With the temperature just above freezing and the sky overcast, we didn’t really expect a big turnout at this end-of-season event…and unfortunately, we had assumed correctly.  A few days earlier, when we hung the flags, new snow had been wonderfully fluffy, the air was crisp and a bright sun had been shining down on us. The Arboretum was showing her glorious best.  But, winter can be very fickle and her moods can change quickly.

In the end, the snow for the ‘Shoeing event was quite good.  For the Ski-O it was satisfactory for some and passable for others.  There was good snow coverage but waxing was definitely a problem.  Those with the right wax – or with waxless skis – did well.

The winners (long courses): Francis Falardeau on ski, Jennifer O‘Connell on snowshoes. Detailed results here (pdf)