MATSU — While sub-zero temperatures this past week have chilled out most outdoor activities, there is one group that has been going about business as usual in the cold: local high school cross country skiers.

Valley teams have become Alaska’s winter warm weather chasers, as they attempt to find warmer areas to ski in.

Palmer High School head coach Darin Markwardt said his team has been consistently practicing over the last week, through no small efforts for finding “warm spots.” “We’ve always been able to find places warm enough,” Markwardt said about practicing in the bitter cold.

Markwardt said that he checks local weather reports and tries to find the warmest possible area for skiing before practice.

“We work around the weather,” he said.

The Palmer ski team has successfully been able to navigate around this recent cold snap without missing a practice, the coach said.

So how cold is too cold for cross country ski practice? If the temperature drops below -15, Markwardt said he would either cancel practice or have the team run in the gym.

“Thankfully we haven’t had to do that yet,” he said.

Markwardt said that although the team still practices, when temperatures drop below -4, he is careful not run a hard practice.

“We won’t do a hard workout if it’s that cold,” he said. 

One of his reasons for easing up the workouts when the temperatures drop is because of health concerns.

“There is a correlation between cold-weather sports and asthma,” Markwardt said.  “The ice particles lacerate the lungs and induce it.”

According to aklung.org, “Asthma causes a narrowing of small airways that result in shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and chest pain or tightness.” It goes on to state the episodes can be triggered by cold weather and exercising, among other things.

Colony Activities Director Mike Boyd said he has some concerns about teams practicing in the cold weather.

“I absolutely have concerns about it,” Boyd said. “Of course, I’m not a cross-country skier. I know they take precautions to protect themselves. But we do watch it when it gets too cold.”

While attempts to contact coaches from Colony and Wasilla weren’t successful before press time, Boyd said its typical that teams won’t go out when its anywhere between 15 and 20 below zero.

Boyd said precautions are taken at meets, and he believes that races won’t be held if temperatures drop lower than 5 below. 

But for Markwardt, who was on his way to practice at Hatcher Pass Monday afternoon, said that while it’s a little out of the way, the pass has proven to be good practicing grounds.

“Hatcher has been pretty warm lately compared to the Valley,” he said. “So that’s where we’re heading today.”

Contact Tyson Alger at 352-2273 or sports@frontiersman.com.