End of the Season ...

The temps haven't dipped below freezing since last weekend, and it's been raining like crazy; only the die-hards would want to headlamp ski in those conditions, and that's exactly who showed up for the end-of-season relay and party!  And as it always turns out, the conditions at Cabin Creek were much better than the pass report would have you believe:  mild temperatures, light misty rain, plenty of snow, and even daylight.

Peter designed a fun alternative sprint course: classic skiers started first, a mass start on the road, then took the cutoff up Amabilis Road, turned right on the Berg and headed in reverse around the loop, then around the PK loop in reverse, and back to the road to tag off to your partner.  Skiing a course in reverse makes it a whole new day, and we took advantage of the fact that there were no non-racers to bang into.  After the race, most of us headed out for another cruise around the trails, reveling in the soft gray dusk, rich with the fragrance of a new-born spring, before going up to the cabin for dinner and prizes.

Relay results:

         Men-only teams
             Loren Hanson (44)/Mark Hanson (40):  15:57    
             Max Limb (67)/Peter Boveng (54):  17:43
             Jordan (ageless)/Purple Cow (ageless):  17:53      
             Chris Fast (46)/Ian Whyte (50):  19:05
             Jeff McGrew (53)/Dale Bohm (54):  20:39

         Co-ed teams
              Jeff Clark (59)/Joy Cordell (58):  21:48
               Jim Slyfield (55)/Elizabeth Bailey (52):  22:44

          Women-only teams
                Alma Fast (7)/Debbie Kolp (59):  fast like rockets

Many many thanks to Brent Turner, who sent us two boxes of great Helly Hansen wear to hand out, and to Peter, who convinced Petzl to loan us some snazzy headlamps to try out all winter and then handed out a new one as a prize.  Almost everyone went home with something new, and a great time was had by all.

Here are the season-total age group winners, men and women:

             juniors:  Anthony Evans, Camille Moore
             20-29: Jonathan Loeffler, Heidi Wood
             30-39: Brad Bauer, Diana Yuen
             40-49: Chris Fast, tie between Kirsten Wysen and Gina Jackson
             50-59: Peter Boveng, Joy Cordell
             60-69: Max Limb

And that's it for another year!  A thousand thank yous to every one of you who broke out of the routine to make the trip up to Cabin Creek on Wednesday nights, in the rain and the dark and the snow, to the parking lot that was alternately flooded or icy, to race (or just ski) on trails with a wide range of grooming conditions, to follow the glow of your headlamps through the trees and up and down the hills, to meet up in the cabin afterward to eat and share funny stories.  It was so much fun, and I will miss all of you this summer.  I'll look for you out on the running trails and the roller skiing roads, and we'll do this all again next year!

Train hard, have fun!