48th Annual Mount Washington Cup
- 5 days ago
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The 48th Annual Mount Washington Cup
3/7/2026
The 48th Annual Mount Washington Cup was held in its typical fashion. The weather report was not optimal, but looking at accumulation amounts, it seemed precipitation would be minimal at Bretton Woods. This is always questionable in the shadow of Mt. Washington, known for the world's worst weather. This did not discourage a few skiers who enjoy the event and whatever the weather brings.
Commuting was easy, and the roads were in good shape, given the potential for icing. It is clear that it has been a long, cold winter, and the season's abuse on the surface is increasingly evident with frost heaves and potholes. But people made good time to Bretton Woods regardless of where they started.
Upon arrival, participants were greeted with enthusiasm and optimism for the day. Amy Patenaude Gunn was dancing in the parking lot after the loop had been reduced from 15km to 10km. This made me think of Geschmossel lap, but I was relieved that we would be getting onto some of the trails in the woods. Skiers did not seem to mind the change, and the course received approval and high praise. Skiers were in good spirits, catching up with each other and hopeful that the weather would hold off.
The racecourse started on the loop behind the Nordic Center and headed across the golf course to Perimeter. We got onto Willey’s Way and climbed to Tunnel, a short drop onto B&M was the only technical part of the course. Skiers took B&M to Porcupine Lane. Up to this point, the snow was quite fast with a bit of glazing on it from the mist off the Ammonoosuc River. Once on Porcupine, the snow became much more powdery, though there was a fast line on the trail if you could find it. We made our way to Sebosis for a fun downhill and returned to Perimeter. Once back on Perimeter, the snow was fast and glazed again, aside from a patch of powdery snow at about the halfway point on the return. We finished near the start. The course had a good climb, fun downhill, nothing too technical, and the snow was great!
As skiers lined up to get their timing chips, the weather did not hold. Heavy drops of rain fell, not soaking, but enough to cause worry. The shower passed quickly and held off the rest of the day. The rain did not impact the snow surface. We had some race instructions, and the starter noted that the rain had stopped – for now. The race field had many of the familiar masters, a few college skiers, and some juniors. Self-seeding was good, and soon we were off with a clean start.
Wally Good (NWVE) thought that the college and junior skiers were given their own start, as they pulled away quickly. This was not the case, but it is understandable that it could have been, given the gap they had on the field where he was cheering the athletes. Nathan Livingood (No Limits) continued his Mt. Washington Region Campaign after winning the Jackson weekend in early January. This time, he was challenged by Bennett Hutchinson (Harvard), William Riley (Bowdoin), and Elias Soule (MNC). Nathan did not get a big gap, though, with the conditions and the course, the race did not spread out that much. Small margins were difficult to change, so even a few seconds seemed like an eternity. This was the feeling when Rob Riley (Gunstock) got around Dennis Page (Nansen). Two skied together and were separated by only 6 seconds at the finish, but it seemed as though Rob was out of sight. Right with them was Tim Donahue (Manhattan Nordic), making his annual appearance in the Zak Cup! Bill Donahue (Gunstock) could not keep pace and chased some Harvard skiers but ended up losing the pack early in the race and skied alone for much of the event.
Charlie Gunn (Black Water), Tristan Leggett (NWVE), and I watched the field separated ahead of us. We were not able to hold their pace, but could see Bill slowly drop back. We skied together to the Tunnel with Tristan initially leading, but Charlie getting by with a quick tempo up the climb. I was hopeful Tristan would power away on the flats, as he has in the past, but he was cooked from the climb with limited aerobic fitness. Charlie was very familiar with the course and made moves on blind corners. Dyhan Nirmegh (NWVE) was very pleased with his race as he skied away from James Tasker (Unattached) and hung on to Christopher Fragoso (Unattached). Angeline Andrew (BOC) returned to action skiing much of the race with Jonathan Rodd (NWVE). Angeline’s skis were fast in the powdery conditions.
Carl Johnston (Rochester Nordic), Ian Blair (BOC), Jessica Bolduc (NWVE), and Amy Patenaude Gunn (Black Water) had a good contest. Jessica climbed well, but Ian and Amy gained on Sebosis. Ian got away from Jessica, and Amy passed just as they returned to Perimeter. It was a sprint for the last kilometer. While it is a straight flat almost to the finish, there is a slight curve right at the end of the race, so you cannot see the line. Amy hit the powder about midway down the finish straight, getting bogged down, and Jessica took advantage, knowing the line was just around the bend. Jessica went all in and held off Amy. John Ampe (Freedom Trail) did all he could to hang on.
But that was not the most exciting finish of the day. As with the Geschmossel, Cipperly Good (NWVE) had company. This time, it was not a determined Karen Alence (MNC), but a crowd including some Tuesday Night Racers. Jody Dean (Freedom Trail), Nicole Freedman (Unattached), and Marielle Aunave (Unattached) were chasing Cipperly. Cipperly felt the heat and did all she could, but the pack was sprint-wise and waited until the final few seconds to surge and overtake her. The four would finish within 0.6 seconds of each other. Cipperly was not pleased, having pulled down the final stretch with nothing to counter in the closing meters of the race. Further back in the field, William Dougherty (Unattached) and Everett Ingalls (Unattached) skied the race together.
Racing the 48th Annual Mount Washington Cup was a blast. The conditions were exceptional, and the weather held off aside from a few drops of rain just prior to the race. During the race, the clouds cleared and a glorious spring day emerged. Many skiers opted to continue skiing and soak up some sun! There was a lively awards ceremony with hot drinks and cookies. Participants appreciated the efforts to preserve and groom a great course. Post-race skiing was also very enjoyable.
The club gathered at Fabyan’s Station for some recovery nourishment. It was a lively crowd with much to say as we enjoyed the delicious fare!
Damian
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