drive from Hayward to Cable in the
morning?

5. when staying in Hayward, as I've been recommended to do, where
should
we stay in Hayward?
Is it all a walk from one side to the other, or should we ask for
places
downtown og near ski tracks?

6. What lodging would you recommend? highest priorities are close to
test
tracks and finnish line.
Clean double room with private shower. Hotel room size is enough.
ca 75USD per room per night.
I found these links on Birkie.com:
http://www.haywardlakes.com/winteraccom.html
http://www.haywardlakes.com/hotels.html

We will first do the Keski race so I should prepare a similar
questionlist for that...

Thanks for any help.

mvh Lars Vagle.
http://www.turrennklubben.no

Hei, Lars - for information surrounding your visit to the Keskinada Loppet,
you should contact the Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa. Their email is


They also have good connections with the Keski loppet organizers, so will
likely be able to help you.

Good luck and best regards -


Tim Dudley



on 31/3/04 13:37, Lars wrote:

Hi again,
looks like we're a group of fourty from west Norway that will arrive
MN airport next year and to the Birkie. A bigger group is also coming
from east of Norway.

It would be nice if someone could help me with a list of questions
that I have.
Post here og mail me at address lars_vagle at Yahoo.no

1. as a group of 40 we would like to charter a bus from thursday to
sunday.
what agency would you recommend?

2. NWT offers Airport Shuttle transportation to and from Minneapolis
Airport seven days a week. Special charters are available for
groups.
How is this shuttle service?
Is Hayward so small we can walk from any lodging to training tracks
and finnish line?

3. Are there shuttle busses from Hayward to Cable the morning of the
race?
who arrange these?

4. How long does it take to drive from Hayward to Cable in the
morning?

5. when staying in Hayward, as I've been recommended to do, where
should
we stay in Hayward?
Is it all a walk from one side to the other, or should we ask for
places
downtown og near ski tracks?

6. What lodging would you recommend? highest priorities are close to
test
tracks and finnish line.
Clean double room with private shower. Hotel room size is enough.
ca 75USD per room per night.
I found these links on Birkie.com:
http://www.haywardlakes.com/winteraccom.html
http://www.haywardlakes.com/hotels.html


We will first do the Keski race so I should prepare a similar
questionlist for that...


Thanks for any help.

mvh Lars Vagle.
http://www.turrennklubben.no

(Lars) wrote in message . com...
Post here og mail me at address lars_vagle at Yahoo.no

1. as a group of 40 we would like to charter a bus from thursday to
sunday.
what agency would you recommend?

No idea.

2. NWT offers Airport Shuttle transportation to and from Minneapolis
Airport seven days a week. Special charters are available for
groups.
How is this shuttle service?

MPLS to where? If it's free, I doubt it's far from the airport.

Is Hayward so small we can walk from any lodging to training tracks
and finnish line?

No and maybe. See below

3. Are there shuttle busses from Hayward to Cable the morning of the
race? who arrange these?

I believe yes, arranged by the Birkie race.

4. How long does it take to drive from Hayward to Cable in the
morning?

About 45 min depending on traffic. Also, you can't drive to the start
line, you have to use a bus. So allow maybe 75-90 minutes.

5. when staying in Hayward, as I've been recommended to do, where
should we stay in Hayward?
Is it all a walk from one side to the other, or should we ask for
places downtown og near ski tracks?

They close the Birkie trail on Thursday before the race. Many people
ski on the trial, but you're not supposed to do so. Also, the 4 km of
trail leading to Hayward is on a lake. If you want to ski other areas
(besides the trail or lake), you'll have to have transportation.

6. What lodging would you recommend? highest priorities are close to
test
tracks and finnish line.
Clean double room with private shower. Hotel room size is enough.
ca 75USD per room per night.
I found these links on Birkie.com:
http://www.haywardlakes.com/winteraccom.html
http://www.haywardlakes.com/hotels.html

We will first do the Keski race so I should prepare a similar
questionlist for that...

mvh Lars Vagle.
http://www.turrennklubben.no

There are many areas around Hayward that can accomodate small groups
of skiers (maybe 6-10 people). There are only a few places that could
accomodate 40 skiers, and the best choice may be the Telemark Lodge
(at the start line). The rooms disappear fast (they may be gone
already), they're expensive, and not too exciting, but there is
excellent skiing just outside your door and this lodge is the center
of activity. If you choose to rent a few houses in the area instead,
you'll need to rent cars. That's just the eaiest way to get around
this country.

I would second the recommendation to call the Birkie race
headquarters.

Jay Wenner

Thanks to all the good tips I'm getting here and directly to my email
account. I'm now in good contact with Birkie and looking forward to
what will come.

-LV

Did they tell you that there is a new rule next year that anyone from
Norway, Sweden, or Finland who comes to the US to ski is required to
wear 10lb ankle weights when they race?

bt

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004, sknyski wrote:

Did they tell you that there is a new rule next year that anyone from
Norway, Sweden, or Finland who comes to the US to ski is required to
wear 10lb ankle weights when they race?

and what are you going to do about the Italiens?

Thanks you all good help.
We now have a good and detailed plan for the trip.
It's all rolling fine now.

regards Lars,
lars_vagle at yahoo.no
is just for ID use, and it's loaded with spam!

(sknyski) wrote in message . com...
Did they tell you that there is a new rule next year that anyone from
Norway, Sweden, or Finland who comes to the US to ski is required to
wear 10lb ankle weights when they race?

bt

(sknyski) wrote in message . com...
Did they tell you that there is a new rule next year that anyone from
Norway, Sweden, or Finland who comes to the US to ski is required to
wear 10lb ankle weights when they race?

bt

Some countries are sending elite skiers (national team members) to
Birkie.
So far not Norway as I've seen.
But on next years prelimenary FIS world cup program I can't see any
race between 13.Feb to 5.March.
http://www.langrenn.com/cparticle138583-1743.html

Maybe some WC races are to be put in US next year or elite skiers have
time to go. I'll wait and see...