December 7th Grooming Report
Racing is On!
Well, more or less. As you undoubtedly are aware, we are living in a pandemic which means many things are not quite the way they used to be. However, it does appear is if we are going forward with a limited race schedule that is actually going to end up with 6 major events here at Trail Creek. Read on below for recent releases from Coach Will:
I have refrained from giving news about the upcoming race schedule because everything has been in flux due to the pandemic, but I finally have some more definite information to share and plan around. Wyoming High School racing will be splitting into Eastern and Western circuits to minimize travel and we will start with one day meets to prevent the need to stay overnight. Trail Creek is just about the only place in Wyoming right now with skiing, so we will be hosting two or three high school races this year! This is great because it will enable us to race more without traveling and potentially being exposed. There will also be open classes so U14s and those not a part of the High School can compete in the races.
The new tentative WYHS schedule is as follows:
12/19 Jackson
1/8-9 Jackson
1/15-16 Lander
1/23-24 Jackson
2/5-6 Lander
2/12-13 Pinedale
2/26-27 Casper State Championships
While this is the latest document, this could change in the future as Public Health conditions develop and evolve. We will be working with TCSD, Public Health, and the community to ensure these races have proper safety protocols and are properly managed. I know that we will do later starts so teams can bus in the morning, staggered class categories so everybody is not at the venue at the same time, only interval start races, and no parent spectators on course in addition to the mandatory mask and distancing protocols.
The other big development for racing is that the 1/2-1/3 FIS races in Soldier Hollow are a go. However, Utah Public Health is putting participant caps on the number of racers and people at the venue at one time and there are many teams from around the west trying to get race starts so capacity will be somewhat limited at first. We will probably mostly be taking U18s with a few U16s, but this is a great opportunity for our older guys to see how they stack up against a really high quality field. These races are also going to be some of the only qualifying results that will count towards international trips. We will be supporting these races.
The 1/15-16 Soldier Hollow Super JNQ is also a go. Since this is a Western regional event there will be teams from CO, CA, WA, OR and Intermountain attending with the same participant caps. Therefore, there will be no U14 classes at these races. We will be taking whoever on the Prep/Comp team wants to go, but if you are a U14 you will have to "race up" in the U16 category. However, U14s will be compensated with starts in the Open category of all the WYHS races.
As far as we know, the 1/30-31 Bozeman JNQ is a go. BSF is working with MSU to develop testing capacity for all attendees before the races, so we think every participant will be tested ahead of the event.
Betty Woolsey 2020 is a go. It will be an interval start classic race like normal. Plan on working off all that Christmas candy in style at Trail Creek. More information forthcoming.
We are very lucky to be racing at all right now, especially to have so many opportunities in our own backyard. Every one of you should take this schedule with gratitude and PLEASE be careful in your personal lives so that you, your teammates, and the community stays healthy so you can compete and cash in all the training you have banked this summer/fall/winter. It is NOT worth it to miss races, get sick, potentially get others sick, and jeopardize our racing and training season.
We are racing and training more than anyone in the country right now, take a second and recognize that fact. Use this information to help give you strength to stay the course with simple public health guidelines such as masking, distancing, and not gathering indoors with other people. Thank you for hanging tough through this time, I really appreciate the effort from every one of you to keep JHSC going!
|
DATE |
RACE |
LOCATION |
|
December 19 |
WY High School |
Wilson, WY |
|
December 26 |
Betty Woolsey Classic |
Wilson, WY |
|
January 2-3 |
FIS |
Soldier Hollow, UT |
|
January 8-9 |
WY High School |
Wilson, WY |
|
January 15-16 |
WY High School |
Lander, WY |
|
January 16-17 |
JNQ #1 |
Soldier Hollow, UT |
|
January 22-23 |
WY High School |
Wilson, WY |
|
January 30-31 |
JNQ #2 |
Bozeman, MT |
|
February 5-6 |
WY High School |
Lander, WY |
|
February 13-14 |
JNQ #3 |
McCall, ID |
|
February 20 |
JHSC Nordic Carnival |
Wilson, WY |
|
February 26-27 |
WY State Champs |
Casper, WY |
|
March 6-7 |
Western Club Champs Intermountain/Youth Champs |
Wilson, WY |
|
March 9-14 |
Western US Junior Champs |
Soldier Hollow, UT |
|
March 24-28 |
Western Spring Series |
Sun Valley, ID |
Looks like an exciting and busy winter. We need to all work together, doing all that we can to ensure that we are able to pull off this full agenda.
Today’s grooming was a Pisten Bully best line skate pass of all trails with additional classic track passes in the close field and on Armin’s and Moose Loop. The snow is firm with some grouser tracks showing through, but all in all the skiing is pretty good.
Groomer’s choice for today is Moose Loop.
