Sam and Alison of Cascade endurance put on a rather unique race. It's hosted at the Loup Loup ski area not far from Winthrop Washington. Loup Loup is a real ski area in my book (fixed grip lifts only) which makes it very worth visiting. Like the Meany lodge or Cochran's in Vermont, it's a throwback to a time when skiing was a fun and affordable community activity. A time before most ski area were soulless corporate money-makers. I digress though...

Only from the mind of these two endurance coaches could such a painful race be conceived. The basic premise of the race is: How many laps can you do in four hours? (there is a one hour race as well , but let's just say... the cool kids all race the 4 hour) Laps are 1200' vert and most years there is a skintrack outside the ski area boundary. This year there was a bit of a "crust" so we ascended the same groomer we were descending. That actually made the clime even more efficient than normal.

When you get to the top you rip skins and bomb the groomer. It's a pure test of aerobic capacity, the perfect race for people with strong legs who are bad at skiing. Basically without any icy moguls or breakable crust to help me catch the fit folks the race is over before it even begins. Whatever, losing can be fun!