Get your teams together!
Believe it or not, it’s only 18 days ’til the legendary Lake Louise to Banff loppet. This is your one and only chance to ski some of the trails which are available only once per winter, trackset especially for this event.
Here I am, five years ago, still standing after skiing the entire 71K solo:
Bob after skiing 71K in the world-famous Lake Louise to Banff loppet. Jan 2004
Well, I won’t be doing that again! I’m leaving that to the young and naive(and it appears maybe a few older ones, too!). You can see who’s registered already at Confirmation List. When you’re ready, send your entry in here REGISTER
This year, I’ll be participating on a relay team. You can have up to six on your team or as few as two. You can read my harrowing account of the race from last year Team TNT takes third.
Before sending in our entry, we”ve been thinking about a new name for our team this year and came up with the following:
SkiHere.ca That would give my blog some free publicity. Everyone on the team would get a SkiHere.ca racing toque, guaranteed to increase your speed.
Storm Chasers I like this one. Very appropriate, as it seems we always get a storm half way into the race.
Swamp Creatures Well, considering we go through the Backswamp. Would this name scare the other teams?
Some names from the past: “Pimp My Glide,” “Only Ski Pretty.” The creative team names always bring a smile to my face at 7 a.m when, bleary-eyed, I’m picking up my race package.
I should add that this race isn’t for everyone. It’s like buying a “Character” home compared to buying a new house off the assembly line. This race has atmosphere and personality. It’s restricted to a select group of 160 discerning cross-country skiers.(discerning =willingness to suffer).
Considering there are a maximum of 160 partcipants, the awards banquet has the best door prizes you’ll find anywhere. Your chances of walking off with a weekend for two at a lodge or cabin in the Rocky Mountains is excellent. Just ask our teammate Peter who won the weekend at Shadow Lake Lodge. The poles I’m holding in the above photo? Won at the loppet the previous year.
You can read some other accounts of the race here:
My 2009 blog entry Once per winter – don’t miss it!
Ken Hill 2009(scroll down to comments)
This photo shows our state of readiness at the hand-off stations. Our skier, Cheryl(blue coat), has arrived at Castle Lookout but our next skier, Peter, doesn't have his skis on and his glove is in his mouth. We all took a turn at being unprepared. I was sitting in the car eating soup when Peter arrived at Johnston Canyon.
