Thacher Park
February 13, 2005

Bitter-Sweet, not Bitter Cold

The weather forecast was for well over a foot of snow three days before the Ski & Snowshoe event we had planned for Thacher Park. I planned to use my impending day off (because no doubt school would be closed and commuting would be next to impossible), to get out early during the big white dump, so that my tracks would be covered by race day. Plus it would be easier to get around in the first six inches of snow than in the next twelve inches.

Well, by morning there was barely a new flake or two on the ground. School was not even delayed, let alone cancelled, and it was all pretty disappointing. Forecasters were still trying to say that the storm was going to happen, just a bit later. But I knew they'd blown it. Oh well, back to the minimal snow plans.

In the end, the conditions weren't especially bad. The day was reasonably sunny, with the temperature in the low 20's, and a moderate breeze. The snow cover of about one new inch of powder over hard-pack or frozen base, while chewed up by foot traffic on some trails, was pretty consistent. The faster skiers actually chose to skate, which isn't what I would have done, but they seemed to handle it well.

Meanwhile, the snowshoers mostly became just shoers as the crust was sufficiently firm to keep one from getting too deep into the four-or five inches of snow to be found off of the trails. One intrepid adventurer did manage to get hip deep into one of Thacher's infamous fissures, but she and everyone else made it around in reasonable time, and all seemed to enjoy themselves.

Because of all the different course options which were presented, there wasn't very much direct Head-to-Head competition. So, to quote Sly Stone "Everybody Is A Star!"

Thanks to all for coming, and making it fun and worthwhile. The hot chocolate in the Warming Room helped encourage a lot of good post-race chit-chat. Thanks to Aims Coney helping to pick up the controls; and to Sue & Marty for helping to both hang and pick up, as well as Sue handling registration, and Marty providing instruction.

I look forward to seeing some of you again soon at Lake Placid; and I expect to see everyone else in the Spring.

-Phil Hawkes-Teeter

last updated: --Mon Feb 14 2005 07:46:26 PM EST--