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With great powder comes great skiing

Great weather and more than 100 cross-country skiers came to the Muskeg Creek trails on Saturday for Athabascaís annual loppet. A total of 122 skiers of all ages and from all over the province came to compete in some friendly races ranging from 0.
Athabasca Nordic Ski Club member, Bo Maier treks up a hill during his 5km race on Jan 23. Maier finished third in his category with a time of 21:52.
Athabasca Nordic Ski Club member, Bo Maier treks up a hill during his 5km race on Jan 23. Maier finished third in his category with a time of 21:52.

Great weather and more than 100 cross-country skiers came to the Muskeg Creek trails on Saturday for Athabascaís annual loppet.

A total of 122 skiers of all ages and from all over the province came to compete in some friendly races ranging from 0.5km to 20km in distance.

ìI donít know for sure what our biggest turnout is, but its definitely one of the better turnouts that we have had,î said Henrik Asfeldt coach of the Athabasca Nordic ski team. ìItís a nice warm day. Weíve had some of these (loppets) when its -20 and the windís blowing in your face. So this is a lot nicer.î

The trails were in tip-top shape for the event. The club members were lucky enough to get some extra snow the night before, creating a nice white blanket for the trail groomers to work off of.

ìItís funny ñ a couple weeks ago I wasnít even sure if we could have held this loppet this year,î Asfeldt said. ìBut the snow we got over the last two weeks was great, and the little bit more we got last night helped, too. Our groomer was out early this morning preparing the whole course, and it looks really good.î

Ski club members from as far south as Red Deer to as far north as Fort McMurray came out to hit the trails.

The event began with a mass start at 12 p.m. With 14 different categories, the Muskeg Creek Trails were packed full for most of the afternoon.

Not all competitors were out to place first in their respective categories. Although the times were recorded and ranked, the skiers saw this as more of an opportunity to train and experience the great trails.

Asfeldt even considers the loppet to be more of a ìfun runî then a competitive race.

ìItís not an Alberta Cup or a Western Canadian Championship race or anything like that,î he said. ìWe have these all around the province. So, if you look around you have some pretty good elite athletes, but you also have some people who are more just touring along and out to enjoy the weather.î

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