Feb 2, Skate

Wow, we almost forgot what to do when the temperature actually drops below freezing!  The chilly clear air made for a gorgeous night of skiing: a dark dark sky, with billions and billions of stars.  You could turn off your headlamp when no one was around and look far into the universe, searching for those new suns that might have livable planets circling around them.  The parking lot was a sheet of ice (be careful out there!), and almost full of cars.  Robert did the best he could with the course, but this interminable thaw/freeze/thaw/freeze cycle we're stuck in has turned that stuff on the ground into something that doesn't remotely resemble snow -- it's just rock solid ice.  Fortunately, a couple of turns around the course by a bunch of skaters sugars up the top layer and it becomes really nice, really fast skiing!  And, of course, there is always the cabin afterward, to change clothes and eat dinner and share stories with your headlamping friends.

Next week: classic (hope for snow so Robert can actually set a track).  Good luck to everyone heading to the Race of the Methow (boasting of excellent trail conditions, clear and cool weather) or the Boulder Mountain Tour (where I hear it's -6F!).

Masters, 5k skate

Kyle Nagle, 37, 13:07
Peter Boveng, 52, 13:17
Jim Wood, 28, 13:29
Alex Gardner, 40, 13:30
Jason Paur, 40, 13:37
Jim Cahill, 48, 13:42
Bryan Schaeffer, 34, 13:48
Chris Fast, 44, 13:50
Jeff McGrew, 50, 14:15
Alex Horner-Devine, 38, 14:20
Eric Kamila, 37, 14:35
Romic Scheet, 42, 14:35
Dale Bohm, 52, 15:00
Mona Deprey, 44, 15:02
Chip Nevins, 52, 15:08
Rolf Sunnerup, 15:13
Carey Gazis, 48, 17:10
Heidi Fischer, 25, 17:37
Amy Snover, 42, 18:29
Ian Whyte, 48, 18:50
Peter Turcan, 19:17
Debbie Kolp. 57, 27:06 (classic)
Guillaume Mauger, 31, 38:04 (classic)
Tim Melbourne, 99:99 (can't read your handwriting, Tim!)

Juniors, 2.5k

Nils Melbourne, 8:32
Magnus Melbourne, 8:43

Just Skiin'

Terry Buchanan
Spencer Reeder
Anita Campbell and nine Bush kids
Michael Wenger (Night of Adventure award: Michael skied around the Amabilis loop in the dark, by himself, with his headlamp; it was so icy he used skins for both the uphills and the downhills!)