Racing
Winter Wolf Challenge Triathlon
Saturday, Feb 23, 2002 - Sara Cockrell

The Winter Wolf Challenge Triathlon - canoe/kayak, snowshoe, and XC ski, was held in Grayling today, with 28 participants.

The first discipline was a 20+ minute paddle on the AuSable River from Ray's Canoe Livery to the Rayburn property. From there, racers left their boats on the shore, and ran a 2-mile snowshoe course. At the end of this leg, the clock stopped, until racers could reassemble at Hanson Hills Recreation Area for the XC skiing. "Challenge" racers skied 8km, (except for the first 7 men, who took a wrong turn and skied about 11 km) while "fun" competitors skied 3km, either classic or skating technique. The top 3 winners were:

(Complete results are here.)

When I left my house this morning at 6:30AM, the temps were still only 13-degrees, so I paddled cautiously among the icebergs, caused by the canoe wakes running into shore. At the takeout, volunteers assisted with our boat exit, so we could stay dry for the snowshoe. I had practiced running with my borrowed snowshoes yesterday afternoon, and realized this was not going to be easy. I fell 4 times, catching the cleat of my snowshoe on a root, snowbank, or bare ground, but got in a comfortable pace. I passed 2 women who had finished the paddle with me but gotten into their snowshoes faster. But, the real test was skiing up all the hills at Hanson Hills with tired legs. It was a fun event for recreational or racing participants. And, I didn't even miss the 24-hr drive to ski the Birkie race in Wisconsin.