Skiers prepare for thin, old snow on championship course

GOVERNMENT PEAK — Increased temperatures combined with recent strong winds and a longtime lack of snowfall have beaten down the trails but not the skiers or coaches participating in the Region III championship meet this weekend.

Colony High School head coach and race organizer Mark Strabel sent an email to Region III coaches and other relevant parties Monday detailing changes due to weather issues.

“The wind hit pretty hard (highest gust at the trails: 45 mph) the last couple of days,” he wrote. “In some places we lost some snow, and will be shoveling snow on those places this week.”

Debris blown onto the trails at Government Peak Recreation Area also needed to be cleared away, Strabel said, and trails crews went out with rakes Monday.

“The wind has polished the ice around the chalet and in the parking lot,” too, he said, making safety an issue for both spectators and athletes.

In a separate email, Strabel told Frontiersman staff that alternative locations have been discussed, but now it’s “too late to change” the venue.

“There really isn’t a better place right now that has decent skiable trails, GPRA has the best in the region,” he said. “We have skied on worse.”

Palmer High School head coach Mike Evans agreed, and went so far as to say that skiing in such conditions brings out the truly competitive nature of some athletes, though it can be frustrating for new and less-experienced skiers.

“This is a season for ski racers, for kids that love the sport and are gonna go out and compete at their best in spite of the conditions,” he said. “The more marginal, the more challenging the conditions are, the more we get to see better skiers sort of emerge and establish themselves as good skiers.”

Both Evans and Strabel expressed excitement about the race, though Strabel said he’s also been “stressed” and “tired” from multi-tasking, organizing the race and coaching his athletes.

The region meet is one of few times the whole Colony varsity team will race together, Strabel said, as several key skiers have missed meets for college visits, U.S. Junior National team qualifiers and personal reasons throughout the season.

“I would like to see all of our varsity skiers all finish in the top 20, but with crazy weather anything is possible, both good and bad,” Strabel wrote.

Though the forecast for rain has moved off to Monday, temperatures are expected to reach 39 degrees Saturday, and snowmelt could be a significant problem.

Evans reiterated his thoughts on the course’s condition, saying Alaskans have been “spoiled” in the past, even though rain has occurred during Region III meets on occasion.

“Most of the time we’ve got world-class skiing (conditions) but tomorrow’s not gonna be that, tomorrow’s gonna be rugged,” he said. “It’ll be a true test of fitness and technique, and it will test the coaching staff.”

Twelve teams will compete in the meet today and tomorrow: Colony, Homer, Kenai, Nikiski, Palmer, Seward, Skyview, Soldotna, Valdez, Wasilla and Su-Valley High Schools, as well as Grace Christian School.

Friday’s competition will be a 5-kilometer, individual-start classic race for boys and girls, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday’s competition will be a 5-kilometer, mass-start skate race for girls, starting at 10 a.m., followed by a 7.5-kilometer, mass-start skate race for boys.

Volunteers are needed to act as course marshals. Some skiing ability is required. Those interested need only attend the pre-race meetings on Friday at 12:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.