We had hoped to have more definitive information today, but, the weather forecast this week is throwing a wrench in to those plans. We are in a low snow year and the warm temperatures forecasted for mid to late week, along with the possibility of some rain and mixed precipitation, are concerning. These factors could wreak havoc on the base we have. We need a little more information before making final plans – our priority is making a safe and quality event.
What we know right now:
- We will not be able to have a Dome finish line – all Saturday events will finish at the Forestville Trailhead as there’s not enough snow to create a base that will hold up to a volume of skiers. The Superior Dome will still be used for packet pickup, expo, busing, and awards as normal. We will bus participants back to the Superior Dome from the finish line.
- Work on the marathon course between Deer Lake and the Dead River basin set up nicely. Because there was no snow, and it was warm before the very cold temperatures moved in, there was no opportunity to create a base before last week’s snow. We had to make a base out of the sugar snow and once it was compacted we were left with a fairly thin base – although quite nice in many spots.
- The Dead River basin was crossable and some slush was exposed and re-frozen. Deer Lake will be similar.
Stay tuned for more course updates – website information and all the details will be updated as we are able to make some more decisions.