“The morning of the race seemed innocent enough*…”
This event is a classic. There’s nothing else that can compare. It is always an unforgettable experience.
(It’s the only thing for which I’ll wake up so early LOL).
*These famous last words were reported in the Banff Crag & Canyon after the Jan 2008 race read more
Pre-dawn on Lake Louise, preparing to ski 71K to Banff in the Lake Louise to Banff loppet.
In addition to the main website, there are a lot of links where you can read first-hand accounts of the race, newspaper stories, and see lots of great photos:
My 2009 blog entry Once per winter – don’t miss it!
Ken Hill 2009(scroll down to comments)
Many sections of the trail, about 45K, are trackset only once per year, and this is the only time you get to ski some of the most amazing trails in the Canadian Rockies. On a clear day, Baker Creek to Castle Lookout (2nd leg) is spectacular. If you haven’t skied the fifth leg on the river and through the Backswamp, well, you just haven’t experienced cross-country skiing at its best.
Skiing past Morant's Curve, on the first leg of the Lake Louise to Banff loppet. This site was made famous as the photo on the $20 bill.
You’ll notice in some older accounts it refers to the race as 65K, but in the newer accounts it’s 71K. Now that the course has been GPS’d, we know for sure that it’s 71K and has been all along.
