The Great Caribou Bog Freestyle 10km
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Saturday, an intrepid few lined up for a 10K Freestyle race at the Caribou Bog trails in Orono, Maine. In the week that elapsed since the 30K classic race on the same grounds, the snow had softened, and the start was moved off the pond due to slush on the parade loop. As the start was only 500 yards from the welcome center, everyone was lined up in plenty of time. So much in advance, in fact, that a racer yelled over the crowd to see how many minutes we actually had until the starting gun.
The general talk was about how we had to climb Bangor Hill, not once, but twice in the out-and-back race, with a few detours to limit 2-way traffic the WHOLE race. Soon, the starting gun sounded, and we double-poled for a short distance. Those who know the Caribou Bog trails know that they are not particularly wide, and they get narrower as they leave the old railroad bed and head into the woods. The congestion eventually cleared up, and people settled in. Conditions were neither too soft nor too firm.
Having skied many of the trails just the week before, I was pleasantly surprised by how they were just wide enough for the two-way traffic. Unlike the previous week, all the snowplowers had cleared the narrow downhill sections before I got there, or were behind me. Bangor Hill, the first time up, just required a steady effort to summit, and then the fun winding descent through the woods. The out-and-back to Kirkland Avenue has a momentum-breaking hairpin around a cone with a gentle descent back to the railroad bed.
To limit 2-way traffic through the narrows back up to Bangor Hill, we took a different trail that was a long climb that had this skier maxing out her energy with someone on her tail. Thinking about Jessie Diggins and her bruised ribs pulling out a silver was inspiration enough to keep pushing through the pain and fatigue. I knew that if I could stay ahead on the ascent, my skis would be faster on the descent and carry me back along the railbed to the finish. I reeled in some other skiers on the descent but failed to close on them.
All in all, a strong ski on what are becoming familiar trails. Plus being able to score some age group and Zak Cup points:
While I took a cool-down on the Bog, the BKL racers were contesting the .5K, 1.5K, and 3.5K loops. We all met back at the welcome center for awards and door prizes. I am now the proud owner of a glow-in-the-dark water bottle. ;)
Cipperly
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